Move Along, VR: Augmented Reality Will Overtake Apps in 2017

Today is the year for both augmented reality and virtual reality, but one may soon overtake the other.

The year 2016 has been met with the arrival of numerous technological development. The arrival of the PlayStation VR platform and the Pokemon GO game have proved that the world isn't always what it seemed.

The applications of both VR and AR are also being tested out in various different platforms, with vastly different results. However, it appears augmented reality may soon be the way to go.

Imagine that you're at work, flipping through e-mails in mid-air. There are graphs, messages and pictures on your desk that disappear at whim. This is augmented reality, reality only "better" with digital displays.

This is the next futuristic fantasy tech the industries want to conquer, and it may finally happen next year.

According to a video courtesy of Florida start-up Magic Leap, we can soon have a head-mounted display overlaying surroundings with a broad array of graphics. This includes a game where you shoot "robots" around you.

The release date for their technology is still unknown, but we've already been getting sweet AR experiences of our own. According to New Scientist, the arrival of Pokemon GO by California-based developer Niantic Labs and the Microsoft HoloLens are only just the beginning.

Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro is also the first to use Google's Tango AR platform, which has an AR tape measuring tool, a solar system simulator and even a shopping tool. AR enthusiasts see this kind of technology to be used in the workplace just as much as it's used for fun. Factory workers can learn how to use a machine with hands-on tutorials, and architects could walk on visions of designs and restored buildings.

According to New Scientist, there's even tech being developed that will allow police officers to get different perspectives on crime scenes. Gamers may even be able to play on battlefields right around them.

Of course, like any invention, AR may take getting used to. Pokemon Go already upset some that didn't want the animated monsters popping up on their homes and property. Regardless, this is just the beginning of AR revolution.