Unbelievably, augmented reality technology has existed since the 1960s.
You have to start somewhere, right? Even though it might not have had all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect nowadays. In order to comprehend the potential future influence of augmented reality, we will look back on its past in this essay.
You don’t have time for the specifics, do you?
An overview of augmented reality’s past
The way we interact with content in the real world has changed significantly over the past 50 years thanks to augmented reality technology.
When did augmented reality become a thing?
With the creation of the first head-mounted display system by Ivan Sutherland in 1968, augmented reality technology was created. However, Boeing researcher Tim Caudell didn’t create the phrase “augmented reality” until 1990.
The technology has come a long way with a growing list of use cases for AR. From NASA simulations to immersive marketing experiences, augmented reality makes tasks easier – and definitely more fun!
In the 1960s and 1970s, augmented reality
Let’s look at the history of how augmented reality technology developed.
In 1968, Harvard professor and software engineer Ivan Sutherland developed the first head-mounted display known as “The Sword of Damocles.”
The how we consume content in the actual life has changed significantly over the past 50 years thanks to augmented reality technology.
In 1974, computer scientist and artist Myron Kruger established the “Videoplace” lab at the University of Connecticut, which was devoted solely to virtual reality.
For an interactive experience, onscreen silhouettes were generated inside these walls using projection and camera technology.
In the 1980s and 1990s, augmented reality
Let’s now examine how augmented reality (AR) spread from the lab to different sectors of society and commercial uses.
Tom Caudell, a researcher with Boeing, first used the term “augmented reality” in 1990.
One of the earliest fully working augmented reality systems was called “Virtual Fixtures,” which was developed in 1992 by Louis Rosenburg, a researcher at the USAF Armstrong’s Research Lab.
1994: Julie Martin, a writer and producer, brought augmented reality to the entertainment industry for the first time with the theater production titled Dancing in Cyberspace.
1998: The first live NFL game featuring the virtual 1st & Ten visual system, also known as the yellow yard marker, is televised on Sportsvision. The technology overlays a yellow line across the video so viewers can see where the team just made a move to get a first down swiftly.
Even though it is undoubtedly more modern than it was in the late 1990s, this system is still in use today. The yellow line marker and other supplemental graphics have grown used to viewers; most are unaware that this uses AR technology.
For its X-38 spacecraft, NASA developed a hybrid synthetic vision system in 1999. During its test flights, the system used AR technology to help with better navigation.
Nowadays and in the 2000s, augmented reality
AR is now firmly established in the ever changing IT industry. Watch how it is eventually implemented for regular consumers.
In the year 2000, Hirokazu Kato created the ARToolKit, an open-source software library. This package aids in the creation of augmented reality software by other developers. The library applies virtual graphics over the real world via video tracking.
In 2003, Sportvision improved the 1st & 10 graphic to incorporate the new Skycam system’s capability, which shows viewers an aerial view of the field with graphics superimposed on top of it.
In an effort to bring the pages to life, Esquire Magazine introduced augmented reality to print media in 2009.
BONUS: In the same year, ARToolKit brought augmented reality to web browsers.
2013 saw the introduction of the MARTA app (Mobile Augmented Reality Technical Assistance) by Volkswagen, which mainly provided technicians with step-by-step repair instructions within the service handbook.
This use of augmented reality technology was novel because it could and would be used to align and streamline processes across a wide range of sectors.
2014 saw the introduction of Google Glass, a set of augmented reality spectacles that allowed for fully immersive experiences.
Wearable AR technology allowed users to interact with the Internet using natural language commands. Users of this gadget had access to numerous programmes, including Google Maps, Google+, Gmail, and others.
2016: Microsoft begins delivering the HoloLens, a wearable augmented reality device that is more sophisticated than Google Glass but costs a lot more. It’s undeniably not the kind of accessory you wear every day.
The headset runs on Windows 10 and is essentially a wearable computer. It also allows users to scan their surroundings and create their own AR experiences.
BONUS: Pokemon Go brought augmented reality to the masses in 2016 and changed the way average consumers thought about the emerging technology.
IKEA debuted its augmented reality software, IKEA Place, in 2017, revolutionising the retail sector.
Before making a purchase, clients can virtually sample their home decor alternatives with the app.
AR’s potential in the future
The use of augmented reality technologies will start to increase as our reliance on mobile devices grows. Since the most majority of consumers currently own smartphones and carry them everywhere they go, it will be possible to make AR accessible to almost all consumers through advancements in software.
The truth is that regular consumers already use augmented reality; they just aren’t aware of it. The general public still continues to think that augmented reality is too “high tech” for them. However, AR is what powers the Snapchat dog filter and other filters. How augmented reality is presented in order to influence perceptions will need to undergo the most transformation.
Hardware for augmented reality is also still lagging behind. In light of this, there is a significant possibility for the creation of a useful augmented reality headset. People may be increasingly open to AR gadgets if wearable technology continues to spread and become more commonplace.
In order to reach the customer exactly where they are right now, software applications must come first in the acceptance of AR technology.
To the horizon and beyond
We must consider wherever augmented reality technology has come from in order to understand where it is going. Because AR was designed from the ground up, the time is now for it to take off and fly to new heights.
The future lies in extended reality, both for consumers and for businesses. See how augmented reality is altering e-commerce!
Written by: Resorceful Rat