Extended Reality (XR) is a broad term encapsulating a spectrum of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) experiences that capture audio, video, haptic, and kinesthetic data into one scene representation to seamlessly blend interactions in the virtual and physical world. Whether it be AR leveraging transparent displays for seamless data visualization, VR entirely replacing physical with virtual, or MR somewhere in between, XR has increasingly seen adoption across markets.
With a novel, yet challenging form factor in Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), XR can
be difficult to implement depending on the use case and target user. Today, however, new efficiencies in encoding techniques, alongside new media types and functionalities that support high-quality and realistic media streaming and interactive services, are converging with enhanced network and device processing capabilities to enable an array of groundbreaking XR-enabled immersive experiences. This enables them to sidestep some of the local hardware challenges. XR-enabling capabilities hold significant potential to transform consumer experiences, services, and entire industry verticals, and standardization is an important step toward success.
This paper outlines the foundational technologies and metrics that define XR experiences, introduces the current standards study items and research resources dedicated to enabling XR, and highlights some of the challenges that will define the next stage of innovation and standardization for XR-enabled immersive experiences.
