Glossary What is Immersive Technology?

By null / 1 Jan 2023 / Topics: Virtual Reality (VR) Immersive technology

Immersive Technology communicates with users through visual and auditory information. Users often wear headsets over their eyes and ears to create a virtual environment or enhance the physical environment.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are the primary immersive technologies. VR creates a new space by cutting off physical senses and replacing them with digital information — showing your eyes a screen, for example. AR merges digital information with the physical environment — projecting a heads-up display into view, for example.

Another form of immersive technology is Mixed Reality (MR), which combines features of VR and AR. Unlike AR, synthetic content in MR is linked to the physical environment and interacts accordingly. A notable example of MR is Microsoft's HoloLens for surgical training. For example, this advanced imaging technology can improve visualization of blood vessels compared to traditional imaging techniques. With widespread adoption, it can also significantly enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of stent placement surgeries.

Organizations can apply immersive technology to a variety of use cases — assisting and enhancing the end-user experience in the process. Common immersive technology applications include: