Augmented Reality overlays virtual content and information onto the real world with a smart phone, tablet, or similar device. Using AR enabled applications, you can see restaurant reviews superimposed over the physical restaurant itself, or get driving directions projected right onto your windshield, matched up against the road you are driving on.
The possibilities for augmented reality range from entertainment to life saving. For example, with AR, tourists can find their way around an unfamiliar city with a live map, where landmarks move with them. Imagine shopping for appliances and using AR to see what they will look in your kitchen. AR can help assist a surgeon, allowing them to superimpose medical data on a patient they’re operating on. An appliance technician can use a tablet to overlay installation instructions onto a washer and dryer. As this technology becomes more common, the potential applications are endless.
Have you used AR, either in your professional or personal life? What was the application?
