Augmented reality, or AR, is a technology that superimposes computer-generated images on a user's view of the real world, providing a composite view. The invention of augmented reality is attributed to Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull, who in 1968 created the first head-mounted display system, known as the Sword of Damocles. This early AR system was crude but laid the groundwork for future developments.
For example, in the 1990s, the U.S. Air Force developed the Virtual Fixtures system, which was one of the first AR systems used in a military context. More recently, AR has become popular in various applications, including gaming with titles like "Pokémon Go," which overlays digital creatures onto real-world environments.
In the context of cloud computing, services like Tencent Cloud offer robust platforms for developing and deploying AR applications, providing the necessary computational power and storage solutions to support these resource-intensive technologies.