Difference between augmented and virtual reality

One key difference between augmented and virtual reality is the ways in which your senses interact with the technology. In a virtual reality, the user interacts in ways that are still physical, not too far removed from the real world. The virtual world acts as an extension of the senses as a means to create immersion from a computer generated world. Video games and films are examples of a virtual environment; interacted with through technology, but used physically without direct changes to the self. It’s an experience of being in a different world, but in the space you are still in.

Augmented reality still exists in the space you live in, but the user experience changes because the technology is different. Augmented reality presents its world through an oculus, which brings the television closer to the screen (as opposed to virtual, which does not alter your physical space). This augmented reality can be presented as anything from entertainment to education. This reality overlays any current technology, smartphones in the present case, to create its own reality in the form of AR applications. 

There are many types of AR, but one example of an AR app is Google Glass, which takes the form of glasses to augment your vision. More specifically, it embodies and expands the functions of the human eye. This reality does more than just help you see; it also can transmit reality applications (such as the weather or driving directions) directly into your sight for added convenience.