Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) overlays computer-generated visuals, sound, and location data onto the real world. The term was coined in 1990 by Boeing researcher Tom Caudell, but consumer interest picked up in the late 2000s and 2010s with devices like Google Glass, Nintendo 3DS, and Microsoft HoloLens. AR became a steady source of internet parody as headsets moved into everyday life.
Overview
Augmented Reality (AR) is a live view of the physical world overlaid with computer-generated images, sound, or location-specific data 3. It sits alongside virtual reality as a related but distinct technology, keeping users grounded in their actual surroundings while adding digital elements on top. Commercial interest picked up in the late 2000s as smartphones and dedicated headsets brought the concept out of research labs and into consumer hands.
The most visible modern hardware includes Microsoft's HoloLens, a self-contained holographic computer running Windows 10 with commercial management features 1. Users typically encounter AR through phone cameras, transparent headsets, or projection systems that blend digital objects with the physical scene. Urban Dictionary contributors summed it up in 2009 as blurring the line between what's real and what's computer generated 4.