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Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Extended Reality: A Guided Tour

February, 2021

At the studio, we’re in a perpetual process of experimentation. We love learning about the newest technologies and finding novel ways to integrate them in our work. Nowadays, you might hear a lot about ‘augmented reality’, ‘mixed reality’, ‘extended reality’… but what are they exactly? In this article, we’ll take a look at what these spatial computing technologies mean for us at Moment Factory.

What is Virtual Reality?

You’ve probably heard about VR headsets: they immerse you in an alternate reality while being in the comfort of your home. With VR, interactions happen 100% into the virtual world via device inputs (Oculus, HTC Vive…). At Moment Factory, we haven’t delved much into virtual reality so far, as our focus is to design experiences that will bring people together. But we are hopeful we’ll find ways to bridge both worlds into a common space.

What is Augmented Reality?

There are nonetheless other, non-VR technologies for augmenting the real world. For example, mobile devices can now add virtual layers over the real world. This is what we call AR: digital elements you can interact with using your phone or tablet’s camera and screen.

What is Mixed Reality?

Now, let’s go one step further! With Mixed Reality, we can connect your environment to the virtual world by creating interactions between tangible and virtual elements. By using an MR headset, you’re inhabiting the real world while being able to interact with virtual elements. What’s really mind-blowing is that it can go both ways: the virtual world can also impact the real world!

What is Extended Reality?

Wait, there’s more? We should also talk about Extended Reality. It encompasses these three technologies: Virtual reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR).

Extended Reality refers to all real-and-virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology and wearables. XR can pull you in multi-dimensional directions with endless opportunities to create unique and innovative experiences!

What is an XR Broadcast?

We have recently participated in the creation of XR Broadcasts: cutting edge livestreams which enhance a live performance with content pushed in the physical and virtual world, creating a 360 immersive environment. XR Broadcasting allows you to simultaneously capture and output content while rendering camera tracking in real-time without further post-production necessary.

To create an XR environment for a broadcast, you need a special stage that integrates an AR foreground layer and a standard LED backdrop, giving the camera shot a fully immersive feeling. The content is created in a game engine and displayed in real time on the LED screen.

The movement of the camera is mapped to the content on the LED screen and follows the image to create a 360 space: you’re watching your favorite artist performing live on your screen, within a virtual environment but on a real (XR) stage!