3 Degrees of Freedom (3DoF): refers to the ability of a VR headset to track rotational movements of your head.
6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF): Refers to the freedom of movement in VR, allowing users to move forward/backwards, up/down, left/right, and rotate around three perpendicular axes (pitch, yaw, and roll).
Augmented Reality (AR): Superimposing a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, creating a composite view.
Avatar: A digital representation of the user in VR or AR space.
Binaural Audio: This technique records sound from two microphones spaced like human ears, creating a realistic sense of directionality.
Content creation: The process of creating VR or AR content.
Controllers: Handheld devices used for interaction with VR or AR content.
Development: The process of creating VR or AR applications.
Distortion Correction: VR displays intentionally distort the image to compensate for the lens distortion, creating a perceived straight image.
Environmental Acoustics: VR software simulates how sound bounces off objects and interacts with the environment, adding depth and detail.
Exit Pupil Distance (EPD): The distance between your eyes and the centre of the lenses. Proper EPD ensures a clear view without vignetting (dark corners).
Extended Reality (XR): An umbrella term for all immersive technologies, including VR, AR, and MR.
Eye Tracking: Some high-end VR headsets utilizeeye-tracking technology. This allows them to focus computational resources on where you’re looking, improving image quality and saving processing power. (Virtual Reality Glossary)
Eyepieces: These control how close the lenses are to your eyes, affecting comfort and FOV.
Field of view (FOV): The angle of view seen through the VR or AR headset.
First-Person View (FPV): FPV in drone VR specifically refers to using a VR headset to see the live video feed from your drone’s camera.
Haptics: Using vibration or force feedback to provide a sense of touch in VR or AR.
Head-mounted display (HMD): A device worn on the head containing a display screen(s) for viewing VR or AR content.
Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF): This complex mathematical model accounts for how your head and ear shape affect sound waves, further enhancing realism.
Head Tracking: VR headsets use sensors to track your head movements, sending this data to the software.
Immersion: The feeling of being present in the virtual world.
Interpupillary Distance Adjustment (IPD): This feature allows you to adjust the distance between the lenses to match your eye spacing, ensuring optimal comfort and image clarity.
Inertial Measurement Unit(IMU): An Inertial Measurement Unit is a self-contained electronic device that combines multiple sensors to track an object’s movement.
MicroLED and MiniLED technologies: Promise improved brightness, contrast, and colour accuracy for even more vibrant visuals.
Mixed Reality (MR): Combining VR and AR, allowing interaction with both real and virtual objects in the same space.
Locomotion: The way the user moves around in VR or AR space.
Pancake lenses: Fold the optical path, creating thinner and lighter headsets without sacrificing image quality. This innovative technology utilizes reflective elements to fold the optical path, resulting in thinner and lighter VR headsets without compromising image quality.
Presence: The sense of being in a place other than one’s physical location.
Refresh rate: The number of times per second the VR or AR display updates the image, refresh rate dictates how smoothly they transition, minimizing motion blur and enhancing visual comfort. Aim for higher values for both.
Resolution: The number of pixels in the VR or AR display, determines the sharpness and detail of the images.
Screen Door Effect: This refers to the visible gaps between pixels, noticeable in lower-resolution displays. Newer technologies aim to minimize this effect for a more seamless visual experience.
Social VR: VR experiences allow interaction with other people in VR space.
Stereoscopic Vision: Stereopsis, or stereoscopic vision, is the ability to see in 3D like how you can tell a coffee mug is in front of you and the wall is behind it. This happens because both your eyes see slightly different images, and your brain combines them to create a sense of depth.
Tracking: Determining the position and orientation of the user’s head and body in VR or AR space.
Varifocal lenses: Automatically adjust focus based on where you’re looking, eliminating the need for manual adjustments and enhancing realism. These displays can automatically adjust focus based on where you’re looking, eliminating the need for manual adjustments and offering incredible visual realism. (Virtual Reality Glossary)
Virtual Reality (VR): A computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment interacted with in a seemingly real way, using electronic equipment like headsets and gloves.
