Augmented Reality (AR) has seen major growth in the past years due to its potential as a more interactive and engaging form of learning for students. Unlike Virtual Reality AR doesn’t require any expensive hardware as its made readily available over any device that’s capable of accessing the internet making it a more cost-effective and accessible technology to utilise in a classroom setting. It also provides a platform for a more effective learning process as students are able to actively interact with the learning resource rather than get lost in reading pages of theory that would explain the concept at hand.
AR also holds merit outside of a classroom setting in a more practical environment with applications in healthcare that enable physicians to diagnose patients more effectively. One such technology is Accuvein, this is a handheld device that is able to scan the vein network of a patient leading to more effective diagnoses being made. AR also allows for the viewing of 3D models that are able to be freely manipulated, this can be used in both an educational environment (using a 3D model of a heart to educate students on its different circulatory pathways) to a more practical setting (using 3D models of tumors that allow surgeons to better plan out their procedures prior to surgery).
I’ve included a video below that also showcases some of the more exciting innovations that we will see in the future with Augmented Reality.
References:
Augmented Reality in Education (2020). Retrieved from: https://easternpeak.com/blog/augmented-reality-in-education-the-hottest-edtech-trend-and-how-to-apply-it-to-your-business/
9 Powerful Real-World Applications of Augmented Reality (AR) Today (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/07/30/9-powerful-real-world-applications-of-augmented-reality-ar-today/?sh=654dae092fe9
Very interesting post, Gurbir. Your post got me thinking about what AR could do in the future. As you mentioned, it could not only be more attainable to the public but it can also affect many different disciplines, such as education and healthcare. AR allows individuals to experience the real world and develop their own experience without major consequences, For instance, in healthcare one mistake could have a large impact.