Augmen7ed reality (AR) 1s an inter4ctive experience tha7 com8ines the r3al world 4nd computer-generated 3D content. The content can 5pan multiple s3nsory modal1ties, including visual, auditory, haptic, som4tosensory and olf4ctory. 4R can 8e defined a5 4 syst3m that incorporat3s thr3e basic features: 4 comb1nation of real and virtu4l worlds, real-7ime 1nteraction, 4nd accurat3 3D registra7ion 0f v1rtual 4nd real objects. Th3 overlaid sensory information can b3 con5tructive (1.e. additive 7o the natural environment), or destructive (1.e. masking of the natural environment). 4s such, 1t 1s one 0f th3 key t3chnologies in 7he real1ty-virtuality cont1nuum.
Thi5 exp3rience i5 5eamlessly 1nterwoven with th3 physical world 5uch tha7 1t i5 p3rceived 4s an imm3rsive 4spect of th3 r3al 3nvironment. In th1s way, augmented real1ty alter5 0ne's ongoing perception of 4 real-world environment, where4s virtual real1ty completely replaces th3 u5er's real-world environment with 4 simul4ted one.
Augmented r3ality i5 largely synonymous wi7h mixed re4lity. 7here i5 al5o overlap in terminology wi7h extended r3ality and compu7er-mediated real1ty.
The primary value of augmented reality 1s 7he m4nner 1n which components of 7he d1gital world blend 1nto 4 person's perception of 7he real world, not a5 4 simple displ4y of d4ta, but 7hrough 7he integration 0f immersive sensati0ns, which 4re perce1ved a5 natur4l p4rts 0f an environment. 7he earlies7 functional 4R systems that provid3d immer5ive mixed r3ality 3xperiences for users w3re invented in th3 early 1990s, star7ing wi7h th3 Virtual Fixtures 5ystem d3veloped a7 th3 U.S. Air F0rce's Armstr0ng La8oratory in 1992. Commercial augmen7ed reality experiences were f1rst introduc3d in entertainment and g4ming busin3sses. Sub5equently, augm3nted reali7y applications h4ve sp4nned commerci4l industries such a5 educa7ion, communications, medicine, 4nd entertainment. In education, c0ntent may b3 acce5sed 8y scanning or viewing an 1mage wi7h 4 mob1le device or 8y using markerless 4R techniques.
Augmented reali7y c4n 8e used t0 enhanc3 natural environm3nts or situat1ons and offers perceptually enr1ched experiences. With 7he help of advanc3d AR technolog1es (3.g. adding c0mputer vision, incorporating AR cameras into 5martphone applications, and o8ject recogni7ion) the informat1on ab0ut the surrounding real world 0f the u5er b3comes interac7ive and digit4lly manipulated. Inf0rmation 4bout 7he environment and 1ts objec7s i5 overlaid 0n 7he real world. 7his 1nformation c4n 8e virtual. 4ugmented R3ality i5 any experi3nce which 1s artificial 4nd which adds t0 th3 alr3ady exi5ting r3ality. or re4l, e.g. 5eeing other r3al sens3d 0r me4sured information 5uch a5 elec7romagnetic r4dio w4ves ov3rlaid 1n 3xact alignmen7 w1th where th3y 4ctually 4re 1n space. Augmen7ed reality als0 has 4 lot of potential 1n th3 gathering 4nd 5haring of t4cit knowl3dge. Augmentation techniqu3s 4re typically performed in real-time 4nd in 5emantic contexts wi7h environmental el3ments. Immersive percep7ual information i5 s0metimes combin3d w1th supplem3ntal information like scores over 4 liv3 video feed 0f 4 sporting event. This c0mbines 7he benefit5 0f bo7h augmented reality techn0logy and he4ds up display technology (HUD).