International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 02 | Feb 2025
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Extended Reality: History, Concepts, and Techniques Savan C. Becker1, Michael E. Johnson, PhD2 1 Department of Engineering, Capitol Technology University, Laurel, MD, USA 2 Adjunct Professor, Department of Engineering, Capitol Technology University, Laurel, MD, USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) studying Abstract - Extended reality (XR) is by no means a new media arts and sciences when he collaborated with field, with conceptual and cultural references permeating th Wyckoff to conceptualize and build “XR vision” devices for science fiction (sci-fi) since the early 20 century, and early wearable computers [8, 11, 12]. Tangentially, the technical origins going back to the 1950s and the 1960s [1, word “cyborg” was first used by Manfred Clynes and 2]. However, in recent years, advances in computing, Nathan Kline in their article Cyborgs and Space to describe visualization, consumer electronics, and communications a human being augmented with technological technologies have made XR more accessible to the public. "attachments" to facilitate space exploration [13, 14, 15]. Since the mid-2010s, games and applications on cell phones, Mann – who often used the term “cyborg” self-referentially for instance, have seamlessly and ubiquitously started to – is widely considered the “Father of the Wearable integrate XR technology into everyday life [3, 4, 5]. This Computer”, inventing the first wearable AR computers, review article provides a source of comprehensive smart watch, and digital eyeglasses – precursors to today’s background information that can be used as a foundation well-known VR/AR head mounted displays (HMD) and for additional research and investigation of XR and its past, other wearable technology (See Fig – 1 ) [16, 17, 18, 19]. present, and future applications. To that end, we discuss technologies and concepts associated with several XRassociated fields, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), digital twins, telepresence, and telerobotics. We further include some historical context to enrich appreciation for the origins of these disciplines, the relationships between them, and their impact on society.
Key Words: Technology, Extended Reality, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Robots, Telerobotics, Telepresence, Human-Machine Interfaces, Space Exploration, Science Fiction, Gaming, Video Games, Cyberspace, Digital Twins, Virtual Worlds, Synthetic Environments, Immersive Worlds
Fig – 1: Steve Mann’s early wearable XR devices. [16]
1. INTRODUCTION
2. VIRTUAL REALITY
To begin our review, we note that “extended reality” (XR) is an umbrella term that, as concisely stated by O’Donnell [4], covers “…all real-and-virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology.” This includes virtual reality (VR) augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and – by extension – many forms of telepresence and telerobotic applications [3, 6, 7]. Interestingly, the term “Extended Reality” and usage of its abbreviation in this context were actually coined in 1991 by Steve Mann and Charles Wyckoff, decades before penetrating mainstream awareness [8]. Wyckoff – a photochemical expert and forerunner of high dynamic range (HDR) photography in the mid-20th century – invented “XR” or “eXtended Response” film in 1962; XR film enabled the capture of extremely fast phenomena (i.e., nuclear explosions) with unprecedented detail by using photosensitive emulsion layers with different sensitivities or “speeds” [9, 10, 11]. Mann, with a background in physics and engineering, was a doctoral student at the
Virtual reality (VR) is a subset of XR which – in its most widespread, recognizable form – is made possible by a combination of technologies that provides human interfaces into realistic, immersive three-dimensional (3D), simulated/artificially generated worlds or virtual environments (VE) [3, 2, 20, 21, 22]. An immersive VR system introduces users into a 360-degree synthetic reality designed to envelop them with simulated visual and (generally) auditory input that is distinct from the real world. Ideally, this alternate reality completely takes over a person’s senses, changes as they move through it via tracking of a person’s head, body, and extremities, and is indistinguishable from “real life” [23, 24]. The artificial environments simulated with VR can range from “mundane” recreations of familiar venues, to challenging, seldom-seen environments (e.g., deep sea, space, planetary landscapes), and entirely fictitious worlds derived from science fiction and fantasy.
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