Virtual & Augmented Reality For Dummies

Book description

An easy-to-understand primer on Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are driving the next technological revolution. If you want to get in on the action, this book helps you understand what these technologies are, their history, how they’re being used, and how they’ll affect consumers both personally and professionally in the very near future.

With VR and AR poised to become mainstream within the next few years, an accessible book to bring users up to speed on the subject is sorely needed—and that’s where this handy reference comes in! Rather than focusing on a specific piece of hardware (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, iOS ARKit) or software (Unity, Unreal Engine), Virtual & Augmented Reality For Dummies offers a broad look at both VR and AR, giving you a bird’s eye view of what you can expect as they continue to take the world by storm.

* Keeps you up-to-date on the pulse of this fast-changing technology

* Explores the many ways AR/VR are being used in fields such as healthcare, education, and entertainment

* Includes interviews with designers, developers, and technologists currently working in the fields of VR and AR

Perfect for both potential content creators and content consumers, this book will change the way you approach and contribute to these emerging technologies. 

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Foolish Assumptions
    3. Icons Used in This Book
    4. Beyond the Book
    5. Where to Go from Here
  3. Part 1: Getting Started with Virtual and Augmented Reality
    1. Chapter 1: Defining Virtual and Augmented Reality
      1. Introducing Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
      2. Looking at Some Other Types of Virtual and Augmented Reality
      3. Taking a Quick History Tour
      4. Evaluating the Technology Hype Cycle
    2. Chapter 2: Exploring the Current State of Virtual Reality
      1. Looking at the Available Form Factors
      2. Focusing on Features
      3. Considering Controllers
      4. Recognizing the Current Issues with VR
      5. Assessing Adoption Rates
    3. Chapter 3: Exploring the Current State of Augmented Reality
      1. Looking at the Available Form Factors
      2. Considering Controllers
      3. Recognizing the Current Issues with Augmented Reality
      4. Assessing Adoption Rates
  4. Part 2: Consuming Content in Virtual and Augmented Reality
    1. Chapter 4: Consuming Content in Vir tual Reality
      1. Exploring Consumer-Grade Virtual Reality
      2. Identifying Near-Future Hardware
      3. Comparing Current and Future Options
    2. Chapter 5: Consuming Content in Augmented Reality
      1. Exploring Consumer-Grade Augmented Reality
      2. Identifying Near-Future Hardware
      3. Comparing Current and Future Options
  5. Part 3: Creating Content in Virtual and Augmented Reality
    1. Chapter 6: Evaluating Your Project
      1. Assessing Your Project’s Technology Needs
      2. Choosing Virtual Reality
      3. Choosing Augmented Reality
    2. Chapter 7: Planning Your Virtual Reality Project
      1. Defining Your Virtual Reality Project
      2. Exploring Design Principles in Virtual Reality
      3. Defining Your Social Experience
    3. Chapter 8: Planning Your Augmented Reality Project
      1. Defining Your Augmented Reality Project
      2. Exploring Design Principles in Augmented Reality
      3. Defining Your Social Experience
    4. Chapter 9: Creating Content for Virtual and Augmented Reality
      1. Assessing Design Software
      2. Capturing Real Life
      3. Assessing Development Software
      4. Distributing Your Content
  6. Part 4: Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Wild
    1. Chapter 10: Exploring Virtual Reality Use Cases
      1. Art
      2. Education
      3. Entertainment
      4. Healthcare
      5. Gaming
    2. Chapter 11: Exploring Augmented Reality Use Cases
      1. Art
      2. Education
      3. Industry and Commerce
      4. Entertainment
      5. Utilities
  7. Part 5: The Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality
    1. Chapter 12: Assessing the Future of Virtual Reality
      1. Anticipating the Near-Future Changes
      2. Considering Virtual Reality’s “Killer App”
      3. Predicting the Impact
    2. Chapter 13: Assessing the Future of Augmented Reality
      1. Analyzing Near Future Changes
      2. Considering AR’s “Killer App”
      3. Predicting the Impact
  8. Part 6: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 14: Ten Questions about Virtual and Augmented Reality
      1. How Will Virtual and Augmented Reality Affect Me?
      2. Which Technology Will Win?
      3. What If I Don’t Have a Headset?
      4. How Large Will the Virtual and Augmented Reality Consumer Markets Get?
      5. When Should I Enter the Market as a Consumer?
      6. When Should My Company Enter the Market?
      7. Which Virtual Reality Headset Is Right for Me?
      8. What Could Impede the Growth of Virtual and Augmented Reality?
      9. Are There Lasting Physical Effects?
      10. What Is the Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality?
    2. Chapter 15: Ten Industries That Will Be Transformed by Virtual and Augmented Reality
      1. Travel
      2. Museums
      3. Aerospace
      4. Retail
      5. Military
      6. Education
      7. Entertainment
      8. Real Estate
      9. Advertising and Marketing
      10. The Unknown
    3. Chapter 16: Ten (Or So) Mobile Apps for Experiencing Augmented Reality Today
      1. Google Translate
      2. Amazon AR View
      3. Blippar
      4. AR City
      5. ARise
      6. Ingress and Pokémon Go
      7. MeasureKit and Measure
      8. InkHunter
      9. Sketch AR
      10. Find Your Car and Car Finder AR
  9. About the Author
  10. Advertisement Page
  11. Connect with Dummies
  12. Index
  13. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Virtual & Augmented Reality For Dummies
  • Author(s): Paul Mealy
  • Release date: July 2018
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119481348