Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is the addition of artificial elements to one's perception of a real-world environment in order to supplement the percept in some way, often integrated using an electronic device. Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality is meant to support reality instead of recreating a new one for the agent. AR can be implemented in wearable technology, similar to the approach of the suspended Google Glass, but is now used in applications for smartphones, one example being PokémonGO. The goals of this technology are ultimately to transform the real world into an interactive environment, particularly through the computer vision-based overlay of digitally created artifacts.

Augmented reality is used across a number of industries, including aviation, design, medicine, education, gaming, and the military, and in addition to visual-based supplements, auditory or tactile elements are often utilized as aids. The first augmented reality device was credited to Ivan Sutherland in 1968, with the namesake term being developed by Boeing in the 1990s. In 2016, the AR industry reached $1.1 billion in investments, and Microsoft Inc. released the HoloLens, a headset created to enhance daily life with the ability for developers to design their own apps for the system. Collectively, AR systems aim to integrate external information with that of reality to enhance the user's day-to-day operations.