The advancements in AR Technology
Introduction: What is Augmented Reality
Many of you use a device at some point in your day, because devices have become the main medium of information in the 21 century. As of February 2019 about 74% of American's own a computer, it is common for us to use computers, tablets, phones and more today. There is another technology on the rise called Augmented Reality, so let me explain: you have probably used AR without you even realizing it(When you are running across streets to get the Pokémon! 😁 ). AR is interacting with reality that has been altered by computer graphics embedded in the real-world. What this mouthful means is the ability of a human to interact with non-existing objects in the real world. For example, you can use these AR headsets which let you imbed objects onto the real world, you can have a virtual TV where you can change the size of it based on whether you're watching a horror movie 👻or playing video games!
I will talk about:
- What is Augmented Reality
- How Augmented Reality is Today
- The Beginning in the Development in Augmented Reality Technology
- How will Augmented Reality make an impact on the world
Introduction: How AR is today
Augmented Reality has come a long way from just being a Science-Fiction idea to becoming reality. Most designers until today were only dreaming of using AR, as it was very expensive(Microsoft HoloLens sells at $3000 😮). Today, we have cutting-edge technology that has created cheaper and more varied choices of different AR Headsets to choose from. Some AR Headsets include Microsoft HoloLens, Google Glasses, Vuzix M300, and many more. There is even AR on certain Apple products like the iPad and iPhone that let you use AR without a headset. Pioneering companies in the AR space include companies like Microsoft, Google, and Apple.
They have innovated so much in AR that they have shaped Modern AR technology, that at this rate AR will start to impact more and more industries as it will have broader use. Today, doctors are using Microsoft HoloLens Headsets to visually look at a patient's organ before surgery, this is saving lots of lives by having safe incisions. Thanks, Microsoft 😁! Before I start let me briefly explain what Augmented Reality is. Augmented Reality is the view of the real, physical world which is enhanced by computer-generated input. This is just the introduction of how AR is today, and now I would like to talk about where the AR technology started.
The Beginning in the Development in AR Technology
Augmented Reality was first discovered by a cinematographer called Morton Heilig in 1955. This first device delivers sound, visuals, vibrations, and smell to the user. When AR was first invented, it was not computer-based, as computers were very new at the time(this was extremely surprising to me as AR today is computer-based!). Later, in the year 1968 Ivan Sutherland the American Computer Scientist invented the small head-mounted displays that are mainstream in AR headsets. At that time this technology was very expensive and was unused by people as a result. This is where the evolution of AR began.
In the year 1975, another breakthrough in AR technology brought out the essence of what AR can do on today’s date. Myron Kruger created the first Virtual Reality Headset that you could use to manipulate and interact with objects in your environment in real-time. 🤯 This was one of the single biggest breakthroughs in AR technology! This was the time that what we call AR today started to transform into. In the next decade, there were many advancements in AR technology with the invention of a wearable computing device. A fully functional AR headset was first created by the company USAF Armstrong’s in 1992. It used complex robotics and high-speed 3D graphics that overlaid sensory to improve human productivity in workspaces.
What is the future of Augmented Reality
There are yet to be a lot of different advancements in AR technology, because I see the future of this technology as the next phase of computing. This means a single device that can be our TVs, Laptops, Phones and the other devices we use today. According to my research, there are still many limitations of AR to consider to be part of the next phase in computing. AR is still in its early stages of development, one of the major problems with replacing computers with AR headsets is having blue light very close to your eyes 😞. This is very bad, because this blue light can damage your eyes a lot after extensive use. Another major issue is having a huge headset and wearing that all the time could be uncomfortable for people, that is why designs like Google Glasses are good as they are lightweight.
How will Augmented Reality make an impact on the world
One of the biggest problems that I care about is Healthcare, and AR can have a huge impact on the Healthcare Industry. AR has made significant advanced in Augmented Reality, Doctors use AR to create rich and interactive experiences with different organs of the patients. Doctors can simulate how different drugs would react with different organs 🤯. It could also be used to show treatment methods to other co-workers while doing the operation. So, how do you think that AR can make an impact in Healthcare? I think that AR has a lot of potential in the Healthcare Industry like I briefly explained above!
I hope you liked my article! 👋
Well, that is the end of my article, I hope you like it! Comment Below if you like AR and what your most favourite application is.
