Intro to AR/VR/MR/XR: Technologies, Applications & Issues from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

XR Terminology & Applications

This module will establish the different notions around XR and provide a brief overview of the associated technologies. Key to understanding the potential and limitations of AR, VR, and MR is to know the differences in how they each work and what they each can be used for. In the honors track, you will learn how to find and try out an AR experience and classify it along the reality–virtuality continuum. This continuum is an important notion to localize applications in the wide spectrum covered by mixed reality technologies and aids our overall understanding of the XR space.

XR Concepts & Technologies

This module will provide an overview of virtual and augmented reality both at the conceptual level as well as in terms of current technologies. It is important to distinguish concepts from technologies because the concepts are foundational and less likely to change significantly while the technologies that implement the concepts are rapidly evolving. In the honors track, we will use the conceptual and technological insights we developed through the standard track to recommend AR or VR technologies for a set of given scenarios. A key goal for us is to obtain a thorough overview of the technology landscape and this activity will allow you to practice your decision making and how to analyze and assess different technology options.

Trends & Issues in XR

This module will start our discussion of the opportunities and challenges that come with XR technologies. I will identify technological trends and what I think are some of the key issues. The issues will be grouped into three broader classes: ethical & social concerns, accessibility & equity, privacy & security. All three classes are important and we currently only have a limited understanding and clear ways forward regarding each of them. In the honors track, we will work through some of these issues and, depending on your interests and access to XR technologies, you can set your focus on one of the classes of issues. There will be activities to learn more about social experiences in AR/VR, accessibility, and privacy. I look forward to an open and constructive discussion with you about these issues and the future of XR technologies.

XR Strategy

This is our last module in this course. It will bring more of a strategic outlook into the XR space. This is a space where you have to continuously learn and push yourself. I believe you have to develop a growth mindset when you think about new projects and initiatives, your team, the equipment, working with stakeholders, and defining measures of success. The key is to start somewhere, with something small, then grow your experience and expectations around it. Most people try it the other way around, not realizing that XR is a huge space and there will always be people who know more than you about something. In my opinion, the best way to go about this is to find a niche, realize the potential to innovate, and start shaping your solution. This module is heavily discussion-based and there is no honors track associated with it. Thank you for taking this first course, and please check out the other two courses in this series!

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops soft skills in XR device landscape, XR application scenarios, and accessibility & equity, which are core skills for XR professionals

Examines XR applications, XR solutions, ethical & social concerns, and technological trends, which are highly relevant to XR applications

Taught by Michael Nebeling, who are recognized for their work in XR

Explores technological trends, accessibility, and privacy, which are standard in XR industry

Teaches XR concepts in both a conceptual and technical way, which helps learners understand XR applications

Reviews summary

Xr tech: a comprehensive overview

Learners largely say that Intro to AR/VR/MR/XR: Technologies, Applications & Issues is a well-executed introduction to the XR field. They describe the content as insightful, well-organized, and highly engaging. The course explores fundamental XR concepts, including AR, VR, and MR. It also examines key issues, such as privacy, ethics, and accessibility. According to students, the course excels in providing a thorough overview without being overly technical. Additionally, the instructor, Professor Nebeling, is highly praised for his enthusiasm and ability to explain complex topics clearly.

Emphasizes accessibility and equity

"It also gave me the opportunity to try my first ever accessibility audit of an VR application: Mozilla Hubs, drlling down from the POUR principles as I looked for equivalence between WCAG 2.2 guidelines, and where possible related success criteria, and an immersive VR application."

"The course also covered privacy, security, and ethics and it was also interesting to see the intersection with accessibility and equity in those subject areas."

Covers important ethical and societal implications

"One of the strengths of the course is the ability to combine video content, exercises, assignemnts and much more food for thought in a perfectly balanced way."

"This course was extraordinarily interesting. I feel I learned a lot and I will be more actively interested in the world of XR from now on."

"Thoroughly enjoyed my Intro to XR: technologies, application & issues course. It was great to see a technology course cover accessibility and equity in depth and with the importance they deserve."

Engaging and passionate professor

"The instructor is very personable, genuine and relatable also, which makes the course a real treat."

"Professor Nebeling is a fantastic instructor who clearly cares a lot about the topic as well as the students."

"Professor Nebeling does an awesome job explaining the basics in an interesting and engaging way and his enthusiasm and passion for this field is really contagious."

Very well designed course

"Is a good mix of theory and hands-on with a lot of examples and exercises to get a good grasp of the lectures and videos."

"The instructional design is really well thought-out and there are additional avenues for learners to go deeper into each subject area."

"This is a fantastic course that works beautifully on several levels to reach a wide variety of learners with differing backgrounds."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Intro to AR/VR/MR/XR: Technologies, Applications & Issues with these activities:

Read "Game Development with Unity" by Will Goldstone

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This book provides a comprehensive overview of Unity, game development, and programming concepts.

View Unity 3.x Game Development Essentials on Amazon

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Read the book from Chapter 1 to Chapter 10.
Complete the exercises and activities in the book.
Build a small Unity game project based on what you learned in the book.

Review middle school math

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Reviewing middle school math will refresh foundational skills that this course relies on.

Browse courses on Linear Algebra

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Review the basics of vectors, matrices, and linear transformations.
Practice solving linear equations and systems of equations.

Practice coding challenges

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Coding challenges can help you practice your programming skills.

Browse courses on Coding

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Find a coding challenge website or platform.
Choose a challenge that is appropriate for your skill level.
Solve the challenge using your preferred programming language.

Eight other activities

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Discuss XR trends and issues

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Engage with your peers to discuss current trends and emerging issues in the XR space.

Browse courses on XR Trends

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Identify a few topics related to XR trends and issues that you're interested in discussing.
Find a peer or group of peers who are also interested in discussing these topics.
Schedule a time to meet and discuss your thoughts and ideas.
Be prepared to listen to different perspectives and share your own.

Explore AR and VR applications

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Get hands-on experience with XR technologies by exploring different applications.

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Identify a few different AR and VR applications that interest you.
Download and install the applications on your device.
Explore the applications and experiment with different features.
Reflect on your experience and identify potential benefits and challenges of the technologies.

Explore Unity tutorials

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Following tutorials can help you learn Unity and prepare for this course.

Browse courses on Unity

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Find a Unity tutorial that covers the basics of the software.
Follow the tutorial step-by-step.
Experiment with the Unity editor on your own after completing the tutorial.

Attend a Unity workshop

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Attending a workshop can help you learn more about Unity and game development.

Browse courses on Unity

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Find a Unity workshop that interests you.
Register for the workshop.
Attend the workshop and participate in the activities.

Create a Unity game

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Creating a game can help you apply your skills and learn more about game development.

Browse courses on Unity

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Brainstorm ideas for your game.
Create a game design document.
Develop your game using Unity.
Test and iterate on your game.

Participate in a Unity game jam

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Participating in a game jam can help you learn new skills and network with other game developers.

Browse courses on Unity

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Find a Unity game jam that interests you.
Form a team or work on your own.
Create a game within the time limit of the game jam.

Contribute to an open-source Unity project

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Contributing to an open-source project can help you learn more about Unity and software development.

Browse courses on Unity

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Find an open-source Unity project that interests you.
Read the project's documentation and contribute code.

Build a portfolio of Unity projects

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Building a portfolio can showcase your skills and help you get a job in the game industry.

Browse courses on Unity

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Brainstorm ideas for several small Unity projects.
Develop each project using Unity.
Create a portfolio website to showcase your projects.

Career center

Learners who complete Intro to AR/VR/MR/XR: Technologies, Applications & Issues will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

User Experience Designer

User Experience Designers develop the overall experience of a product or service. This course may help a User Experience Designer to gain a better understanding of the XR space and how people interact with XR products and services. This knowledge could be helpful in the design of XR applications, ensuring that they are user-friendly and accessible.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Project Manager

Project Managers plan and manage projects. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Project Manager in the management of XR projects. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Project Manager to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Sales Manager

Sales Managers develop and execute sales strategies. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Sales Manager in the development of XR sales strategies. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Sales Manager to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Quality Assurance Analyst

Quality Assurance Analysts test and evaluate products and services. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Quality Assurance Analyst in the testing and evaluation of XR products and services. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Quality Assurance Analyst to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Analyst

Business Development Manager

Business Development Managers develop and implement business development strategies. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Business Development Manager in the development of XR business development strategies. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Business Development Manager to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager

Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity Analysts protect computer systems from unauthorized access. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Cybersecurity Analyst in the protection of XR computer systems. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Cybersecurity Analyst to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Analyst

Software Tester

Software Testers test and evaluate software systems. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Software Tester in the testing and evaluation of XR software systems. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Software Tester to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Tester

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers develop and execute marketing campaigns. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Marketing Manager in the development of XR marketing campaigns. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Marketing Manager to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts protect information systems from unauthorized access. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to an Information Security Analyst in the protection of XR information systems. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for an Information Security Analyst to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Analyst

Product Manager

Product Managers oversee the development and launch of products and services. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Product Manager in the development of XR products and services. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Product Manager to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Technical Writer

Technical Writers create technical documentation. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Technical Writer in the creation of XR technical documentation. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Technical Writer to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Business Analyst

Business Analysts identify and analyze business needs. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Business Analyst in the analysis of XR business needs. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Business Analyst to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers develop and design software systems. The knowledge gained in this course about extended reality (XR) may be useful to a Software Engineer in the design and creation of XR software applications, software that runs on AR, VR, and MR devices. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Software Engineer to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect and analyze data. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Data Analyst in the analysis of XR data. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Data Analyst to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Data Scientist

Data Scientists collect and analyze data to help businesses make better decisions. The knowledge gained in this course about the XR space may be useful to a Data Scientist in the analysis of XR data. Additionally, the course's emphasis on the trends and issues in XR could be important for a Data Scientist to keep up with the constant development in the XR space.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist