Virtual reality is becoming increasingly popular, as computer graphics have progressed to the point where images are often indistinguishable from the real world. However, computer-generated images presented in games, films, and other media are detached from our physical environment. This is at the same time a virtue – everything becomes possible – and a limit. The limit comes from the main interest we have in our daily life, which is not directed towards a virtual world, but rather towards the real world around us. Smartphones and other mobile devices allow access to a vast amount of information, anytime, anywhere. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay However, this information is usually disconnected from the real world. Consumers interested in retrieving online information from and about the real world, or connecting online information with the real world, must do so individually and indirectly, which, in turn, requires constant cognitive effort. that association with the real world occurs automatically seems like an attractive proposition. A few examples easily illustrate the appeal of this idea. Location-based services can provide personal navigation based on the Global Positioning System (GPS), while barcode scanners can help identify books in a library or products in a supermarket. However, these approaches require explicit user actions and are rather crude. Barcodes are useful for identifying books, but not for naming mountain peaks on a hike; Likewise, they cannot help identify small parts of a watch for repair, let alone anatomical structures during surgery. Augmented reality promises to create direct, automatic, and actionable connections between the physical world and electronic information. It provides a simple and straightforward user interface for an electronically enhanced physical world. The immense potential of augmented reality as a paradigm-shifting user interface metaphor becomes evident when we examine the most recent milestones in human-computer interaction: the emergence of the world. The Wide Web, the social web and the mobile device revolution. The trajectory of this series of milestones is clear: First, there has been an immense increase in access to information online, resulting in a large audience of information consumers. These consumers were later empowered to also act as information producers and communicate with each other, and eventually had the means to manage their own communications from anywhere and in any situation. However, the physical world, where all information retrieval, creation, and communication occurs, was not easily connected to users' electronic activity. That is, the model was stuck in a world of abstract web pages and services without directly involving the physical world. Many technological advances have occurred in the field of location-based computing and services, sometimes referred to as situated computing. Nonetheless, user interfaces for location-based services remain predominantly rooted in desktop, app, and web-based usage paradigms. Augmented reality can change this and, in doing so, redefine navigation and information creation. Please note: This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This metaphor of user interface and its enabling technologies constitute one of the most fascinating and oriented areas.