Week 13: Show & Tell - Mixed Reality

For COM 125's final week, I did a "show & tell" session on a topic that I recently discovered — mixed reality. The presentation was a short introduction to the topic, so I'm going to be presenting a further in depth glimpse into what mixed reality has to offer. I have always been interested in technological advances that looked straight out of a Sci-Fi movie. With mixed reality, we now seem to be one step closer to bringing worlds like that of Blade Runner to life.

The term "mixed reality" can be used as an independent concept or to classify the spectrum of reality technologies (known as the reality–virtuality continuum). What we'll be focusing on for this post however, is that independent concept. Mixed reality is the result of blending the physical world with the digital world, to produce new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time. It takes place not only in the physical world or the virtual world, but is a mix of reality and virtual reality, encompassing both augmented reality and augmented virtuality via immersive technology.

In mixed reality environments, users seamlessly navigate through both the real and virtual environments at the same time. Instead of residing in an entirely virtual world, virtual objects are anchored into a user’s real world space and augment their real world environment, making virtual interactions appear to be “real.” These interactions mimic our natural behavior of interaction, such as objects getting bigger as you get closer and the changing of perspectives as you move around an object.

Why should we get excited about Mixed Reality?

According to Microsoft, mixed reality is the next evolution in human, computer, and environment interaction and unlocks possibilities that before now were restricted to our imaginations. It is now made possible by advancements in computer vision, graphical processing power, display technology, and input systems. Currently available reality technologies are pretty amazing, but they are all unable to truly merge the real world with a virtual one to give us a truly immersive experience. Mixed reality combines computer processing, human input, and environmental input, allowing for movement through the physical world to translate to movement in the digital world. Boundaries in the physical world can influence application experiences, such as game play, in the digital world.

If you're wondering how long before you can experience mixed reality for yourself, wait no more. Mixed reality is already here.

Windows has officially launched its own mixed reality experience — all you need to do is to pluck on e of their headsets into a Windows Mixed Reality-ready PC, and you're ready to go. With this, Microsoft hopes to immerse more users in the digital experience with its lower-priced and less graphically-intensive headsets. The experience is magnified with the addition of handheld controllers – in this case pair of Microsoft-made motion controllers, enabling you to interact with your virtual world. What makes Windows Mixed Reality better than other VR setups is that no external set-up required, as inside-out tracking is built right into each headset. You can experience new worlds at home or anywhere you want. Finally, Windows provides a large, evolving catalog of experiences: immersive and casual games, travel, 360° videos, creativity, social, live events and more. The way you collaborate, learn and play will be forever changed.

Here are some videos to give you a better glimpse into this new world:

To begin your journey with Windows Mixed Reality, go to www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-mixed-reality