Technology is catching up to our wildest dreams. The candy of the day is augmented reality. AR can pull graphics out of the computer screen and into the real world and enable consumers to physically manipulate 3-D objects as displayed on a monitor, further blurring the limit between the real and the computer generated world—even more.
Although the technology is quite niche and yet to be fully developed, few International examples begin to emerge in areas such as sports broadcast, and advertisers have quickly embraced it as a cutting edge way to engage audiences and customers (Check out GE's smart grid).
Geeks and gamers are the obvious outlets for this technology to explode, however there are other markets that could benefit from this technology:
Instant Information for location and tracking purposes. Imagine Google Maps out on the streets and the implications for travel and tourism.
Work and Training Tool for design, architectural, construction, medical, etc.
The potential applications for this technology are hundreds, gaming and entertainment being the most obvious ones, and will depend on the technological development and the survival of all the hype.
Regardless of where and when the future is going there are a few learning we can extract from AR:
• Technology continues to be preeminent in our society
• Human fascination with the visualization of information
• Human obsession with seen the unseen
