Augmented Reality In Technology News

By Author: Aks Interactive
Total Articles: 45
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One of my favorite technologies is augmented reality (AR). This has been used variously in the past to mean several technologies appearing in everything from automobiles to movie theaters. Today, it usually refers to 3-dimensional tech and is often showcased on mobile phones, computers, and televisions. The future of AR is much more exciting than the bogus forward-looking statements that often appear in the press releases companies put out for the technology news sector.

The basic element that makes AR what it is would be its combination of real world things, in real-time, with virtual or digitally-created elements. It can work by either adding virtual elements to a real-world scene or by overlaying real-world items onto virtual scenes. So long as the overlapping is done in real time, it fits the definition for augmented reality.

So in one scenario, a pair of mobile glasses could be allowing the viewer to see the real-world as he walks down the street, but adds elements of AR by including virtualized data so that he can see that the building up ahead is a museum, the park on his right is a historical point ...
... of interest, etc. Flipping that, the scene could instead be someone wearing glasses that put a game in front of her and while she is sitting on a bench, the game proceeds and real-world objects get included as they happen, such as buses passing by or people walking past.

That's just one example of what AR could be doing and how it could be used. In both cases, it's interactive, in real time, and uses reality to either augment or be augmented by virtual items.

How is augmented reality used in the real world? Technology news is full of fun apps that startup companies that are using AR for various things. It's used all the time, though, for things you may not have thought of. In fighter jets, such as the new F-35, the pilot's helmet becomes a virtual screen on which real world images from the plane's cameras are augmented by heads-up (HUD) information on the plane's status, targeting, and so on. Using mounted cameras and the windscreen view, the pilot has a complete 360 degree view around the aircraft, projected in real time.

Closer to home, users of the iPhone will find an app called Wikitude that lets them look at the world through the phone's camera. As the camera brings things into view, the app tries to identify them and point out landmarks and points of interest. It brings up everything from simple labels for items to website links for those with relevant sites.

Where is AR going, at least so far as technology news can guess? Obviously, the sunglasses scenario I gave as an example above is actually do-able in today's world. The AR implementation of that could happen sooner rather than later, as the Wikitude app shows. That's just a matter of combining hardware with software.

Looking further, however, more augmented reality uses can be thought of. What about an app or device at museums and zoos that allows the user to get instant information on the thing being viewed, whether it's an object of art, a piece of natural history, or a living animal? That would definitely upgrade the learning experience. What about AR integrated with GPS navigation so that those walking down unfamiliar streets who are lost can both find their way around and get around obstacles the GPS may not otherwise know about – like construction or closures.

It's a field of study and technology that can really change how we interact with the world around us. That's why it's one of my favorite things to follow in technology news.