The article I chose for this week relates back to the Chapter 11 discussion on managing knowledge. The article talks about a fairly new technique called "augmented reality" or AR for short. Using this technology, the real world is "augmented" with text or graphics. The user puts on a pair of goggles similar to the virtual reality goggles discussed in the textbook and is able to see computer graphics or information (virtual images) in the real world. For instance in the picture at the left a mechanic is able to see colors and arrows overlaid over the top of the car's engine so that he knows what parts of the car to fix. This technology fits into the category of knowledge work systems discussed in chapter 11 of the text. Instead of just offering a virtual world, however, this technology allows the user to learn by doing or to make changes to a real world process as it is being done as new information is viewed. For instance, surgeans could use it so that they would not constantly have to look up and down from patient to equipment displays. Information would just be overlaid into a single field of vision. For use in battle it could relay tactical information to soldiers who are in the war zone or it could be used during military training. Soldiars could be told with virtual images like arrows where to patrol or retreat and symbols could mark locations of supplies or friendly forces like in a video game. AR could create virual targets for sodiars in combat training to shoot at that would be in a real world setting. AR is also being used by car companies like Volkswagon to speed up prototype construction by overlaying the instructions directly onto tools and prototype components in front of workers. AR is still in the early stages of development when compared to virtual reality. A lot of AR technology is expensive and fragile but it clearly has a lot of possible applications that will keep researchers furthering its development.
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