Stacey Stevens

Stacey Stevens

Mixed Reality

What is it?

Mixed Reality (MR) is the merging of real, augmented, and virtual experiences to produce a scene where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time.

Why is it important?

Usershave the ability to scan their physical environment using an MR device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, head-mounted device, or smart glasses) and create3D maps of their surroundings. This allows the MR device to know exactly where and how to place digital content into the user’s environment. The user can interact with the environment and content using gestures or functions on the MR device.

About Stacey Stevens

Stacey Stevens has worked in the technical communication field for more than 30 years and currently works for Boeing as a technical communicator. She represents Boeing on the OASIS Augmented Reality in Information Products committee. The goal of the committee is to create technical communications standards around Augmented Reality.

At Boeing, Stacey is involved with the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Community of Practice and she is leading the effort to study Augmented Reality business opportunities for her home organization, Information Services.

Stacey has also given Augmented Reality presentations atTechComm Con in Tacoma, WA and for the Puget Sound Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication.

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Twitter:@stacey_xspinks

Why does a technical communicator need to know this?

Content is a key component in an MR scene.It is useful for technical communicators to understand MR so they can addinstructions or training to that scene. To do this, technical communicators createa storyboard for the developers to follow that will ultimately train or guide the user in a particular task. This includes making determinations of what to say when and how the content should be delivered whether it be through text, voice, and/or video.

MR scenes are as varied as the users experiencing them. Imagine viewing a correctly scaled 3D model of a product in real life, comparing it to the prior version, and virtually modifying the product in real time. Or sketching a concept in mid-air for team members in the same room to add their ideas. Or standing virtually on a physical machine floor to help a colleague fix a problem from halfway around the globe.

Use cases for this technology abound from manufacturing to training to sales. Virtually everything we do may one day be affected by MR.