23. XR ArcGIS

In this week, I am learning and going into the field of Extended Reality (XR). Starting off by watching the video "Extended Reality (XR) with ArcGIS" to understand XR in GIS, then research on how XR technology was implemented in GIS.

From the video "Extended Reality (XR) with ArcGIS", I learned there are three different type of extended reality, which are AR (augmented reality), MR(mixed reality), and VR(virtual reality), how they are use and bring about the implementation of the those technologies into the general challenges.

• AR (augmented reality) is an enhanced version of the real physical world by overlay 2D or 3D information onto the real world through technology devices.

• MR(mixed reality) is a mix version of the physical and digital worlds by merging the digital information with real world environment.

• VR(virtual reality) is a digital version of virtual space by implement real physical worlds or virtual information.

In the extended reality, the most important and difficult features are object position and movement tracking. All are related to positional tracking, which is caught real physical worlds information and data, and there are three positional tracking methods.

• Inside-out tracking is tracking the surrounding environment, object, and information convert and positioning the data from HMD(head-mounted display).

• Outside-in tracking is tracking by using multiple cameras to caught and track the information and object within the stationary location.

• Global positional tracking is tracking the position of technology device and camera though the internet.

After the video, I searched some example of XR implementation, and the example that got my interest was a XR Summit project of University of Michigan: U-M Diag space. It was re-creation of the University of Michigan Diag campus in the mixed reality of "AltspaceVR". In Hannah Triester artics, "XR technology ‘brings’ conference goers to iconic U-M space" that they are try to bring back the real-life experience Diag campus, how students interact in the University of Michigan community.