Microsoft HoloLens By Example

Defining mixed reality

Let's begin by first defining and contrasting three similar, but frequently misused, paradigms: VR, AR, and MR:

• VR describes technology and experiences where the user is fully immersed in a virtual environment.
• AR can be described as technology and techniques used to superimpose digital content onto the real world.
• MR can be considered as a blend of VR and AR. It uses the physical environment to add realism to holograms, which may or may not have any physical reference point (as AR does).

The differences between VR, AR, and MR are not so much in the technology but in the experience you are trying to create. Let's illustrate it through an example--imagine that you were given a brief to help manage children's anxiety ...