Imagine looking at something in the real world -- say a building -- through your mobile device, then putting a virtual overlay over it. Sounds like a game, but it potentially has some very real-world applications, according to Townsend.
"It will help anything that can benefit from simulation," he said. "An architect working at a construction site, or a firefighter finding a way out of a burning building or a UPS driver visualizing the next 10 steps of his delivery route." Another possibility: A surgeon performing a complicated procedure. Why it's important: Augmented reality can help us understand the unknown in real time. That will lead to greater safety, more flexibility and better health care. What could hold it back: This still remains the subject of a lot of research before it becomes practical and affordable. David Haskin is a contributing editor specializing in mobile and wireless issues.
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