Where is all the augmented reality?

Ever since the term "augmented reality" was coined in 1990, there has been a fascination with the technology and concept. Unfortunately, it seems like the technology never makes it out of the R&D labs and into mainstream use.

As with a lot of other technology, the military has been the leaders in investing time/money toward augmented and mixed reality. At I/ITSEC, there are always a handful of developers showcasing their augmented reality technology...and actually, this year I saw a dramatic increase in what is possible. Obvious applications for soldiers and Marines are 1) real-time information and graphics overlaid on vision in order to enhance performance, and 2) blended virtual and real information to create realistic training environments.

In actuality, augmented and mixed reality is just a subset of embedded information and training. I think that the real crux is in the paradox that technology is successful and disseminated if it is able to disappear and be hidden to the user. Often times, the technology is most successful when it doesn't require training to succeed (i.e. look no further than video games...players are not interested in reading the user manual; they just want to play). As the technology gets smaller and is increasingly integrated into existing displays (i.e. sunglasses, windshields, etc.), we will see an explosion of possible uses.

There is a lot of information out on the Internet about augmented reality. Just a few to wet the appetite...

• ASTD Article - written in 2004, but still has some great points on the trends.
• Mixed Reality Lab - a lab associated with the National University of Singapore. They do a lot of interesting projects in the field. The link is to their current/completed project list.
• Mixed Reality - Wiki entry on the topic.