Introduction
The publishing industry has witnessed significant changes over the years with the advent of digital technologies. The term “e-Publishing” itself refers to creating and distributing digital content to the audience via various media. Considering how much of the publishing process is digital. It might be more accurate to say printed media is just one more way that e-Publishing delivers content. In this blog lets examine The role of AR and VR in E-Publishing.
With reading going digital, first via computer screens and then via eReaders and Smartphone screens, features like hyperlinking to photos and videos was the next logical step. As content more interactive, there is a clear upcoming intersection between text and the various Digital Reality technologies- Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR). While such immersive books are still a novelty. They will increasingly become standard ways that all kinds of content, from educational to entertainment, is consumed.
AR: Enhancing the reading experience
Augmented Reality has already taken the publishing industry by storm. Providing readers with a new way to interact with books. All the usual mental images of “interactive books” are usually about AR- dinosaurs rising out of books, for example. With the help of AR, readers can experience a mix of virtual and physical worlds, giving them a more immersive reading experience. However the current method involves users initiating the AR experience on their screens via a printed QR code or scannable image on physical material like a book, globe, toy, etc. AR experiences are currently quite limited, showing images, or small AV clips. In the future the experiences will likely include controllable simulations of machines, biological systems etc. to boost user engagement and comprehension.
Similarly, AR can be used to create interactive covers for books. With an AR-enabled mobile device, readers can scan the cover and watch it come to life. For instance it could feature the authors (or actors playing the roles of the author or characters in the book) providing a preview of the book’s content. Dust jackets could be packed with additional, exclusive material to encourage physical book buys. Much as exclusive content drives people to buy Blu-Ray discs.
VR: Transporting readers to other worlds
Virtual Reality isn’t just more immersive than AR; rather it has an altogether different use case. It can be used to create virtual book tours, allowing readers to visit the locations featured in the book. This feature can be particularly useful for travel books. Where readers can explore new destinations from the comfort of their own home. Sometimes in preparation of an actual visit! For others who will never be able to travel to say…St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and look up at Michealangelo’s masterpiece, or climb Mt. Everest. VR could be how unique experiences get transmitted to viewers. Beyond books, ePublishing news articles and editorials could transport readers to actual locations of the news stories, seeing for themselves the utter joys and difficulties presented in the news stories.
Of course, VR can also be used to create 3D models of characters and places. Allowing readers to interact with them in a more engaging way, and give games greater storyline depth.
MR: Blurring the line between reality and fiction
Mixed Reality is the combination of AR and VR, allowing users to interact with virtual objects in the real world. It has the potential to blur the line between reality and fiction, providing a more immersive reading experience. With the help of MR, readers can interact with characters and objects from the book in their physical environment via their own Avatars, bringing new meaning to “immersive story”!
Moreover, MR can be incredibly tactile. Combining haptics (i.e. touch sense) e.g. via a special glove with MR can create educational books that provide an incredibly immersive experience. Also students can actually manipulate digital recreations of lab experiments, examine cutaways of planets or the the human body, etc. In fiction and literature, MR can be particularly effective to improve engagement with younger audiences.
Conclusion
Immersive technologies are providing readers with a more engaging and interactive way of consuming digital content. Enhancing the overall reading experience. As the technology continues to evolve. We will see even more innovative ways in which AR, VR, and MR can transform the e-publishing industry. It is an exciting time for the industry, and one can only imagine the possibilities that these technologies will bring in the future.
