Virtual reality is fairly common and in fact, in many homes these days. However, it still feels very much like sci-fi to many people. Augmented reality, a form of virtual reality that layers virtual information over live resulting in three-dimensional images also feels like advanced technology. For many, augmented reality is primarily associated with gaming and other forms of online entertainment. This topic came to us from The Scholarly Kitchen in their article, “Mixed Realities, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality in Scholarly Publishing: An Interview with Markus Kaindl and Martijn Roelandse.”
Augmented reality is also being used in scholarly publishing and in unexpected ways. Springer Nature has been experimenting with this technology. They believe the key differentiating factor that separates the various “realities” is the level of immersion a user experiences when engaging with these technologies.
They also project that in five years time it will become increasingly common to read a paper while additional information is being displayed as part of a mixed reality experience. Is this the futuristic version of picture in picture?
Melody K. Smith
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