The great thing about augmented reality is that it can be absolutely anything you want it to be. This is a huge advancement from the days of Google Glass which was a clear-cut attempt at Augmented Reality. But I’m also a lot more impressed with this new-fangled technology than I am with the concept of Google Glass. My problem with Google Glass was the way we used it — by looking into the lenses and taking away from what was really going on in our surroundings. The idea behind Augmented Reality is much greater than that: it’s the ability to overlay something onto what you see in front of you using your smartphone (the camera) or tablet (the microphone), helping immerse you in the world around you.
Augmented Reality (AR) is a type of interactive, reality-based display environment that takes the capabilities of computer generated display, sound, text and effects to enhance the user’s real-world experience.
The primary value of augmented reality is that it allows computer graphics to be seamlessly intermingled with the real world in real time. With current technological capabilities, AR must be experienced through special headgear or handheld devices; however, it is expected that AR will eventually become a part of everyday life.
The goal of AR is to create a system in which the user cannot tell the difference between the virtual (computer-created) and real worlds. The technology behind this phenomenon is complex and relies on data gathered by GPS, GIS (geographic information systems), and computer vision systems.
AR systems “superimpose” colorful 2D or 3D graphics on top of a live video feed from a camera inside the head-mounted display (HMD) or hand-held interface to provide information about what you are viewing. An example would be the ability to place a vehicle into your driveway through an HMD to see how well it fits before purchasing it.
AR has been around for quite a while; it just hasn’t been called “AR.” From flight simulators to golf driving ranges and from first person shooter video games to training simulation used by the military. These are all forms of AR.
AR and virtual reality are sometimes confused, but the two are very different. Virtual reality replaces your vision, while augmented reality adds to it. With VR, you can’t see the real world at all; you only experience the virtual world. With AR, the real world is still visible, but digital elements are overlaid on top of it.
AR is a little harder to define than VR because of this lack of a single unifying method, but it’s worth noting that there’s often some type of headset involved in order to gain this enhanced vision. Sometimes it’s a smartphone or tablet screen (as with Pokemon Go), and other times it is transparent glasses or a larger headset (as with Google Glass).
AR provides the following benefits over VR.
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that allows the user to mix virtual reality with real world objects. AR creates an environment where one can seamlessly interact with both physical and digital objects in real time.
Augmented reality provides the following benefits over virtual reality:
AR allows for the use of existing devices without requiring new hardware.
VR requires a completely different approach to product design, which not everyone is ready for. In addition, VR requires people to wear headsets and other devices which can add a significant amount of weight making it difficult for users to move around freely. AR has none of these limitations–users can use their existing phone or tablet to interact with the virtual world, allowing them to move around as much as they like.
AR can be used anywhere at any time, whereas VR must be experienced in a controlled environment. Since VR is so immersive, users often become disoriented if they are not in a controlled environment free from distractions. This means that VR experiences must be contained in their own space and cannot be consumed on-the-go. AR, on the other hand, can be experienced anywhere, anytime
The words augmented and virtual reality get used interchangeably but they don’t mean exactly the same thing.
Augmented reality is when computer-generated images are overlaid atop the real world. Virtual reality, though, replaces the real world with a simulated one.
Augmented reality and virtual reality are still relatively new technologies that most people don’t fully understand. Fortunately, they’re not hard to get a handle on — it’s just a matter of breaking down what they are, how they work and some of their applications in everyday life.
One could say that augmented reality is about augmenting your senses with digital content and virtual reality is about augmenting your physical world with digital content.
The future of AR
As AR technology improves, so will its applications. Improvements in hardware will speed up processing time which will make it possible to have more advanced features implemented into apps and devices. For example, Apple’s new iOS11 platform has introduced image recognition capabilities for their devices – allowing users to recognize objects, text and images through the camera app and pull up information about them from the web.
Issues such as better battery life and battery efficiency in mobile devices are also being addressed to make sure that AR technology can be used for longer periods of time without having to worry about draining your phone or tablet’s battery too quickly. Additionally, some companies like Qualcomm are working on what they call heterogeneous computing which just means
Augmented Reality enhances our perception of the real world with digital experiences
