AUGMENTED REALITY: WHAT IS IT?

Augmented reality (AR) refers to technology that superimposes digital graphics, audio, video and other enhancements over a real-world environment in real-time. The concept supplements the tangible, physical world with an interactive, computer-generated layer of immersive digital content and information.

The overlaid visual and audio elements in AR appear anchored to or triggered by objects and locations in the physical realm. That marries the real environment with virtually enhanced information and virtual objects that aim to be perceived as existing in real space. In practice, AR applies to what the user sees, hears and engages with in a digitally embellished physical setting.

It differs from virtual reality in that VR completely replaces and immerses the user in a synthetic, computer-generated simulation rather than blending the digital and physical. Augmented reality keeps people grounded in their actual surroundings while conferring communicate overlays into the landscape. That allows users to still interact with the real, tangible environment around them.

Modern AR technologies and applications first became prevalent on smartphones and tablets equipped with cameras, sensors and GPS. By recognizing a geo-location or scanning a marker image through the device’s camera, AR layers custom graphics, 3D models, informational tags, photos, videos and audio atop views of the real world. It created interactive, enhanced experiences on mobile devices.

Emerging AR headsets and smart glasses now provide hands-free, heads-up access to even more advanced augmented graphics and information. Sophisticated AR is also empowering fields spanning medicine, manufacturing, architecture, retail, marketing, entertainment, tourism, education and more for visualization, data analysis, remote assistance, training enhancements and immersive content.

The main thrust of AR is to amplify people’s perception of and interaction with the tangible environment around them. The digital enhancements provide supplementary utility, meaning, social connection, story and enjoyment layered onto the physical world. With mobile networks and hardware advancing to support ubiquitous blended reality anywhere, AR promises to increasingly integrate the digital and physical for new spatial computing possibilities. What distinguishes the tech is keeping people present in their surroundings while expanding that tangible experience with communicative virtual elements.