Augmented reality is a booming technology that is increasingly present in our daily lives. More and more companies are betting on the use of this tool due to the wide variety of applications it offers. However, there are still doubts about its use, advantages and possible applications. In this post we will solve some of them.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality is the technology capable of adding information to an image of the real world displayed through an electronic device (cell phone, tablet and computer). The device used to display an object in augmented reality must be compatible with augmented reality technologies.
Adding extra elements and integrating them into the real image allows to transform reality in order to offer extra information to the user. This reality combines physical and virtual elements and allows the interaction of both in order to provide additional information about the projected objects.
This technology can be described in abbreviated form as the combination of a real image with a real-time virtual one projected as a 3D image.
For example, you are going to carry out an interior design project for a building and you need to choose which type of luminaires best suit the style of the project. Augmented reality allows you to visualize the various models by focusing your cell phone on the place where you want to place them, so you can visualize the result of placing a particular luminaire in a particular place. This is due to the fact that both the image of the space and the luminaire are projected into the screen of the device in 3D. This is what augmented reality is all about.
Origins and evolution of augmented reality
Despite all the claims about the novelty of this technology, the truth is that augmented reality emerged more than 100 years ago.
The origins of augmented reality date back to 1901, when Frank L. Baum developed a device called Character Maker, which could be considered the prototype of what we know today as Augmented Reality. This device consisted of a large electronic viewfinder whose function was to superimpose information about the people focused through it. A little more than half a century after the creation of that device, the famous filmmaker and inventor Morton Hellig created a device he called Sensorama. This device simulated an immersive 3D virtual reality experience through the use of sound effects such as wind, seat vibrations or surround sound. Hellig’s invention allowed users to walk around San Francisco by viewing footage of the location, with additional elements that made the experience as realistic as possible.
However, the term “augmented reality” was not introduced until the 1990s. The name was coined by Boeing engineer Tom Caudell, who was inspired by the devices engineers use to repair airplane circuits.
The engineer Caudell named this technology; however, its invention is attributed to the technologist Louis Rosenberg, who in 1992 created the first real augmented reality system. This system called Virtual Fixtures projected a robotic arm to the user as a guide for performing specific tasks.
Columbia University took the next step in the development of this system. There, a small group of scientists developed a system called KARMA. This device had an HMD (Head Mounted Display) or virtual reality helmet that projected a three-dimensional image that guided users through the use of a printer. The purpose of this invention is to eliminate user manuals.
Augmented Reality has come a long way since then, evolving remarkably to the point of becoming a technology that is increasingly present in our lives.
