Technology and Our Perception of the World

1. The app I chose for this experiment is AR because it shows me how furniture will look in my home before I buy, that is, it inserts new information in the real world, an existing world. For me, it was a very interesting experience because, despite having married a year and a half ago, I still haven't organized my house exactly as I would like, so it was really fun for me to imagine what my future home would be like, mainly because I called my husband to explore the app with me and “set up” our place. However, although the application makes it possible to "discover" what the environment would be like if a certain furniture was added, I did not like the fact that the furniture was not positioned exactly where you would like it, I found the application very limited in leaving a more realistic look, as the furniture seem to be floating. In addition, I think that more furniture that exists in the physical store could be added, such as, for example, dog beds and objects, lamp, chandelier, etc. Entering this virtual reality is a magnificent feeling, very futuristic. The IKEA place application can be found through the link (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ikea-place/id1279244498), but it is worth remembering that it is compatible only with Apple. This course has definitely changed my way of thinking about technology and, with each passing day, I have become more excited.

2. When I started studying this module, I didn't think I could have a good experience because I am not very attached to these technological games, however, to my surprise, I really had fun and I can say that, since the beginning of this course, the present module, which does not explain what is augmented reality (AR) and what is virtual reality (VR), was the most interesting so far because, in fact, I was able to experience what technology can provide me. AR is about the real world, it is when you look at an existing environment and see overlapping elements, that is, it combines virtual elements with a real environment. VR is about the digital world. It is when the images and sounds around you are replaced by virtual content, generated and managed by computer, creating an immersive experience, making us feel like we are somewhere else or experiencing things that, in fact, do not exist. So, my understanding between augmented reality and virtual reality was that augmented reality includes components that can interact with what already exists, since virtual reality creates its own environment, totally new and independent from the real world. To explore this world of technological experiments, I chose to use the IKEA Place app, which is an application from the IKEA store that allows you to make a simulation of furniture that you would like to place in your home, allowing you to get a sense, before buying, how the furniture will look in the house.

3. The IKEA place found through the link https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ikea-place/id1279244498, is interesting for those who want to renovate the house and do not have much idea of how to do it because it allows the experience of testing the furniture before making the purchase, as I did as shown in the picture above that I took from my living room, allowing a more convinced approach to reality and giving more security when choosing the new furniture. It may have been a very exciting experience for me, I highly recommend installing this application.

4. IKEA place demo AR app

5. The tool that I chose as part of this work, namely the Mindmeister, and it was creative for me because, although I have already used a mind map, it is the first time I have used the Mindmeister so I took a risk to do it online. I thought that only IT professionals could do it, but I was very happy to realize that, despite being a layman on the subject, I managed to complete my mind map even though I faced some difficulties. I repeated it several times to reach the final result and, after a lot of persistence, it worked. I realized that the Mind map is also creative because it is excellent in capturing the public's attention, it can be used both in the academic and professional areas and can pass complex information in an interesting way. So, I liked so much worked with that tool.

6. My creative aspect

7. Define AR and VR

8. My thoughts regarding the IKEA place app

9. Recommendations

10. Mashable Explains. (2015, November 19). What is Augmented Reality and How Does it Work? Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=68&v=XX993jgeQ0M&feature=emb_title Drell, L. (2012, December 19). 7 Ways Augmented Reality Will Improve Your Life. Retrieved from Mashable: https://mashable.com/2012/12/19/augmented-reality-city/ Sartain, JD. (2012, September 24). Virtual reality: More virtual than real. Retrieved from Networkworld: https://www.networkworld.com/article/2159959/virtual-reality--more-virtual-than-real.html Hindy, J. (2019, July 2016). 10 best augmented reality apps and AR apps for Android. Retrieved from Android Authority: https://www.androidauthority.com/best-augmented-reality-apps-and-ar-apps-for-android-584616/ Quora, C. (2018, February 2). The Difference Between Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality And Mixed Reality. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/02/02/the-difference-between-virtual-reality-augmented-reality-and-mixed-reality/#55c7b1d52d07 Inter IKEA. 2019. IKEA PLACE demo AR app. Retrieved from IKEA: https://newsroom.inter.ikea.com/gallery/video/ikea-place-demo-ar-app/a/c7e1289a-ca7e-4cba-8f65-f84b57e4fb8d

11. “When digital information is overlaid onto the actual physical world. So when real reality is not enough, and virtual reality is too much, augmented reality should be just right.” (Mashable Explains, 2015)

12. “Blau defines VR as "immersive environments where the user either wears a head mounted display that shows a completely synthetic environment, or the user is in a cave-like room where all the walls show the graphical environment, typically one that is very different from where the user is currently sitting or standing." (Sartain, 2012)

13. “Augmented Reality (AR) can be fun technology to play with. The basic premise of AR is to overlay digital content on top of real things using something like a map, a camera, or sometimes the sky. “ (Hindy, 2019)

14. “If you own a modern smartphone, you can easily download an AR app and try this technology.“ (Quora, 2018)

15. "In short, it's a way to use technology to redefine space, and it places a virtual layer over the world" (Drell, 2012).

16. References