Augmented Reality

Augmented reality:  Adding contextual, historical and other information to a  real object or place. Unlike virtual reality which is designed to simulate a physical  place, augmented reality uses technology to add information to a real place or object with goal of making it more meaningful and useful. One example are audio guides we can rent at museums; another is how MRI images can be superimposed on a patient’s body to help surgeons more accurately locate a problem . ELI’s 7 Things You Should Know About Augmented Reality does a good job at demystifying the term and highlighting its educational potential.  When we start looking around  we see other examples of augmented reality. For example mobile devices connect us with stores of information while we’re experiencing a particular place, GPS devices do as well.
So augmented reality is one future scenario we’re already experiencing, and like simulations there are ways to do it that don’t have to be high tech.