The History of Augmented Reality (AR)

Let’s discuss the history of augmented reality (AR). Want to know about when it was created, where it was created, why it was created, or who created it? Don’t worry. I got you covered. At the end of this, you will be able to contextualize how AR fits into a timeline.

When was it created

Some of the earliest AR systems that we know of were developed by the US Airforce at the Armstrong Laboratory in 1992. It was a project called Virtual Fixture that allowed users to train and practice certain skills and tasks to improve their performance.

Who created it

The Virtual Fixtures technology was developed by Louis Rosenberg when he was working as a researcher at NASA

Why was it created

It was created as a way to amplify human performance in real world physical tasks.

Where was it invented

It was invented at the Armstrong Laboratory. Armstrong Labs was formed in 1990 and named after Gen Harry G. Armstrong aka the father of space medicine. It was located in Brooks City Base, Texas. In 1997, The lab merged into the Airforce research laboratory, which is at the Wright-Patterson Air force base in Ohio.

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