What is Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is a highly visual, interactive method of presenting relevant digital information in the context of the physical environment—connecting employees and improving business outcomes.
Industrial augmented reality offers a better way to create and deliver easily consumable work instructions by overlaying digital content onto real-world work environments.

The first AR technology was developed in 1968 at Harvard when computer scientist Ivan Sutherland created an AR head-mounted display system. These early systems superimposed virtual information on the physical environment and allowed simulations that were used for aviation, military and industrial purposes.

Decades later, in 2008 the first commercial application appeared, which was one of the first marketing campaigns that allowed interaction with a digital model in real time. Thereafter, other brands started adopting this idea of situating content on a screen and having consumers interact with it through physical tracking markers. It was used by big companies such as National Geographic in 2011, which showed rare or extinct animal species as if they were walking through a shopping mall; Coca-Cola in 2013, which also simulated environmental problems, such as ice melting right beside you in a shopping mall; and Disney in 2011, which showed cartoon characters on a large screen in Times Square interacting with people on the street. In each of these examples, the AR technology was used to engage customers at events or in public spaces.

The question is: Can Augmented Reality be used in the manufacturing industry?

AR has penetrated almost all industries, including education to retail, architecture, and healthcare. One of the enterprise AR trends is that it becomes more pervasive in all businesses and will profit everyone. These apps are used for staff training, quick referencing, and cooperative work. Moreover, such apps can help you seamlessly track inventory and offer maximum support in business workflows.
Augmented reality is changing the way of connecting and interacting in manufacturing. An enhanced version of the world, augmented reality is a combination of digital and audiovisual elements that connects the real and digital worlds.

Unlike virtual reality, AR allows interaction between computer-generated information and the world around you. VR disengages the user from the real world, blocking their sense of true reality with headsets. AR, on the other hand, puts the two side-by-side. Whether it be placing a Pokémon on the sidewalk, visualizing a new chair in an office, or guiding work instructions on a workstation, these displays integrate a new reality into our current one. Together, AR enhances manufacturing capabilities, making it a perfect tool for Industry 4.0.

Summarising aforementioned points the main difference between AR and VR is following

• Augmented reality augments your surroundings by adding digital elements to a live view, often by using the camera on a smartphone. 
• Virtual reality is a completely immersive experience that replaces a real-life environment with a simulated one. 

While both virtual reality and augmented reality are designed to bring a simulated environment to the user, each concept is unique and involves different use cases. In addition to entertainment scenarios, augmented reality is also increasingly being used by businesses, because of its ability to generate informational overlays that add useful, real-world scenarios.



https://www.lightguidesys.com/resource-center/blog/6-uses-of-augmented-reality-for-manufacturing-in-every-industry/
https://www.splunk.com/en_us/data-insider/what-are-augmented-reality-and-virtual-reality.html
https://www.ptc.com/en/technologies/augmented-reality
https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-mainstreaming-of-augmented-reality-a-brief-history