whenever you think of immersive technologies, it is likely that virtual reality (VR) comes to mind. From helping to educate, aiding with sports training, or even just being utilised for leisure, VR has a multitude of uses. But not too long ago, VR was just an aspiration, a hope for the future – it’s important to note how far it has come in such a short space of time.
Types of immersive technologies
Digital Catapult defines immersive technologies as technology that digitally replaces/extends reality. There are four main types of immersive technologies, these are 360, VR, AR and MR.
360
360 content is a type of media that shows a full 360-degree view of its surroundings. This is normally in the form of a photo or video and it allows the viewer to feel much more immersed than if they were just looking at a regular piece of media. Facebook and YouTube are the two social media sites that are most known for their 360 content but it is gradually becoming a feature on even more social media websites.
VR
Virtual Reality, as mentioned above, is the most well-known of the immersive technologies. Unlike 360 content that just appears on a mobile or computer screen, VR completely shuts off the outside world with the use of a headset which results in the user becoming fully immersed into the digital reality. The user can also walk around in this reality, meaning that they can choose where they go and what they see. This again is more advanced than 360 content as with that the viewer is limited to the camera’s viewpoint.
AR
Augmented Reality is a type of immersive technology that overlays digital images over the real world. It doesn’t completely shut the user off from the outside world like VR does, rather it combines the digital and the real world. The most notable example of this is Pokemon Go, an app launched in 2016 that brought Pokémon to life. It allows users to see the Pokémon in the real world by using smartphone cameras to overlay them.
MR
Mixed Reality is a combination of VR and AR. Like AR, MR digitally overlays images over the real world but instead of through a phone, this is done through a headset, such as in VR. However, the headset doesn’t shut the user off to the outside world like in VR, instead the headset is more akin to wearable technology with it often closely resembling glasses and goggles. An example of this technology can be found in the form of the Microsoft HoloLens.
How GTL and VINTEC Immersive can help your business?
At Gemraj Technologies Ltd, one of our trusted partners, VINTEC Immersive, specialises in immersive technology. Vintec have been able to utilise their expertise in immersive technology to deliver fantastic results in the educational, healthcare and automotive industries. One such example of this is their work with Nissan. Recently, Nissan launched a new version of the Nissan Qashqai but in these Covid-effected times, individuals were unable to visit showrooms to get a better look at the car. That’s where Vintec came in, they designed a virtual showroom using VR technology to show off the car and its features, making sure that every detail was captured. This allowed Nissan to provide an immersive experience to their prospective customers, all from the comfort of their own homes.
While at GTL we don’t specialise in the immersive technology sector, our partnership with Vintec allows us to provide you with the very best immersive technology services. In addition to this, we also offer some services that compliment immersive technology nicely. According to VRFocus, it is possible for VR systems to be hacked, allowing what the user sees and hears to be altered. Initially, you may think what is the worst that can happen if a VR system is hacked? To an adult, maybe the consequences are not that great, but if small children are also using the VR system, the effects maybe a lot worse. Two of the most worrying actions that hackers can take are to replace what the children see with inappropriate content as well as removing the safeguard systems, making it easier for children to run into walls and injure themselves.
At GTL, we can help with this. We offer a state-of-the-art cybersecurity service with a skilled team of cybersecurity experts who are trained to combat all kinds of cyberthreats. We provide intelligent cybersecurity strategies and cybersecurity risk assessments, as and when you need them. In addition to this, we can also offer you cybersecurity awareness training if you want to educate your employees and thus make your business less susceptible to cybercrimes.
Conclusion
Immersive technology is only going to continue to grow. There are already so many variations of it and this is only going to multiply. As the variations expand, so will their capabilities, meaning that hackers’ interest in it will increase. This is why they need to be adequately protected with a robust cybersecurity service, to ensure that no important data is lost from immersive technology in the future. If you feel that your company would benefit from GTL’s cybersecurity services, then please do not hesitate to contact us.