Definition
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that overlays virtual content on the user’s view of the real environment, with the overlay interactive in real time and aligned to the physical scene.
How it works
The device uses cameras and sensors to understand the position and orientation of the real scene, then renders virtual objects into the view according to the observer’s angle; a phone screen or see-through glasses serves as the layer where the overlay appears.
Usage
Navigation cues, virtual furniture placement, industrial maintenance guidance and camera filters are typical applications of pinning information back onto the real world.
Related and confusable terms
VR replaces real sensory input with a fully virtual environment, while AR keeps the real scene and only adds to it; the presentation of both rests on 3D rendering.