There are two main approaches to implementing Augmented Reality (AR) in the industry:
- Video See Through (VST)
- Optical See Through (OST)
The VST approach, shown in the left image, adds a screen and camera between the eyes and reality, similar to using a phone camera to observe the scene in front of you, with the enhanced content overlaid on the screen. The advantage is that the enhanced content can be better integrated with reality, such as adding lighting and shadows, and aperture blur. The disadvantage is the dizziness caused by the camera and screen’s image delay and the unreal feeling caused by the screen’s pixelation. Apple Vision Pro is a representative product.
The OST approach, shown in the right image, adds a transparent “glass” between the eyes and reality, with the enhanced content displayed on the “glass” to achieve augmented reality. In OST augmented reality, the reality you see is the actual reality, so there is no dizziness, and the real image is as clear as what the eye sees. The disadvantage is that the enhanced content cannot be well integrated with reality, resulting in a mediocre experience. Microsoft Hololens is a representative product.
The above is a simple comparison between VST and OST. For a more detailed comparison, you can refer to this article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Z2nytDHApH9KqjRoTQwgxg (Chinese).
Marvin