Once imagined only in science fiction, Augmented Reality (AR) has rapidly become one of the most transformative technologies of our time. The idea of blending the digital world with our physical environment—layering information, visuals, and interaction over what we see in real life—has evolved from a theoretical concept to a practical tool used across industries, entertainment, and everyday life. But how did we get here?
The Early Imagination: Foundations of AR
The roots of AR can be traced back farther than most people think. In 1901, author L. Frank Baum (best known for The Wizard of Oz) described a set of “character marker” glasses in his novel The Master Key—a fictional device that displayed information about people as you looked at them. It was purely speculative, but it planted the seed for what we now call augmented reality.
Fast forward to the 1960s, and the foundation for modern AR began to take shape in real-world labs. In 1968, computer scientist Ivan Sutherland developed the first head-mounted display system called the Sword of Damocles. Though it was massive and crude by today’s standards, it projected simple wireframe graphics over the user’s vision—marking one of the earliest prototypes of AR.
The 1990s: The Term “Augmented Reality” Is Born
The actual term “augmented reality” wasn’t coined until 1990 by Tom Caudell, a Boeing researcher who used it to describe a digital display system designed to assist workers with assembling aircraft wiring. At the same time, developers began experimenting with overlaying digital data onto physical spaces using headsets and projectors.
In 1992, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory developed Virtual Fixtures, an AR system to help with complex manual tasks. That same year, Louis Rosenberg of the U.S. Air Force built one of the first fully functional AR systems—an exoskeleton called Virtual Fixtures that overlaid virtual cues onto a real-world workspace to enhance performance.
The ’90s also saw the rise of early AR entertainment. In 1998, Sportsvision introduced the now-iconic yellow “first down” line in televised football games—one of the first widespread public uses of AR.
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The 2000s: AR Goes Mobile
The 2000s marked a significant shift as AR moved from research labs into consumer-facing applications. As mobile phones became more powerful and equipped with GPS, cameras, and sensors, developers saw an opportunity.
In 2008, Wikitude launched the first AR travel guide for mobile phones. It allowed users to point their camera at landmarks and receive information layered over the live image. A year later, Layar, one of the first AR browsers, hit the scene—bringing digital content like ads, coupons, and location data into the physical world via smartphone.
The 2010s: Mainstream Attention and Wearables
AR truly began to capture the public’s imagination in the 2010s. In 2013, Google Glass made headlines as a futuristic pair of smart glasses that could display notifications, maps, and more in a user’s field of vision. Though Glass didn’t catch on with consumers due to privacy concerns and limited features, it laid the groundwork for wearable AR tech.
Then, in 2016, everything changed with the launch of Pokémon GO. The mobile game let players explore real-world locations to catch virtual creatures visible only through their phone screens. It was a global phenomenon and proved AR could be fun, engaging, and scalable for mass audiences.
The same year, Microsoft released the HoloLens, a mixed-reality headset that combined AR with spatial computing. Unlike previous AR tech, HoloLens could anchor 3D holograms into real-world spaces, interact with physical objects, and be used in everything from surgery to industrial design.
2020s: AR Comes Into Its Own
In the 2020s, AR matured from novelty to utility. Apple, Meta, Snap, and Niantic began investing heavily in AR ecosystems. Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore gave developers powerful tools to build sophisticated AR experiences for smartphones. Meanwhile, platforms like Snapchat and Instagram helped normalize AR filters, effects, and games as part of everyday communication.
One of the biggest game-changers came with the rise of passthrough AR on devices like the Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 3. These mixed reality headsets use outward-facing cameras to show the real world inside the headset and overlay 3D content onto it. Unlike earlier AR through phones or glasses, passthrough AR allows for full immersion and interaction within the user’s real space.
This technology brought AR to a new level—blending spatial computing, hand tracking, and real-time mapping into experiences that feel intuitive and futuristic. People can now sit in their living rooms and watch digital art dance on their walls, play games that use their real furniture as part of the level design, or collaborate with coworkers through shared virtual whiteboards in real-world spaces.
