Augmented Reality (or AR) is a technology that superimposes computer-generated information on our own view of the real world, allowing for more holistic perspectives of what we see around us. These are becoming more commonplace with smartphones even without special equipment. Such as Apps on our smartphone to explore the skies virtually – where every one of us now has access to more information on any star in the night sky than (but thanks to!) any of the famous Astronomers of yore! Or kids in the family exploring Pokemon Go! Or things that you may not have even thought of as augmented reality – such as the new Google Translate app with visual translation. As in the case of many technologies, the first users are in the defense industry, where AR is already a reality, or in other emergency services and even car windshields. There are many visions of how AR could support sustainable development – including support for smart government which calls AR emblematic of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with a blurring of lines between the physical and digital worlds. Unlike Virtual Reality that creates entirely virtual environments, AR overlays virtual information on top of the existing natural environment around us. It is growing rapidly and is expected to be a $30-150 billion market even by around 2020.

Virtual Reality creates new worlds that can usually be accessed through headsets. These can be useful for helping in training, virtual realistic meetings or visits to inaccessible places but with additional information. They are becoming more popular with cheaper headsets (including wireless).

There are now various “mixed reality” environments where one can switch from augmented reality to virtual reality and vice versa.