Abstract
Cyber security is a constantly evolving area of interest. Many solutions are currently available and new methods and technologies are emerging. Although some solutions already exist in extended reality, a lack of engagement and storytelling is available, with a consequence of decreasing the probability of dissemination and awareness of the risks involved in cybersecurity. This chapter gives an overview of an extended reality platform that can be potentially used for the simulation of security threats and that combines artificial intelligence and game design principles. The main goal of this research is to develop an extended reality solution to simulate a story involving virtual characters and objects for the entertainment industry, with possible applications in other sectors such as education and training. After an introduction to extended reality, the chapter focuses on an overview on the available extended reality technologies in the context of cybersecurity.
TopState Of The Art
Researchers have explored this area since the 1960s (Sutherland, 1968). However, it is only recently that Extended Reality have begun shipping commercially. Augmented Reality is nowadays available at consumer level, with applications downloadable through Google Play and Apple Store. Examples include Pokémon Go, Word Lens and Porsche AR application. Microsoft released a Mixed Reality headset called HoloLens, Apple released an augmented reality glasses called Google Glass, Vive released HTC Vive Pro. There are already around 111,000 AR headsets in operation in the commercial segment and projected more than 20 million by 2021 .
The global mixed reality market is expected to record a CAGR of about 70.20%, over the forecast period of 2018-2023 (Research and Markets, 2018).
The most intuitive definition of augmented reality was given in 1994 by Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino (Milgram, 1994), professors of University of Toronto and University of Osaka, respectively.
Milgram and Kishino described a taxonomy, the Reality-Virtual Continuum, which explains how Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are linked together (see Figure1).
According to Milgram, the real world and the virtual environment represents two extreme conditions, graphically illustrated in the Milgram scale. Among these extreme conditions, there is the continuum between real and virtual environments, where virtual and real components are present. In this scale, augmented reality is on the left, near the real environment, because of the predominance of the real environment compared to the virtual elements.
Figure 1. Reality-Virtuality (RV) Continuum (Milgram, 1994)
In order to have a clear understanding of the terms involved in the Reality-Virtuality Continuum, please take a look at the Figure2, Figure3, and Figure4.
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Real Environment: Is the environment seen by the observer (no virtual elements are shown)
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Augmented Reality: is the surrounding real environment in which virtual elements are shown in overlay
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Augmented Virtuality: is a virtual environment in which some elements of the real environment are present
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Virtual Reality: is a completely virtual environment (no elements from the real worlds are shown)
Figure 2. Virtual Reality driving experience
Figure 3. Augmented Reality application for Intern Design
Key Terms in this Chapter
Augmented Reality: The AR (augmented reality) technology is relatively recent and constantly evolving. It is the representation of an altered reality in which, to the normal reality perceived by our senses, artificial and virtual information is superimposed, that is a series of information to be superimposed on what the eyes see.
Mixed Reality: Mixed reality is any technology that combines real elements with virtual elements. This classification follows the famous “reality-virtuality continuum” theorized at the same time by Milgram and Kishino, which shows that there is a spectrum of technologies that goes from pure real reality to pure virtual reality.
Virtual Reality: The VR ( virtual reality) is a realistic simulation of a reality that does not exist. It comes from the combination of hardware and software devices that “collaborate” to create a virtual space within which the user can move freely. Access to this digital world is made possible by VR viewers and accessories (not just joypads, but also gloves, shoes and more) developed specifically to interact and “live” within virtual reality. In this way a simulated and three-dimensional world is created which in the eyes (but not only) of the users appears to be real.