History of Augmented Reality: Infographic
A recent rise in interest about Augmented Reality has prompted much more information being available on the topic. What many people may not be aware of is just how long researchers and developers have been working on Augmented Reality and using it. An infographic published by Augment.com reveals on a timeline how long Augmented Reality has been in the making.
The infographic charts the progressive track of Augmented Reality through history from its origins, to its remarkable modern-day explosion with the dates ranging from 1968 to 2016.
The timeline starts in 1968 when Ivan Sutherland developed the first head-mounted display system, taking us through examples of early uses throughout the decades. Notable mentions are 1990 when the term Augmented Reality was coined by Boeing Researcher, Tom Caudell. The timelines also nods to early applications in the enterprise including early wearables for soldiers. NASA’s enhanced visual navigation is noted, as is NFL use of markers in their televised games. The 2000’s see the development of the ARToolKit in 2000 and its introduction to web browsers in 2009.
The modern day portion of the timeline acknowledges early enterprise adopters such as automotive and manufacturing companies before concluding with the recent explosion of wearables and Magic Leap’s investment round which raised $50 million in Series A.