Question:

Go boldly! Explore augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) for business

Star Trekalone hasstrongly inuenced many such real-world inventions: 3-D printers take after theStar Trekreplicator, iPad/

tablet computers bear an uncanny resemblance toJean-Luc Picard's personal access display devices

(PADD), and virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa remind us of the way commanders talked to their

ship's library (aka the Federation of Planets' librarycomputer access/retrieval system).

Most interesting today is howStar Trek'sholodeckwasaprecursortomanyrecent technological developments. mind-bending plot devices used in the series, it al-lowed anyone entering the holodeck to engage withholographic images that appeared solid to the touch,

to travel to different locations, and even to be introduced to events and persons from different galaxies

or from the past. Since its rst appearance in 1974,the holodeck's ability to interact with simulatedenvironments has inspired the work of generations of researchers in computer science, articial intelligence, computer graphics, and human-computer interaction

1.1.Augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) refers to the integration of

the actual world with digital information about it. Actual objects and people cast aninformation shad- ow: an aura of data which, when captured and proc- essed intelligently, can offer extraordinary value to consumers (O'Reilly & Battelle, 2009). Augmented

reality uses technology to make such a layer ofinformation accessible to people-to blend one's perception of the actual world with digital contentabout it generated by computer software. This technology comes in a myriad of forms: from wearablesand smart glasses that use retinal projection to put a display in the wearer's eyeball (e.g., Google Glasswas a very noticeable ARheadset, the Vauntby Intel ismuch less conspicuous) to the more commonly usedsmartphones.

1.1.Virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) refers to complete, 3-D virtual representations of the actual world or of objects within it. For instance, AutoCAD software allows

architects, engineers, and design professionals tocreate precise 3-D drawings of actual buildings beforethey make changes to them. Virtual 360-degree toursinvite others to visit faraway sites.

Mixedreality

Mixedreality(MR)referstothe merging of real world virtual constructs withcomputer-generated constructs that are either real

or possible. Not only does mixed reality (also knownas hybrid reality) combine aspects of the actual

reality-the physical world around us-with the power of virtual reality, it also combines what'sreal with what's possible. In other words, mixed

realities allow us to experience new objects orscenarios-those that don't actually exist. Imagine

adding virtual objects or characters into a live video stream of the real world.

1.1.Virtuality

As the polar opposite of what is actual and real,virtuality refers to a virtual representation of apossible world. This could include non-actual scenarios that are either realistically possible (e.g., a computer-generated walkthrough of a house atthe design stage) or completely (science) ctional(e.g., riding a made-up VR rollercoaster).Among all types of reality on the virtual realitycontinuum, virtuality is the most futuristic type

Augmented vertuality

Thedifference between MR and augmented virtualitymight be small, but it is nonetheless important. Incontrast to MR, augmented virtuality (AV) refers tocomputer-generated possible world scenarios augmented with real, virtual constructs (i.e., objects,people). We might create ctitious world and addactual people or objects into it, much like ightsimulators that construct training scenarios thatinclude ctitious elements but also planes of otherpilots who train at the same time

1.Beyond the holodeck

In many of the futuristic predictions of technology,Star Trekhas led the way. When the holodeck wasintroduced to the series, it was perceived as too fantastic to exist in the real world. Only about 40 years later, the global sale of reality-enhancing

hardware is expected to grow to $17.8 billion in2018 and the industry is expected to be worth $215billion by 2021 (Mainelli, 2017). While most of today's applications of different realities seem to befor entertainment purposes, their use in the business world is growing fast. Gartner expects thatvirtual reality alone, for example, is already on the"slope of enlightenment" on the Gartner Hype Cycle (Panetta, 2017)-a forecasting tool that is alsobeing used in academia (Kietzmann, Pitt, & Berthon, 2015)-and it is only 2 to 5 years away from the "plateau of productivity," when mainstream adoption among rms will start to take off.

#Make a Summary.