Google making AR/VR more immersive on consumer devices

A team of Google researchers has created a new technology to take the immersive augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences to a new level. New research shows the ability to record, reconstruct, compress, and deliver high-quality immersive light field videos, lightweight enough to be streamed over regular Wi-Fi. “We’re making this technology practical, bringing us closer to delivering a truly immersive experience to more consumer devices,” said Michael Broxton, Google research scientist. Photos and videos play a huge role in our day-to-day experience on mobile devices, and “we are hoping that someday immersive light field images and videos will play an equally important role in future AR and VR platforms,” he added. Wide field of view scenes can be recorded and played back with the ability to move around within the video after it has been captured, revealing new perspectives. In recent years, the immersive AR/VR field has captured mainstream attention for its promise to give people a truly authentic experience in a simulated environment.