9781422275108

type of augmented reality, but others disagree. You will find that, beyond the basics, people have many different views about what comprises each type of alternative reality. • Mixed reality that starts with the virtual world, meaning that the digital features replace the real world ones. This scenario sounds similar to virtual reality, but it’s different because in VR, the user’s experience is not tied to the real world in any way. Again, experts disagree about whether this form of mixed reality is actually MR, or just another form of VR. You can judge for yourself by checking out Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality, which the company describes as “AR Mixed with VR Gaming.” In the end, if the technology is fun or informative, it doesn’t really matter what it’s called. WHAT CONSUMERS WANT FROM MIXED REALITY TECHNOLOGY

Many people associate combined AR/VR applications with gaming and fun, but a survey of consumers by Accenture, a global management consulting and professional services firm, found that they want much more from mixed reality technology. Here were the most popular potential uses of MR technology:

67% of consumers want to use it to learn more about a place they are visiting

58% want to view 3–D manuals

54% want to shop for furniture and household items

67% want to learn new skills

61% want to visualize how clothes fit

47% want to play games

16 COOL CAREERS IN SCIENCE: ALTERNATIVE REALITY DEVELOPERS