From ‘Meta’ to Van Gogh: Live the experience with immersive technology

18.8 billion dollars were spent on growing AR/VR technology globally in 2020, a 78.5% rise from the number in 2019 (IDC, 2020). Switching gears, VR or Virtual Reality, unlike AR, creates an entirely new virtual world that immerses and interacts with the user. In 2020, the worldwide market share for VR was $6.1 billion and is predicted to be worth $20.9 billion in 2025 (Finances Online). Examples include the Giza Project, a partnership between Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, letting students ‘visit’ the ancient Pyramids at the Giza Plateau, France and Jerusalem with the help of 3-D headsets, and even tour hard-to-access tunnels with the use of a curved screen and glasses. “Sometimes, an actual visit to the site is much less telling than accessing the archaeological data and 3-D models,” says Professor Peter Der Manuelian. 

A combination of AR and VR is the Mixed Reality or MR. Also known as AR 2.0, MR aims to achieve better immersion by responding to changes in the environment and user interaction, real-time. MR wins over AR and VR as it is no longer limited to a screen or a device and hence is almost indistinguishable from real life. The Microsoft HoloLens is an MR marvel. Featuring three sensors and five cameras, this holographic computer when worn around your head and eyes uses hologram processors to blend seamlessly into your environment to display information, even create a new, virtual world. Essentially, the glasses are your JARVIS and you get to be Iron Man! 

360-degree content is a familiar immersive experience, shot in all directions simultaneously, almost like standing still and looking circularly around you. It is different from AR and VR as it is filmed live and not computer-generated. While once wildly prevalent in travel vlogs on YouTube, they are diminishing in popularity as they tend to be more passive and solitary. 

Companies are now actively using these different forms of Immersive Experiences to create engaging and exciting moments to retain existing customer loyalty and gain new customers.