Augmented Reality Research Essay

In this essay, I shall be discussing the numerous different limitations, possibilities and so forth regarding the augmented reality medium.

Augmented reality (abbreviated to AR) is a live view of a real world, physical environment which has elements digitally augmented by computer-generated sensory input, sound, imagery, video,GPS data and the likes being examples of what AR can generate. With the help of advanced augmented reality technology, examples being adding computer vision or object recognition, the information about the surrounding world of the user becomes digitally manipulable and interactive, with information about the users environment and its objects are overlaid on the real world. Information regarding this can either be real or virtual, for example, other real sensed info including electromagnetic radio waves overlaid in exact alignment with where they are actually. The idea was first mentioned as far back as in the year 1901, when author L. Frank Baum mentions the concept of an electronic display and / or spectacles that overlays data onto real life, in this case that being people, and it is named the "character maker". One early forerunner to augmented reality was the Sensorama, a machine which is one of the earliest known examples of an immersive, multi-sensory piece of technology. Morton Heilig invented the machine 1962 with a prototype, along with five short films for it to display. However, the first AR systems in which provided immersive mixed reality experiences for the applicants users were created in the early 1990s, which began with the Virtual Fixtures system, developed by the United State's Air Force's Armstrong Labs in 1992.

One of the most successful examples of Augmented Reality, in recent years anyway is the game Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go is a free to play game which is a prime example of location based augmented reality. The game was first conceived in 2014, and was developed by American software development company Niantic which is indeed well known for developing augmented reality mobile phone games. Pokemon Go is a collaboration between Niantic and Nintendo, the owners of the Pokemon Company. This game was initially released in some countries in July 2016 and has since proven to be a global phenomenon, being one of the most used and profitable apps of 2016 and surpassing 650 million downloads as of February 27th 2017. In the game, the player use their mobile phones GPS capabilities to do various things, which includes "capturing", "locating", "battling", and "training" virtual creatures, in this case these creatures being Pokemon. These Pokemon appear on the screen as if they were truly there with the player in the real world, in the same location of the player, which is a hallmark feature of augmented reality.

This is a prime example of the numerous different and alternative capabilities, possibilities and so forth of augmented reality. Augmented reality is a very versatile medium with numerous different potentials, which can be used in a multitude of different ways, from a simply visual aid to help with certain jobs and tasks, all the way to instead being a way of creating new methods of game play or enhancing other forms of entertainment.

In terms of my opinions on augmented reality and whether or not can, or will indeed advance in the future, what I will say is that although it does have the potential to advance further, I would sooner that it did not expand too rapidly. It is entirely possible for example that Sat Nav's will be in the future replaced by an augmented reality version of the device, quite possibly right on the car's front window (which will as such likely instead become a screen. I believe this could prove to be dangerous; Sat Nav's can sometimes get routes wrong and if a version of this was all over a car screen coupled with incompetent people, there are endless possibilities for accidents to potentially take place as a result of this. In addition to this, humanity becoming too reliant on augmented reality for directions will create a generation of useless and directionless people, which will no longer need to know where places are located as they will blindly follow augmented reality instead. In terms of gaming, I think augmented reality will continue to eradicate social skills, like in my opinion, Pokemon Go already helped to achieve. Although it is unlikely we have seen the last of augmented reality in our games, I think it could definitely have a negative effect on socializing; for example I remember the numerous times I was out with friends, but we were devoid of conversation as everyone was entirely focused on Pokemon Go. Although many have stated augmented reality and Pokemon Go have actually had the opposite effect, that it is making people go outside more instead of gaming outside, I instead wager that it has instead made people glued to their phones for even more time now, as they have an excuse to be utterly engrossed with it even whilst out socializing with friends.

Despite my generally negative opinions about augmented reality, it is unlikely to go away any time soon, and many have predicted it will continue to go mainstream, a conclusion which I would also agree with. Although I think a lot of augmented reality can be tacky and a waste of time, there is still merit in some parts of it; in the future it could become rather interesting and much more capable. However conversely I think this too could have negative consequences; if augmented reality is not used sparingly, then one day it could devalue real life. I think it could be used effectively in film,television and theater, it could help augmented that experience. For example in theater especially, augmented reality could be used to create special effects which are not possible otherwise, which may make theater able to effectively pull off a much broader range of different genres more effectively in the future. Perhaps this taken into account, augmented reality could have some positive uses, if done properly and sensibly.