Augmented Reality

Augmented reality, by definition, is any view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery. This is a fairly broad definition that encompasses a lot of smaller categories. When most people think of augmented reality, they tend to think of super futuristic heads-up displays that can instantly provide information on any object it sees, and help direct the user’s interactions with reality, like we have seen in the Terminator or Iron Man movies.

However, mobile technologies, digital cameras, cutting edge software developers, and the power of crowd-sourced information has helped build a new generation of augmented reality applications that are pushing the limits of the technology and creating new tools for individuals and businesses to engage each other. This has transformed augmented reality from bulky hardware setups into small apps that run on common smartphones, home computers, and Internet applications. No longer do we need bulky goggles, awkward setups, or futuristic hardware to make it work, which has opened it up to wide-scale commercial use.

Another form of augmented reality that is becoming increasingly common in mobile and web applications is the use of webcams or phone cameras to overlay images onto whatever the camera is viewing. In many cases this uses QR codes, essentially a high-tech barcode, or other visual cues in order to know how to display an object. For example, magazines, business cards, trading cards, or other materials can be printed in order to provide visual cues to the camera. Hold the card closer to the webcam and the object gets bigger; tilt or rotate the card, and the virtual object moves along with you. This lets you virtually manipulate objects, which can be great for online shopping, games, development, and other applications. There are hundreds of examples that are currently in use, but each of them provide a new level of interactivity that gives the user the ability to “interact” with the product, rather than just see pictures or video.



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