## History of Extended Reality (XR): A Concise Overview

The history of Extended Reality (XR), an umbrella term encompassing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented
Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), is a convergence of technological advancements spanning several
decades.

• Early Precursors (Pre-1960s): Early technologies like stereoscopes (Wheatstone, 1838) laid the
groundwork for 3D visual experiences. Morton Heilig's Sensorama (1950s) attempted to create
multisensory immersion.

• Birth of VR (1960s): Ivan Sutherland's "Sword of Damocles" (1968) marked the first VR head-mounted
display, although rudimentary.

• Early AR Concepts (1960s-1990s): The concept of augmenting reality emerged, but practical
implementation was limited.

• The Term "Virtual Reality" Coined (1980s): Jaron Lanier popularized the term "Virtual Reality."

• VR Hype and Disappointment (1990s): Commercial VR systems emerged but failed due to
technological limitations (processing power, display quality).

• AR Gains Momentum (Late 1990s - Early 2000s): Ronald Azuma's survey (1997) provided a
foundational framework for AR research.

• Mobile AR Takes Off (2008 - Present): The advent of smartphones and AR toolkits (ARKit, ARCore)
democratized AR development.

• VR Renaissance (2010s - Present): The Oculus Rift (2012) ignited a new wave of VR development,
driven by advancements in display technology and computing power.

• Emergence of "Extended Reality" (XR): The term XR emerged as a unifying concept encompassing all
forms of digitally mediated reality.

In short, XR's history is marked by periods of innovation, technological limitations, and renewed interest,
ultimately leading to the diverse and rapidly evolving landscape we see today.

References:
• Azuma, R. T. (1997). A survey of augmented reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual
Environments, 6(4), 355-385.

• Sutherland, I. E. (1968). A head-mounted three-dimensional display. Proceedings of the December 9-

• Wheatstone, C. (1838). Contributions to the physiology of vision. – Part the first. On some remarkable,
and hitherto unobserved, phenomena of binocular vision. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
Society of London, 128, 371-394.

The primary aim of Extended Reality (XR) is to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds to
enhance human experiences and capabilities, providing new ways to interact with information, learn,
work, entertain ourselves, and connect with each other. This is achieved by leveraging a spectrum of
technologies from completely immersive virtual environments (VR) to augmentations of real-world
perception (AR) and combinations of both (MR).

More specifically, XR aims to:

• Enhance perception and understanding: Augmenting or replacing sensory input to provide new
perspectives and insights (Azuma, 1997).

• Improve learning and training: Creating immersive and safe learning environments for better skill
acquisition (Radianti et al., 2020).

• Optimize productivity and efficiency: Streamlining workflows and enabling remote collaboration.

• Transform entertainment and creative expression: Providing new forms of interactive and engaging
experiences.

• Increase accessibility and inclusion: Providing alternative interfaces for people with disabilities.

In essence, XR strives to empower individuals and organizations by amplifying human potential and
creating new possibilities through the seamless integration of the physical and digital realms.

References:

• Azuma, R. T. (1997). A survey of augmented reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual

The future of Extended Reality (XR) points toward increased sophistication, accessibility, and integration
into daily life. Key trends include:

• Enhanced Hardware: Lighter, more powerful, and more affordable headsets with improved resolution,
wider field of view, and better tracking (LaValle, 2017).

• Seamless Integration: XR experiences seamlessly blending into daily routines, accessible on ubiquitous
devices (smartphones, smart glasses).

• AI-Powered Experiences: AI enhancing XR environments with intelligent agents, personalized content,

• 5G and Cloud XR: 5G and cloud computing enabling streaming of high-fidelity XR experiences to
mobile devices (Hejazi et al., 2020).

• The Metaverse: The convergence of VR, AR, and the internet, creating persistent, shared virtual
worlds for social interaction, commerce, and entertainment.

• Focus on Ethics and Safety: Growing emphasis on addressing ethical concerns related to privacy,
security, accessibility, and the potential for misuse.

In short, the future of XR is about creating more immersive, accessible, and ethically responsible
experiences that seamlessly integrate into our lives, transforming how we learn, work, play, and connect
with each other.

References:

• Hejazi, N., Gomez, J., Hosseini, S. H., & Flinck, H. (2020). A survey on cloud-based virtual
reality/augmented reality. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 164, 102674.

• LaValle, S. M. (2017). Virtual reality. Cambridge University Press.

Extended Reality (XR), encompassing VR, AR, and MR, shares several defining characteristics:
• Immersion: The degree to which users feel present within the digitally mediated environment (Slater,
2009).

• Interactivity: The ability to interact with and influence the digital environment in real-time.

• Sensory Feedback: Stimulation of senses (visual, auditory, haptic) to enhance the experience.

• Computer-Generated Content: Reliance on computer-generated environments or augmentations.

• Blending of Real and Virtual: Varying degrees of integration between the physical and digital worlds.

These characteristics contribute to XR's ability to create engaging, informative, and transformative
experiences.

Reference:

• Slater, M. (2009). Place illusion and plausibility can lead to realistic behaviour in immersive virtual
environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1535), 3549-
3557.

A literature review on Extended Reality (XR) reveals a growing body of research exploring its potential
and limitations across various domains. It highlights the evolution of XR technologies, from early
stereoscopic displays to sophisticated VR/AR/MR systems (Azuma, 1997; LaValle, 2017). Key application
areas include education and training (Radianti et al., 2020), healthcare (Riva et al., 2016), entertainment,
and industrial processes. The literature also identifies challenges such as motion sickness (LaViola,
2000), ethical considerations (Madary & Metzinger, 2016), and accessibility concerns. Future research
focuses on AI integration, haptic feedback, and the development of the metaverse.

References:

• Azuma, R. T. (1997). A survey of augmented reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual

• LaValle, S. M. (2017). Virtual reality. Cambridge University Press.

• LaViola Jr, J. J. (2000). A discussion of motion sickness in virtual environments. ACM SIGCHI Bulletin,
32(1), 47-56.
• Madary, M., & Metzinger, T. K. (2016). Real virtuality: a code of ethical conduct. Recommendations for
good scientific practice and the consumers of VR-technology. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 3, 3.

• Radianti, J., Majchrzak, T. A., Fromm, J., & Wohlgenannt, I. (2020). A systematic review of immersive
virtual reality applications for medical training: identifying research trends and gaps. Frontiers in Public
Health, 8, 575118.

• Riva, G., Baños, R. M., Botella, C., Mantovani, F., & Villani, D. (2016). Transforming healthcare: the
advent of virtual reality in clinical practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1657.