You might think augmented reality is the way of the future, but really, it has its roots in the 20th century. Morton Heilig, the "Father of Virtual Reality," patented the Sensorama Stimulator, which he called an "experience theater," on Aug. 28, 1962. Over time, the idea of using technology to create a layer over the real world has been honed and refined and put in our palms, thanks to the proliferation of smartphones.

Confused about what augmented reality is? In short, it's a way to use technology to redefine space, and it places a virtual layer over the world with geographic specificity ensuring a good fit.

1. Urban Exploration
   In a new neighborhood or exploring another city? AR apps let you filter by category so you can find exactly what you're looking for, whether it's a coffee shop, restaurant or museum. And you won't need to worry about getting turned around by the map — the AR app will adapt based on what you're facing, so it'll tell you to turn right and get you to your destination.


2. Museum
   Visiting a museum? AR "attaches" information to the art so you don't need to buy one of those audio tours.


3. Shopping
   Augmented reality lets you browse a virtual catalog of clothes from your favorite brands, shop directly


4. Travel and History
   If you're looking for budget "travel" options or a quick "getaway," you could find a solution in augmented reality. Just plop the Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa right in your backyard and unlock monuments during a sort of virtual vacation, and you could learn tidbits about each one as you go. It's be a great way to teach your kids, too


5. Customer Service
   No one likes having to call customer service — you'll be put on hold and stuck listening to a script recited by a rep. But in the future, if you're having trouble setting up Apple TV, or your cable cuts off, you can have customer service come to you.


6. Safety and Rescue Operations
   Emergencies are a fact of life, and first responders, police and firefighters often arrive at chaotic scenes and need to make sense of the environment and navigate a place they've never been. Wouldn't it be cool if they could see a virtual map of the site or have "X-ray vision" to see underground water and power lines?


7. Moving & Decorating Your Home
   There's no worse feeling than buying furniture, paying the delivery fee, having someone schlep it up five flights of stairs, only to have it a) not fit through the doorway or b) look like a Gulliver-sized sofa in a lilliputian living room. What if you searched through an app and pulled up the Macy's bedframe, IKEA dresser.

Is augmented reality the future? How would you like to use augmented reality? Are you excited by the technology?

Future Vision by Erwin Van Lun on this article

Many out there are looking for applications of augmented reality. The real aspect is actually: all aspects of life! Let’s regard this from a human point of view:

A better future for our children: Education (=learning from previous generations) walk outside and learn about everything you see. Biology, history, sociology, technology, languages. You’ll get information and virtual teachers (virtual humans specialized in a certain area) giving you answers to all the questions you might have, and are the best story tellers at the same time.

Building a safe environment: any construction can be carried out by any human. Everyone can build houses, everyone can build cars, and parts are generated by 3D printers. The next step is obviously that robots will build houses, assemble cars. Although the application will be part of our future, it won’t last long.

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• 2025-2050: Roboworld