Augmented reality (AR) games are changing the way we interface with the physical world, by overlaying a digital world with the real world. Such games take advantage of AR technology to immerse players in everyday environments and activities.
What is AR?
Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology that superimposes digital information, e.g., 3D images, sound effects, or virtual objects, onto the real world in real time. In contrast to Virtual Reality (VR), which generates a totally virtual world, AR injects the virtual world on top of the real world by overlaying virtual objects onto it.
AR is real-time, reacting to the motions of the user and real-world environment changes. It combines the real world with graphics made by a computer by employing devices such as smartphones, tablets, AR glasses, or head-mounted devices. Through the insertion of virtual objects or virtual data, AR can enhance the user’s experience and comprehension of his/her environment. Through the introduction of virtual objects or virtual information, AR not only enhances the context in which the user experiences and perceives but also enhances the user’s experience of and awareness of the surrounding environment.
For example, apps such as IKEA Place allow users to see how furniture fits in a room before they buy it. Games like Pokémon GO overlay virtual creatures onto real-world locations for players to interact with.
Changing Interaction with the Real
AR games combine physical exercise with digital games – meaning new ways for game players to participate in and experience their environment during gaming. Linking digital goals with tangible experiences, these games provide not only fun but also healthier living and social engagement.
For example, Pokémon GO, an almost universally popular augmented reality game, encourages players to wander around the street in their area or venture to a landmark to catch Pokémon (pursue a Pokémon), hatch eggs, or fight at gyms (pursue another participant in a gym battle). The game’s emphasis on games of space and location-based play has been attributed to promoting physical activity among game players and encouraging community events such as Pokémon GO Fest.
AR has the potential to enhance esports by creating interactive halls of fame or lobbies where fans can engage with ongoing matches. For example, it could enable the projection of a game’s map, like League of Legends Summoner’s Rift, allowing users to observe live matches from an insider perspective through their smartphone cameras. Would the ability to view gameplay nuances up close using AR make League of Legends predictions more accurate? While it may not directly enhance analytical capabilities, this immersive perspective could provide fans with deeper insights into team strategies and map control, potentially supporting more informed predictions.
Another example is Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, in which players represent a wizard and perform actions in real-world places. These are spanned from picking up magical wares to fighting virtual enemies and many others, all cutting through parks, streets, and other commons.
AR games often encourage teamwork and competition. For example, Ingress* groups players into two sides engaged in the capture and linking of portals in the real world. This competitive aspect encourages us to collaborate and often results in real-world meetups and conventions.
Beyond leisure, AR games can motivate players to find archaeological sites, artworks, and hidden treasures in the worlds of their egos, thus transforming gaming into a discovery quest. These applications demonstrate the disruptive power of AR in combining technology movement and in-person interaction.
AR in Medicine
Augmented reality (AR) environments are applied for the treatment of disorders of PTSD, anxiety, and phobia. Patients can safely approach and conquer fear or traumatic flashbacks in standardized AR simulations. Furthermore, AR is also applied to pain distraction during surgery, e.g., dressing change in burns.
AR is applied in physical therapy and rehabilitation by offering interactive exercises that are adapted to an individual’s recovery profile. Patients recovering from a stroke, for instance, can explore AR games that are used to train motor skills in a fun and activating way.
AR provides virtual reality experiences for medical students and practitioners that enable them to see and manipulate human anatomy in 3D. Platforms such as the HoloLens allow for access to and exploration of large, intricate systems, such as the nervous or cardiovascular system, without requiring human cadavers, thereby increasing the scope and granularity of anatomy studies.
AR helps surgeons perform complex procedures with greater precision. AR superimposes a surgeon’s view with key information, e.g., patient vitals and 3D representations of internal organs. As an example, there are tools such as AccuVein that help visualize veins and enhance the accuracy of tasks such as IVs or blood draws.
AR in Education
Augmented reality (AR) allows subjects to become real, students have more fun by learning interactively and interestingly. Overlaying digital content into the real world enables students to see the 3D form of complex ideas. E.g, AR applications such as Google Expeditions AR can enable students to study the solar system, human anatomy, or historical artifacts with a vivid and immersive view, creating a richer understanding of their subject. This experiential, visual method is a possible approach to meet the needs of culturally diverse learners and to keep students engaged in their learning through active doing of work.
AR provides personalized pedagogical experiences by tailoring content to the specific requirements of individual students. Students in fields such as biology can explore 3D representations of cells or ecosystems at their leisure. AR-based language apps also offer engaging environments in which students learn vocabulary and intonation in context. This technology facilitates differentiated instruction, which allows teachers to address heterogeneous learning abilities in the classroom.
Using AR, students can travel anywhere in history, anywhere in the world, or do a science experiment from cover to cover, from their classroom. E.g.) AR applications are used to arrange field visits to places such as archaeological sites or natural environments, whereby bringing education to people who live in areas far off the beaten track or with restricted access to training and resources is feasible. Not only is this widening of students’ horizons made possible, but it also democratizes education by providing those opportunities that were previously inconceivable.
Conclusion
AR gaming’s incorporation into everyday life highlights its ability to reshape entertainment and how humans interact with it. Apart from gaming, applications of AR technology are being explored in navigation, education, and even occupational encounters, validating the versatility of this technology of a revolutionary change.
