Added reality program. Augmented and virtual reality

Increasingly, virtual and augmented reality are becoming a topic of discussion. Which of these two technologies will benefit larger companies more? First, we should remember what virtual and augmented reality are and how they differ.

Augmented reality is achieved through technologies that supplement the vision of the real world with computer-generated information.

A good example of augmented reality is Google Glass - smart glasses that combine a touchpad, camera and LED display. Thanks to the display, Google Glass users have access to the Internet and services such as navigation and sending emails to addresses specified within view.

New generation devices, such as Microsoft HoloLens, open up truly magical possibilities:

Since this technology is based on a digital vision of the real world, more familiar devices can be used to bring it to life: smartphones and tablets.

As the name suggests, the concept of virtual reality covers technologies that allow the user to interact with a virtual environment. Unlike augmented reality, the real world is absent here at all, there is no direct or indirect contact with it - everything that the user sees, hears and feels is a computer program.

The Oculus Rift, owned by Facebook, is one example of a virtual reality device.

How do companies use this?

Since smartphones and tablets can be used to create augmented reality, there are many examples of large companies using AR.

In 2013, supermarket chain Asda turned to augmented reality to organize a Halloween Hunt event, where children had to use the special Asda app and complete a quest in the supermarket building, moving from point to point.

Also in 2013, IKEA launched an application for iOS and Android, allowing customers to use a camera to imagine how IKEA furniture would look in their homes.

Over several years of using augmented reality technology, a specific practice of its application has developed, which has made it easier for large companies to develop and debug relevant applications.

Virtual reality is developing more slowly, because it is less often used in practice, but the number of examples is still growing steadily. Brands Tommy Hilfiger and Thomas Cook are actively introducing VR with devices such as the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear RV.

Boursin, famous for its cheeses, combined virtual reality, computer graphics and real products to create its own unusual roadshow.

Technology potential

Thanks to the growing power and accessibility of smartphones and tablets, companies of all industries and calibers are opening up vast opportunities to create high-quality and sophisticated augmented reality today.

Virtual reality is not yet so accessible and perhaps its time has not yet fully come, but there are already numerous ways in which VR can be used by various companies, and at times it can even play a decisive role in the market.

For example, brands in the travel and hospitality industry, including major hotel chain Marriott, travel agency Thomas Cook and Qantas Airways, have already begun experimenting with next-generation VR devices, and in some cases, virtual reality has the potential to revolutionize the way such companies sell services. .

Which is better: AR or VR?

Where should companies set their sights - on augmented or virtual reality? It all depends on the tasks assigned.

Undoubtedly, AR today is more accessible: there are many possibilities for creating augmented reality, and a regular smartphone and tablet will be more than enough, and the application itself is easy to distribute through popular services.

VR, in turn, is arousing increased interest, but so far companies are not always able to find use for it. Even though the Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR and other devices are already available for sale, they are still far from the mainstream.

The developers of this application really deserve attention. The guys don’t just use a newfangled feature, but realize its potential to 100%.

The training program will clearly show and explain how the transmission works, the battery releases its charge, the laser shines, what lobes the brain consists of, and much more.

Firstly, it is a visual, detailed interactive. Everything can be rotated, scaled, parts touched and given hints.

Secondly, there is a step-by-step tutorial, like a teacher with a book telling about certain things.

Thirdly, this is not a one-time program, but an entire platform into which new units sorted by category will be loaded. The application is free, but to my great regret it is in English.

On the other hand, it’s a good reason to improve your English. JIG Space is perhaps the most useful, impressive and inspiring application available in the AR category. This is the future in the education system. And many complex things become a little easier.

TapMeasure

Thanks to TapMeasure, you can measure the length of objects, determine the deviation of shapes from a given plane, and even create a three-dimensional floor plan taking into account windows, doors and other surfaces.

The result is an interactive model in which you can see all sizes. A very convenient thing, especially when you need to sketch or measure something, but don’t have a tape measure or laser at hand. Of course, the accuracy leaves much to be desired.

It is worth considering that the error per meter can be a centimeter or more. But in the absence of any other more accurate tool, such a solution is still a way out.

IKEA Place

The guys from IKEA quickly picked up and adopted ARKit, making a cool addition to their catalog. Now you can fit many things from the Swedish furniture factory into your room and see how good or bad it will look.

The models are high poly and look pretty cool. There are two main complaints - there is no way to scale objects, the application simply does not always accurately match the size, and the absence of the program in the Russian App Store. For the rest, keep it up. Add more things from the catalog, attach all the characteristics to them and you will be happy and have a lot of convenience.

SketchAR

If you don't know how to draw, then all is not lost. And for this, at the initial stage, it is not necessary to go to a club at a cultural center. The Sketch AR app will help you with this. Preferably by pointing the camera at an A4 piece of paper, the scanner will recognize it and show four dots that need to be drawn.

They will become reference values ​​for the system, after which the image selected from the catalog will be projected. Of course, you can hold it with one hand and draw the picture with the other, but it’s better to mount your smartphone or tablet on a tripod.

With SketchAR you can easily get a good and most importantly proportional skeleton of the image. Then all you have to do is finish the job without help.

Magicplan

The main focus of this application is on drawing up drawing plans of premises and augmented reality technology helps a lot with this. There is no need to draw every line - we quickly ran around the room, noting the corners, and we get a ready-made plan.

Where necessary, they corrected it, where necessary, they completed the drawing. Then, we added doors, windows and furniture from a structured catalog and after just 5 minutes you have an excellent sketch ready that you are not ashamed to show.

During repairs, this application will become simply irreplaceable. The cool thing is that then all the resulting premises can be combined into one project and you will get an apartment or a house.

Housecraft

One of the first test examples of augmented reality was a program from Apple that allows you to arrange a couple of pieces of furniture. Did the Housecraft developers take this idea further and add a ton of interactivity and houseware elements?

Objects can be placed with high precision, rotated, scaled, and even placed virtual models on top of each other. So furnishing a room with interior elements, even virtual objects, will not be difficult.

Night Sky

The far from new Night Sky application, after a recent update, received two augmented reality modes - classic, with a starry sky overlay, and with a display of the solar system. True, the latest feature is only available by subscription. It's good that at least the first month is free. So we had some fun, studied the sky and our system and that was enough.

Yandex maps

The guys from Yandex decided to become pioneers in a world where cartography and augmented reality coexist. In pedestrian mode, when building a route on the ground, a point and the path to it will be displayed.

So far, all this has been implemented very simply and has practically no benefit, but it is a clear example of the fact that you can work in this direction and it will look organic.

All that remains is to finalize the linking of the route, add interactive signs to the buildings and make smart augmented reality glasses, and the technological future will definitely be one step closer.

App in the Air

This application will prompt and show routes and flight status online for certain flights. If you discard a bunch of basic functions and focus on augmented reality, then based on your flight history for the entire time or for a specific year, the program will show on a three-dimensional ball all your flights and your accumulated mileage. This is of little use, but of course you can take a beautiful photo on Instagram.

But if the developers integrated flight flights into augmented reality online, it would be much cooler.

Paint Space AR

And the AR drawing app closes our rating. There is nothing special here - you choose colors, tools or some effects and just play around, painting the virtual environment. Why this might be needed in practice - I don’t know.

Also, the developers provided only a limited number of tools, colors and features. Please pay for the rest.

Unfortunately, there are negligibly few applications implemented using augmented reality in the App Store, and even fewer smart ones. Such programs will begin to appear on Google Play a little later, because Google has delayed the release of a package for developers.

Given the rapid growth of interest in virtual entertainment in recent years, many names have appeared for different types of immersion in an interactive world. Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and extended reality.

The technology is so new that most people are confused between the two.

The possible appearance of an iPhone 8 with augmented reality function and a bunch of other accessories simply requires explanatory material.

A virtual reality

The most popular type at the moment. The main goal of VR is to transfer the user from the real world to a completely new one. VR is a set of ways to move and interact in a virtual world. There are a total of 6 “degrees of freedom” in the three-dimensional world. They are divided into two categories:

Rotating movements.These are yaw, pitch and roll. Such movements are recorded by sensors on the head and transmitted for processing and changing the virtual state. They can be found on Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR.

Movements of transformation.To move around another world, you only need the commands Up/Down, Left/Right, Forward/Back. Typically, such movements are captured by an external camera, such as the Oculus Rift Camera or the HTC Vive Lighthouse system.

All this means is that Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream have only 3 degrees of freedom - you can turn your head to look around, but the helmet will not perceive the tilt of your head or the bend of your knees. Oculus Rift and HTC Vive understand all this and have 6 degrees, which allows you to naturally interact with the virtual world.

6 degrees of freedomare needed for complete immersion in VR, which is impossible to do if you cannot move naturally in another world. For many, 3 is enough to enjoy 360-degree videos on Facebook and YouTube, but is VR really designed for watching a concert while just sitting on a chair?

However, mobile VRnow more accessible. You don't need any additional equipment - just a smartphone and a helmet. But if you compare them head-to-head, the difference will be huge.

Augmented Reality

This thing is much simpler. Some people use the abbreviation AR (Augmented Reality) to describe it, others call it “Mixed Reality”. Wikipedia says it is “perceived mixed reality created using ‘augmented’ realities.” In general, you will read it and be scared. Augmented reality is the addition of sound, video and elements to the real world through computer calculations that occur in real time.

AR, unlike VR, does not remove you from the real world, but adds data directly into it. Something similar can be seen in Pokémon Go or Snapchat filters. Dog ears on your head are not a camera trick, but the first step towards augmented reality.

The future of AR can and will include more than these ears. For example, training for NASA engineers and astronauts. AR will also transform everyday life. Are you going to meet someone for the first time? Along the way, check out his online profile and find out more. Traveling to a new city? Find information about it here. The potential is unlimited. Based on augmented reality, you can create separate social networks: you walk down the street wearing AR glasses and see nicknames and statuses above people. Someone cut you off in a car, and you label it as “GOAT” and he will see it, unless of course he is also wearing AR glasses.

Although augmented reality is less popular than virtual reality, we see that large companies are focusing on it. Microsoft is still in the lead, but Apple has already patented its technology. VR is more focused on entertainment, while AR has useful features to make everyday life easier and has much greater potential.

Since progress does not stand still, we may well see even more “realities”. For example, the real world has been completely transferred into virtuality. But that's a completely different story.

Eh, technology. How quickly you are developing! Every day, large companies work on hundreds of projects that are supposed to make our lives easier. And this does not mean that all their work is aimed at developing systems that should exclusively help the user. Many developments have one goal (well, or more than one) - to entertain. Today we will talk about two amazing technologies that have become a part of our lives in recent years. You've definitely heard about them - virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR). Almost any company involved in the development of electronics (computers, smartphones, etc.) is interested in its development. And they are interesting to users. But what is virtual and augmented reality? Now we'll tell you.

Virtual and augmented reality – what is it?

Virtual reality is quite a world, but it is only created using technical means; a person perceives it through the senses. VR technology can simulate not only the impact itself, but also the reaction to such impact.

Augmented reality is a technology that complements the real environment by adding various sensory information. Despite the name, such technologies can not only add virtual data to the world, but also remove some objects from the environment. The potential of augmented or virtual reality can only be limited by the capabilities of the programs, applications or devices used.

The difference between the two VR and AR is as follows:

  • VRisolates the user from the outside world and immerses him in a digital, virtual universe. If you put on virtual reality glasses and a battlefield appears in the place of your room in the midst of a fight, then this is VR.
  • TechnologyARcan add digital elements to the environment. If a Pokemon suddenly appears in front of you while you're walking down the sidewalk, then it's AR.

It is believed that Virtual reality began to develop back in the fifties of the last century. An organization called Philco Corporation in 1961 managed to develop the first prototypes of virtual reality helmets, which were planned to be used in solving military problems. And this is the first application of VR technology in life. But if we follow the current classification, then such a system should, perhaps, be classified as AR technology.

The creator of virtual reality technology can be considered a man named Morton Heilig. In the 62nd year of the last century, he received a patent for a stimulant called “Sensorama”. The design was a very large device, which looked like a slot machine in appearance, and provided the user with the opportunity to immerse themselves in reality, recreated digitally. For example, test drive a motorcycle on the streets of Brooklyn. But investors did not have confidence in such an invention, and Heilig was forced to stop the development process.

A few years after this, a similar device for immersion in virtual reality was presented by Harvard professor A. Sutherland, who with student B. Sproul created a system called “Sword of Damocles” based on a head-worn display. The glasses were attached to the ceiling, and the image was broadcast via a computer. Despite the cumbersome nature of the invention, it received increased attention from NASA and the CIA.

Twenty years later the corporation VPL managed to develop innovative equipment to recreate the virtual world– glasses called EyePhone and a DataGlove glove. It was the founder of the company who coined the expression “virtual reality”.

Immediately before 1990, VR and AR technologies were closely related to each other, but then scientist T. Kodel proposed introducing the term augmented reality. And two years later, the earliest AR system for the US Air Force was developed. The exoskeleton, created by L. Rosenberg, gave the military the ability to virtually control machines, while being located at the center of remote control and management.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the game Quake provided players with the opportunity to chase monsters on real streets. However, the gameplay could only be carried out by wearing a virtual reality helmet, so the game did not gain much popularity, but this was a prerequisite for the famous Pokemon Go to appear in the modern world.

AND only five years ago there was a true boom. In August 2012, a startup called Oculus created a campaign in an attempt to raise enough money to develop a virtual reality headset. A little over three years later, the pre-sales process for the first production helmet was launched to recreate VR technology.

For this, helmets and a number of other devices can be used:

  • complexes for tracking movements of the body, head, eyeballs;
  • gloves;
  • three-dimensional controllers;
  • sensors to ensure realistic virtual sensations.

Helmets can be:

  • mobile format;
  • intended for PC;
  • console type.

Where are virtual and augmented reality used?

  1. Video games. The area is a priority for these technologies. The catalyst for this is that game projects are currently actively developing technically and programmatically. The gaming community on the planet is eagerly waiting for virtual and augmented reality technologies to appear on the market.
  2. Events broadcast live. Through the use of technology, spectators will be able to experience a sense of presence directly at the event sites. This can solve the issue of purchasing tickets, which sometimes cost a hefty sum. The emphasis is on sports events. Sitting by the river with a fishing rod and watching an important Champions League match as if you were in a stadium with a hundred thousand people – isn’t it a dream?
  3. Parks with virtual and augmented reality. Amusement parks may be created that will use technology. The problem is that all current glasses and helmets for immersion in the digital world require a cable connection to a console or computer.
  4. Cinema: films and TV series. If virtual or augmented reality technology is used in the film industry, this could significantly change cinema, which has become something familiar to many people. Instead of detached viewing, the viewer will be able to experience complete immersion in the actions on the screen. 3D will just smoke on the sidelines.
  5. Using modern gadgets as a platform for technologyVR AndAR. A company from Japan, IG Port, managed to solve two almost unrelated problems. Adding entertainment value to modern smartphones and allowing amusement park owners to innovate their services can be achieved by creating videos designed in virtual or augmented reality. They are designed to be viewed on the display of a mobile device. This greatly simplifies the process of servicing various attractions.
  6. Sales area. There is a prediction that the level at which the user interacts with modern technologies will become more lightweight and intuitive. The online sales area accounts for about 5-6 percent of total global turnover. And many companies are planning to launch sales in the field of augmented or virtual reality.
  7. Sale of real estate. Thanks to the use of augmented and virtual reality technologies, it is possible to attract potential buyers to this area. Test runs of residential viewings are currently being carried out using the digital space.
  8. Education. Through the use of VR and AR, students will have the opportunity to interact with various objects, immerse themselves in the digital world, or take part in invaluable events in human history. Plunge into the world of the Jurassic period? No problem! See with your own eyes the most remote corners of the universe? Please!
  9. Healthcare. How can virtual and augmented reality be applied in this area:
  • facilitate and simplify the work of doctors;
  • provide therapy for phobias and mental disorders;
  • conduct receptions through communication in the virtual world.

Content development for VR and AR

Manufacturers of devices used to use virtual and augmented reality technologies are well aware that without content, any glasses and other devices are a pile of plastic and electronics. Users need a special experience, and without relevant content this cannot be achieved. For this reason, almost every major corporation on the planet is addressing this issue.

Sony has founded a studio in which it plans to develop unique games; moreover, there are about two hundred teams working there who are engaged in developing content. By the end of this year, approximately fifty games are planned to be released in order to visit virtual reality.

Many of the companies rightfully considered giants in the field of game creation - Unity, Epic Games, Krytek - also made a statement that they were starting the work process of developing games intended for the virtual world. A company called Oculus not only produces special films for VR and AR technologies, but is also an investor in the development of gaming content. Based on the Source 2 engine, Valve is developing its own platform for VR.

Many platforms that sell and promote virtual reality content are also keeping up with their contributions. New online stores are being created where it becomes possible to purchase video games or videos for VR helmets.

Problems of using VR and AR technologies


With such noticeable progress in these virtual and augmented reality technologies, it has not yet been revealed how the human brain works. And that is why there is no such opportunity to introduce a system of alternative information to a person about the world around him, because the senses and the brain have developed over many tens of thousands of years precisely for “real reality.”

There are a number of problems, and each of them is based on the characteristics of a person’s perception of the surrounding reality. At the same time, the brain receives and analyzes information from a variety of sources. In addition to vision, we can feel the touch of fingers, cold or heat, position in space, smells. And all this, after analysis, forms a single picture of reality. If changes occur in one source of information, this is confirmed by the other. If this does not happen, then various side effects occur - from fatigue and nausea to headaches.

One of the most unpleasant effects that occur when using virtual reality glasses is motion sickness. In the process of viewing pictures in VR helmets, the images change, while the person does not change the position of the body. And when a character, say, leans over, then the person himself should feel exactly the same tilt. When walking, you need to experience shocks in your legs. This whole set of small muscle tensions in the real world gets synchronized with what we see, and therefore we don’t even think about the familiarity and naturalness of such processes. But the moment a person tries on VR glasses, the discomfort that arises is quite noticeable and palpable.

The same applies to almost all aspects of human body behavior. In virtual reality glasses, we see the area directly in front of us, and at the moment when a person looks at the horizon, the lens focuses in a specific way. Questions also arise with focusing separately, because in helmets sharpness occurs where you need to look according to how it was intended by the developers. In life, sharpness is where we look ourselves.

Another unpleasant aspect is the delays. When moving the limbs, the user's brain has already received information that a movement has occurred, but vision has not yet had time to confirm the information received.

The future of virtual and augmented reality

Despite the psychophysiological problems that arise in the process of using VR and AR technologies, the growth of investment in this area remains explosive. This is due to many reports from a number of scientists and marketers whose opinions are respected in society. By the twentieth year of this century, it is predicted that the market value of the virtual world sphere can reach up to 70 billion dollars. In the same year, according to analysts' forecasts, about 50 million devices were sold.

But not all analysts are so optimistic about augmented and virtual reality. Some experts are wary of saying that the situation could follow the same path of development as it did in 1983. It was then that the video game industry collapsed. The market fell by a record 97 percent. It took several years to regain user trust.

Everything you need to know about VR/AR technologies

Anastasia Skrynnikova

What are VR and AR?

Virtual reality is a world created by technical means, transmitted to a person through his senses: vision, hearing, smell, touch and others. Virtual reality simulates both exposure and reactions to exposure.

Augmented reality (AR - “extended reality”) - technologies that complement the real world by adding any sensory data. Despite the name, these technologies can both bring virtual data into the real world and remove objects from it. The capabilities of AR are limited only by the capabilities of devices and programs.

It’s worth immediately clarifying the difference between AR and VR:

VR blocks out the real world and immerses the user in a digital universe. If you put on a headset and instead of the living room you suddenly find yourself in the thick of a fight with zombies, then this is VR.

AR adds elements of the digital world to the real one. If you're walking down the street and suddenly the Pokemon Dragonite appears on the sidewalk in front of you, then it's AR.


Augmented Reality Example: Pokemon GO

History of AR/VR

It is generally accepted that the development of virtual reality began in the 50s of the last century. In 1961, Philco Corporation developed the first Headsight virtual reality headsets for military use, marking the first real-life application of the technology. But based on today’s classification, the system would most likely be classified as AR technology.

Morton Heilig is rightfully considered the father of virtual reality. In 1962, he patented the world's first virtual simulator called Sensorama. The device was a bulky device, reminiscent of the slot machines of the 80s, and allowed the viewer to experience an immersive virtual reality experience, such as riding a motorcycle through the streets of Brooklyn. But Heilig’s invention aroused distrust among investors and the scientist had to stop development.


"Sensorama" Heilig


A few years after Heilig, a similar device was introduced by Harvard professor Ivan Sutherland, who, together with student Bob Sproull, created the “Sword of Damocles” - the first virtual reality system based on a head-mounted display. The glasses were attached to the ceiling, and a picture was broadcast through the computer. Despite such a cumbersome invention, the CIA and NASA became interested in the technology.

In the 80s, VPL Research developed more advanced virtual reality equipment - the EyePhone glasses and the DataGlove glove. The company was created by Jaron Lanier, a talented inventor who entered university at the age of 13. It was he who coined the term “virtual reality”.

Augmented reality went hand in hand with virtual reality until 1990, when scientist Tom Caudell first coined the term “augmented reality.” In 1992, Lewis Rosenberg developed one of the earliest functioning augmented reality systems for the US Air Force. Rosenberg's exoskeleton allowed the military to virtually control vehicles from a remote control center. And in 1994, Julie Martin created the first augmented reality theater called Dancing in Cyberspace, a production in which acrobats danced in virtual space.

There were other interesting discoveries in the 90s, for example, Australian Julie Martin combined virtual reality with television. At the same time, the development of gaming platforms using virtual reality technologies began. In 1993, Sega developed the Genesis console.

At the demonstrations and previews, however, it all ended. Games with Sega VR were accompanied by headaches and nausea, and the device was never released for sale. The high cost of devices, poor technical equipment and side effects forced people to temporarily forget about VR and AR technologies.



In 2000, thanks to the addition of AR technology, Quake made it possible to chase monsters through real streets. True, it was possible to play only armed with a virtual helmet with sensors and cameras, which did not contribute to the popularity of the game, but became a prerequisite for the emergence of the now famous Pokemon Go.

The real boom began only in 2012. On August 1, 2012, a little-known startup Oculus launched a fundraising campaign on the Kickstarter platform to raise funds for the release of a virtual reality headset. The developers promised users a “full immersion effect” through the use of displays with a resolution of 640 by 800 pixels for each eye.

The required $250,000 was raised within the first four hours. Three and a half years later, on January 6, 2015, pre-sales of the first mass-produced consumer virtual reality headset Oculus Rift CV1 began. To say that the release was expected is to say nothing. The entire first batch of helmets was sold out in 14 minutes.

This was the symbolic beginning of the boom in VR technologies and the explosive growth of investment in this industry. Since 2015, virtual reality technologies have become a truly new technological Klondike.

What is happening in the virtual and augmented reality market in the world

Although virtual reality capabilities are not yet available to the mass consumer, well-known companies are actively developing these technologies.

The owner of Universal Studios, Comcast, invested $6.8 million in the small VR studio Felix&Paul in Montreal, which has worked with Funny or Die and the White House.

The New York Times is also investing in the development of virtual reality. Many publications have already created 360-degree videos that win the Cannes Lions festival.



The Russian virtual and augmented reality market is mostly represented by small companies that make projects based on foreign developments (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive). Such, for example, is the company AR Production, which appeared on the market in 2011 and makes projects for various companies - including the Museum of Augmented Reality, booklets with augmented reality for Gazprom and a virtual excursion for the Kuban agricultural holding.

But not all companies want to build a business based on the developments of their Western colleagues. Thus, the Russian company Boxglass not only shoots videos in 360 format and develops AR/VR applications, but also produces its own virtual reality glasses.

The company VE Group works even better - founded about 10 years ago, it calls itself a system integrator in the field of 3D visualization and virtual reality systems. In addition to developing virtual research centers and VR rooms, the company makes VR solutions for the oil and gas industry, education and construction.

The virtual reality market in Russia is also well represented by startups, large and not so large. Among those who definitely succeeded, we can highlight the startup Fibrum, which last year agreed with the German retail chains Media Markt and Gravis to supply its virtual reality helmets. Another interesting project is the LiveMap augmented reality motorcycle helmet, the final version of which will be presented at CES 2018.


This is what a VR helmet from Fibrum looks like


Read more about the AR/VR market in Russia in Rusbase materials:

Investors in the VR and AR market

What is the easiest way for a startup to find funds to develop a project? Of course, attract an investor.

If you have created (or just want to create) a VR startup and are looking for investors in Russia, then you should pay attention to the VRTech fund, which was founded in 2016 and is focused on early-stage VR projects from Russia, America, Europe and Asia.


Read what investors think about AR/VR in Rusbase materials:

Using virtual and augmented realities

Virtual reality is an industry in which infrastructure and technology are developing in parallel with the development of content. After all, if there is a helmet or virtual reality glasses, there must be something to look through and do through them.

Therefore, we can identify several main directions for the development of the industry, depending on the content and scope of application:

  1. movie;
  2. broadcasts and shows;
  3. marketing
  4. education;
  5. and real estate;
  6. and military industrial complex.

There is a detailed market overview for each of these items. Below we talk about how specifically VR and AR technologies are used in different industries.

If you carefully read the part devoted to the history of virtual reality, then you already know that development began primarily for military use. Since then, VR developments have become better and are now beginning to be used not only in military affairs, but also in other areas. For example, for the treatment of mental disorders. Experts from Harvard University have published a paper that examines the effectiveness of modern VR methods for the treatment of mental illnesses, and especially anxiety neuroses and phobias. And last February, a group of scientists from the UK and Spain demonstrated its effectiveness using virtual reality.

Perhaps the most useful VR developments are being made in medicine. Medical students no longer need to hone their skills on cadavers, but instead have virtual simulators with haptic feedback. This is what a simulator for surgeons based on virtual reality looks like:



There are also interesting solutions for virtual and augmented reality in marketing. And if you think marketing and advertising are just a waste of time and money, take a look at the Bill Clinton Anti-Poverty Foundation's Inside Impact project. To raise money for development in East Africa, the foundation created a film shot with a 360-degree camera. When watching, viewers find themselves in Kenya with Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea. Raising the topics of HIV/AIDS, malaria, the lack of maternity hospitals and the prospects of solar energy, the viewer is practically led by the hand through the streets, schools and other institutions, involving and pushing towards empathy.

Is VR the future of the porn industry?

Virtual reality items

We consider VR items to be all devices that we use to immerse ourselves in the virtual world. It can be:

  • Virtual reality suit
  • VR glasses
  • Gloves
  • VR room

Virtual reality suit- a device that allows a person to immerse himself in the world of virtual reality. This is a suit that completely isolates from the outside world, inside which there is a video screen, a multi-channel acoustic system and electronic devices that affect the nerve endings of the skin, causing the illusion of touch or, for example, blowing wind.

Currently, the manufacture of such a suit is impractical due to its high cost, so for partial immersion in virtual space, a virtual reality helmet and gloves are usually used.

However, the haptic virtual reality suit is quite worthy of the title That is, including all types of skin reception, due to the work of which a tactile image is built suit from an American startup

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