Alex Kipman helps define what separates mixed reality and augment reality experiences and how these can impact personal interactions in professional and personal environments.

BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, February 22, 2023 — Daily headlines tap into the ever-evolving landscape of AI and new realities. However,Alex Kipman explains many consumers and even regular users of various reality-enhancing devices do not always understand the type of experiences they engage with on a daily basis.

Due to its long-running presence in the consumer consciousness, full virtual reality is the most well-known experience. With virtual reality, the user is fully immersed in a simulated environment with access to controls that aid in interactions.

More easily confused are augmented and mixed reality due to the similarity within the experiences. However, Alex Kipman explains the two have distinct differences and applications.

Augmented reality

In a casual way, many social media users interact with augmented reality daily on apps like Snapchat and Instagram. Live filtering technology, such as adding a dog face or tweaking features, is a form of augmented reality. According to Alex Kipman, augmented reality is experienced as an overlay across real-world features.

For example, the filter on Snapchat or Instagram is a layer on top of the image being captured by the phone lens. Additional examples familiar to many will be the game Pokémon GO or using Google search AR images of animals to view a lion or tiger in a camera view.

In the business world, these techniques are used by furniture companies and retailers to help show how a paint color will look on a user's living room walls or how a dining set will fit in an apartment.

As augmented reality technology is more widely developed and finds real-world applications, more focus will be spent on developing emotional connections with users to further specific goals, such as adding more motivating factors to an educational experience or sharing more complex information from a health exam. By tapping into the enthusiasm and personal satisfaction earned in mastering difficult concepts, an AR-enhanced learning environment can help further educational goals for users.

On a date, augmented reality could overlay a menu on a restaurant or bar and provide a view of the environment of a location before entering. This offers a preview of the personal experiences one could anticipate upon entering, such as romantic lighting, high-energy music or bright decor. For individuals with sensory preferences, augmented reality can help avoid awkward situations.

Mixed reality

Alex Kipman advises mixed reality often seems like augmented reality to bystanders, but it is a distinctive experience that draws upon both augmented and virtual counterparts.

In mixed reality, the user stays rooted in the physical environment but interacts with virtual elements. These 3-D elements can be fully interactive and respond just like a real-world object. For example, a student who wanted to examine a historical artifact would be able to pick it up in a mixed reality environment and view it from all angles and perspectives.

A truly dynamic educational experience can be enjoyed as well as enhanced training for professional opportunities. The mixed reality environment offers an opportunity to engage and have a reactive experience based on touch, gesture, eye motions and more. Jobs requiring physical tasks, such as assembly, could feature training modules that see an object assembled in the mixed reality environment for training purposes, limiting the need for physical materials.

With the potential for full contact allowed in the mixed reality environment, the user can tap into a full range of emotions, from awe to sadness to anger, based on the environment and experience.