Augmented Reality: Perspectives from Industry and Academia

Hrvoje Benko from Microsoft Research chairs this session at Faculty Summit 2012.

Overlaying computer-generated graphics on top of the real world to create a seamless spatially registered environment is a core vision behind augmented reality (AR) research. While AR research exploded in the ‘90s with the promise of rich interfaces with head-worn displays, much of it never materialized beyond military uses.

However, in the last five years, we have finally started to see AR technologies in consumers’ hands, albeit in a completely different form: smartphones equipped with cameras. Furthermore, Microsoft Kinect has opened up a whole range of AR experiences by simplifying camera-based tracking and gesturing.

This session shares perspectives on the current state of AR and offer insights into the future of AR.