Extended Reality (XR) Insights

Welcome to our dedicated hub for all things XR. Here, you can learn more about this transformative technology, where the physical and digital worlds meet.

Discover the latest insights, trends, and cutting-edge uses of Extended Reality and explore how it’s revolutionising businesses across the globe.

What is Extended Reality?

Extended Reality is an umbrella term encompassing immersive technologies like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR). It refers to the extension of reality by overlaying virtual elements onto reality (AR), transporting users to entirely simulated environments (VR), or merging real and virtual worlds seamlessly (MR).

Extended Reality is reshaping industries, blurring the lines between physical and digital, and opening up new possibilities for creative expression and experimentation.

What is the difference between XR and immersive technology?

Extended Reality specifically refers to a combination of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), covering a range of experiences that blend real and virtual worlds. Think of it as a category that combines VR, AR and MR.

Immersive technology is an umbrella term which encompasses a broader spectrum of concepts and solutions. These include XR, the Metaverse, 3D, AI-driven interfaces, head-worn devices and more.

Extended Reality examples

Extended Reality is used across various sectors—the possibilities are truly endless. In marketing, it can amplify campaigns, leveraging WebAR for product demos and virtual try-ons.

In business, it can bolster training and visualisation, while in healthcare, it can assist with diagnostics and therapy. Within education, it enriches learning via simulations, gamified experiences and dynamic storytelling.

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Glossary

Check out our useful terms to deepen your understanding of Extended Reality.

Real time rendering

Real-time rendering is the instantaneous generation and display of graphics, animations, or visual effects as they are processed by a computer. This dynamic process allows for interactive and responsive content creation in applications such as video games, simulations, and virtual environments. The technology enables users to experience seamless and fluid visual feedback without noticeable delays or lag.

Virtual objects

Virtual objects are digital entities or elements existing within virtual environments, such as in Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality settings. These objects can simulate real-world counterparts or entirely imaginative creations; they might include 3D models, textures, animations, or interactive elements for users to interact with in the digital space.

Immersive audio

Immersive audio technology enhances auditory experiences by creating a lifelike sonic environment that surrounds and engulfs the listener. This multidimensional audio system uses techniques like spatial audio and sound localization to simulate sounds originating from different directions and distances. Providing a sense of depth and realism, immersive audio helps ground listeners in the digital world and enriches storytelling, events, gaming, and virtual experiences.

Spatial mapping

Spatial mapping, also referred to as 3D reconstruction, is the process of creating digital representations of physical spaces to enable navigation, visualization, and interaction in AR or VR applications. Using sensors and cameras to capture and combine new depth and position data over time, the software constructs 3D models that overlay digital content onto the real world, making it possible to “place” virtual objects on real surfaces.

Interaction design

Interaction design, also known as IxD, is the practice of specifically designing interactive digital products, environments, systems, and services. Unlike other design fields that focus on form, interaction design primarily emphasizes behavior, envisioning potential improvements to how things could be, rather than how they are. It involves identifying a product’s intended use, understanding user objectives and behaviors, and creating responsive design solutions.

SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping)

SLAM is a technique used in robotics and computer vision to enable a robot or device to map its surroundings, while simultaneously determining its location within that map. By integrating sensor data and movement information, SLAM allows the device to navigate and explore unknown environments autonomously—crucial for autonomous driving, robot navigation, and Augmented Reality applications.