Extended Reality (XR): A Sneak Peek into an Alternate Reality

We live in an era where the definition of reality evolves with each advancement in the human-machine interface. Technology is advancing thousand times faster than human beings with the latest of technologies becoming obsolete in a quickest of times. Within the last decade, humans were introduced to various technological innovations through such as Microsoft’s HoloLens, Facebook and Oculus’ VR, and Google’s Glass and Cardboard, among many others.

Many may be of the thinking that we are nearing the end of technological evolution; however, this is just the beginning of a much longer journey. It hasn’t been too long since VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality) were introduced to us, and there’s already a newcomer known as XR (Extended Reality).

What Is Extended Reality?

Extended Reality is the term used when referring to the use of a combination of real and virtual environments via wearables and computer technology generated human-machine interactions. It covers the entire spectrum of real and virtual environments. To many, XR is defined as a term that enhances existing technologies such as AR, MR, and VR; however, in actuality, MR, VR, and AR form the three pillars of XR.

Extended Reality combines the features of these three technologies to form one superior technological experience for users. The scope of XR is not limited to the current form of these three technologies and will increase with time and technological innovations in mixed, augmented, and virtual reality.