In this article Vijithan Srikandarajah, BISPA Research Student discusses the latest Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality developments.

Virtual Reality (VR) can be described to be a real-life stimulation that is computer-generated and artificial.  The users of VR are made to feel as if they are having first-hand experience of the reality that is stimulated through their hearing and vision.  Typically, VR gets to be achieved through headset like units, as these have the technology that is used in enhancing and also creating a reality that is imaginary for entertainment, play, and gaming. The technology is also being increasingly used in creating training environments that are in real life and thus the reality stimulation helps in ensuring that people have the chance to practice beforehand.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a type of technology that helps in layering enhancements that are computer-generated on top of a reality that is already in existence with the aim of increasing its meaningfulness through interactions with it (Cawood et al., 2008).

The difference that exists between VR and AR has always caused a lot of confusion.  Both have been growing at a very high rate and they have huge differences as well (Hackl et al., 2017).  One of the differences is the immersion that the two get to provide.  VR helps in creating a world that is fully computer-generated, and all the things that are seen by the user are a recreation that is artificial.

Therefore, VR helps the user in losing contact with the real world (Eddings et al., 2004). AR, on the other hand, helps in enhancing reality through providing additional information to the reality. Therefore, the augmented reality experience still gives the user a chance to keep contact with the real world.  The users get to interact with the objects that are augmented while still interacting with their real environment.

The devices that are used to deliver the two are also different.  As mentioned above, devices used in VR are typically headset based that change the hearing and vision of the user into the virtual world (Challoner et al., 2017).  The devices that are used in providing AR come in a huge variety.  They include tablets, laptops, smartphones, as well as AR headsets.  But unlike VR, such AR headsets still ensure that the users still have contact with their real world.

The application of the technologies in the two is also another difference.  Both technologies are used in industries that are very different from each other (Ong et al., 2011).  For example, VR can be used to take students back into the historical world, and the students have a chance to experience what the historic world was all about.  However, AR gives students the chance to interact with the world that has been augmented through lessons that are more practical.  It is, therefore, evident that the two can be applied in the same industry but they have a huge difference in their application.

BISPA (The Building and Industrial Services Pipework Academy) is currently looking at how VR and AR can support the building service industry.  The research being undertaken by our students can be of benefit since it will help provide more insight regarding the effectiveness of VR and AR and what they entail.  The differences between the two are still not fully clear and thus such research will come in handy in showing some of the main differences between the two, as well as showcasing how the two technologies can be applied, and the benefits that can be realised.