Mixed reality is like the next generation of virtual reality, and it’s not just seeing video games through goggles. Mixed reality uses 3-D computer generated images projected in real time and space to represent objects or figures.
Taber says shoppers might be able to save time by taking a picture of a threaded hole in need of a bolt before they leave home. Arriving at the store, a device could generate a 3D image with the markings that fit the hole and guide consumers to the correct bolt.
“That’s where it’s going to hit the consumer and their everyday lives,” said Taber, creative director at Orlando-based Engineering and Computer Simulations said. “For me, that’s how I see it having an impact.”
With most people now owning smartphones, experts say mixed reality will become commonplace.
Orlando’s heavy concentration of simulation and training expertise, rooted in military presence for decades, positions the region well to capitalize on the trends. University of Central Florida and local businesses are researching new uses for mixed reality technology.
UCF’s photonics program has turned out experts in fields related to virtual and mixed reality technology, some of whom have gone to work for South Florida’s Magic Leap, an emerging mixed reality company (it uses the term cinematic reality) that attracted $500 million in investment led by Google.
The applications will affect many industries, including medical training, construction and even fashion.
Using mixed reality, firefighters in training will be able to see a simulated fire through a headset, overlaid on a real car. They can learn how to approach it, without the real danger of the flames.
On the commercial side, fashion designers can overlay virtual dress designs on a mannequin to see exactly how they will look.
“The idea of playing with what people see has reached a nice stage in research around the country,” said Eileen Smith, director of UCF’s E2i Creative Studio. “Now it’s moving into the commercial space.”
Smith has been working with a group of UCF students using a Canon device that allows the creation of mixed reality scenarios.
Using a bulky headset, visitors at a recent open house could see the fashion design and virtual firefighter training applications in action.
Smith first saw the future of mixed reality in training and other areas when she worked at Orlando Science Center in 2003. She said she stood in a room with a headset on and watched as fish swam around her.
Shortly thereafter, she was hired by the university.
She said it’s only a matter of time before consumers will use mixed reality in daily life.
“You need to interact with it and ask questions and explore things you can’t explore in real life,” she said. “You say ‘where can we take this?’ It’s only bound by your imagination, which can make it hard for some people to grasp.”
In 2013, Canon released the mixed reality MREAL devices commercially to businesses that wanted to build applications for them.
For instance, Embraer in Melbourne used the tech to build 3D, life-sized models of airplanes and other structures. They allow people to virtually walk through the aircraft before production starts.
“You can do that now without having a costly investment every time,” said Rebecca Geraghty, who works in Canon’s New York office in the division overseeing mixed reality. “You can do that digitally now.”
Although Geraghty said the company wasn’t necessarily looking at consumer-related applications, she admitted it was an interesting sector.
“When we talk about mixed reality, now you’re adding the real-world element,” she said. “It’s an interesting platform because of the possibilities.”
With technology growing and improving at a fast pace, businesses are finding new ways to take advantage of mixed reality.
“The quality is improving and that’s the great thing,” said Taber. “It’s become an immersive experience where you feel you’re in an environment.”
Virtual reality saw a surge in the mid-1990s, using devices like Sega VR and Virtual Boy, before quickly dying off as technology wasn’t advancing fast enough to make it commercially viable.
Now, with tech giants like Facebook, Google and HTC investing in it, the technology will only grow, Taber said.
“There was a lull there where technology had to catch up,” he said. “Now that you see what’s coming on the market, it’s getting smaller and lighter.”
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