VR (Virtual Reality) is technology that makes you feel as if you have entered a virtual space created by a computer.
Sensors detect head direction and movement
Render the virtual space as seen from that direction
Show it on the display in front of the eyes
A sense of being there (immersion)
Because the image keeps up with every movement, the user feels present inside the virtual space.
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A head-mounted display or similar device covers the eyes so that only the virtual scene fills your view, and the image changes as your head and body move, creating a sense of immersion. Since the real surroundings are no longer visible, VR can be described as replacing reality with a virtual space. Typical uses include walking through a building before it is built and safely rehearsing dangerous work.
AnalogyIt is like stepping into a windowless room whose walls and ceiling are covered with projections of another world that turns with you whenever you look around.
How to remember"Virtual" describes something that works as the real thing in effect, even though it is not. The name points to a reality that is not real but can be experienced as if it were.
Exam points
Mix-upVR fills your view with a virtual scene, whereas AR keeps the real world visible and layers information on top; the dividing line is whether you can see reality.
Virtual reality (仮想現実) is the Japanese term for VR; both refer to the same technology.
It is a translation of the English Virtual Reality, and Japanese texts use both the Japanese name and the abbreviation. Its meaning is the same as VR: letting people experience a virtual space in place of reality.
AR (Augmented Reality) is technology that overlays computer-generated information on reality, such as a camera feed or the scene in front of you.
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Through a smartphone screen or see-through glasses, digital information is added while the real scene stays in view. The overlay is not limited to flat items like text or arrows and can also be a 3D image. Examples include navigation that draws direction arrows over the road seen by the camera, and work support that displays inspection steps on top of a machine.
AnalogyIt is like laying a clear sheet over a printed map and drawing marks and routes only on the sheet. The map itself stays visible underneath.
How to remember"Augment" means to increase or add to. AR adds on top of reality without erasing it.
Exam points
ExamWith AR, the user can still see the real environment, and computer-generated information is displayed as an addition on top of it.
Augmented reality (拡張現実) is the Japanese term for AR; both refer to the same technology.
It is a translation of the English Augmented Reality. The first word of the Japanese name means "extend", reflecting how it takes the reality in front of you as a base and extends it with added information.
How to rememberIt is the same word Japanese uses for software extensions: the original stays as it is, and new functions are added later.
MR (Mixed Reality) is technology in which a device reads the shape of real space and merges virtual objects with real ones so that they appear to interact.
Because the device recognizes the position and shape of surrounding walls and desks, a virtual object that moves behind a real object is hidden from view, so even which one is in front can be shown. As the user walks around, they can view the object from other angles and even move it with hand gestures.
How to remember"Mixed" means blended together. MR blends the real and the virtual into one space.
Exam points
Mix-upBoth AR and MR show virtual content on top of the real view. MR differs in that the device recognizes the shape of real space, so virtual objects interact more with real ones and the user can handle them more freely.
AR vs. MR
Aspect
AR
MR
Key differenceInteraction with real objects
Weak (mainly overlays on the real view)
Strong (interacts with real objects, such as hiding behind them)
Mixed reality (複合現実) is the Japanese term for MR; both refer to the same technology.
It is a translation of the English Mixed Reality. The first word of the Japanese name means "compound", reflecting how two different things, the real and the virtual, are combined and treated as a single space.
How to remember"Compound" means combining several things into one. Just as a multifunction printer puts printing and copying in one machine, MR puts the real and the virtual in one space.
The metaverse (メタバース) is a virtual space on the internet where many people take part at the same time through their own alter egos to interact and do things together.
Metaverse (an online virtual space)
Participants: join at the same time as their own avatars
Activities: chatting, meetings, events, buying and selling
Entry points: VR headsets, PCs, smartphones, and more
An avatar (アバター) is a character that acts on the user's behalf inside a virtual space. In the metaverse, people in different places can gather in the same space through their avatars to talk or join events. Entering with a VR headset deepens the sense of immersion, but many metaverse services can also be joined from a PC or smartphone screen.
AnalogyIt is like a second city online where every resident walks around in an alter ego of their own choosing.
How to rememberA coined word from "meta" (beyond) and "universe" (world). It can be read as another world that extends beyond the real one.
Exam points
Mix-upVR is a technology for experiencing a virtual space, whereas the metaverse (メタバース) is the place itself: a virtual space where many people gather and act.