A Facebook augmented reality gadget might be presented sooner than we think. The giant social network could lead the competition to deliver a practical AR system for clients after its $2 billion dollars transaction for buying the Oculus project. But, the world’s greatest online community is going even further when it comes to discovering different ways of reality.
Company’s officials said that the organization is looking into creating its own AR technological approach. However, they did not offer any additional information about what kind of device we can anticipate, because it is still in its infant phase.
Compared to VR, which places customers in a completely immersive environment that turns off all physical reality elements, AR increases the space around users and sensation offered to them. This is achieved by superimposing various digital pictures that people can communicate with, in order to improve how they perceive the exterior world.
While VR provides the chance of having customers detached from their surroundings by going into completely different realities, AR is designed to enhance their experience around the virtual space and help them to connect a lot better with these realities. For example, think about driving past a cafe down the road and you can see the number of likes the respective cafe currently gathered on its Facebook official page. Or the social network can perhaps take all its AR apps to a totally new level by allowing interactive conferences inside AR rooms where people from all over the world can participate.
It is not likely that customers will use a heavy-looking device like the famous Microsoft HoloLens or Oculus Rift. Oculus’ main researcher said that, while virtual reality has already surpassed some obstacles in its development, AR is a lot more difficult to achieve due to its different challenges it has to deal with. For instance, Facebook has the tricky task of creating something that any customer can use all day without resulting in his own discomfort or of other individuals who are involved in the same augmented reality.
In addition, Facebook will probably come out with a couple of high-tech glasses or even contact lenses. They may not be so different from the Google Glass system, which is getting its own augmented reality, as well. However, Facebook sees its AR device as a system that can shift between VR and AR. It is very interesting, since it is something that anyone would use if it proved helpful to them.
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