Today, what once seemed like something that belongs in a science fiction movie, is now popular and widespread that is almost becoming mundane. We are talking about the concepts of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
The differences are slight, but they refer to basically the same concept – transcending the material world to interact in a virtual space. Devices like the Oculus Rift help us achieve this.
However, these devices are not without flaws. Putting on a VR device may take you to the digital world, but you will remain constrained by the actual physical environment around you. Aside from dealing with wires, you might bump into a few things while trying to enjoy the virtual reality. These different kinds of hurdles take you out of the experience. Thankfully, a solution is on its way. Its name is Mirrorworlds.
via GIPHY
How will Mirrorworlds solve these problems?
Mirrorworlds will not remove the user from their environment. Instead, Mirrorwolds will act as a parallel to reality, transforming the things from the surroundings into refracted versions of themselves.
This ambitious project announced in July 2018 is the brainchild of Leap Motion, an American computer hardware company. Mirrorworlds aims to open “alternative dimensions of reality, layered over the physical world.”
This is achieved by utilizing AR technology to capture and map the material world, turning obstacles into digital elements to interact with in VR space. This would create an almost endless space with immense possibilities.
Potential uses
And while we still think of VR/AR as something exclusively gaming-related, it is not necessarily so. VR is already used in a wide array of branches such as education, architecture, and even fitness. Eventually, Mirrorworlds will help these industries as well, making the transition into digital much more practical and easier.
via GIPHY
In other words, you will not only be able to pick up a pencil and use it as a magic wand. According to Mirrorworlds’ creators, you will also be able to turn your own desk into a touchscreen, turn floors into water, and so on.
Mirrorworlds is still in development phase though. They also commented that “it will take a lot of time and trial to bring a design framework like this into action.” That said, the concept certainly looks groundbreaking, and we cannot wait to see its applications.
YouTube: Mirrorworlds Concept: The Architect
Photo credits: The feature image is a still frame from the presented video and is owned by Leap Motion.
Source: Keiichi Matsuda (Leap Motion blog)
