Augmented Reality

Smart specs don't always need to be packed with tech to be useful – like the new NXTWEAR G from TCL, which are powered by a smartphone, tablet, or laptop and act as an external screen for that device, one that can reach a virtual size of 140 inches.

We saw the first pair of Snapchat Spectacles in 2016, and now Snapchat parent company Snap has come out with its most advanced wearable yet: a pair of glasses with full augmented reality capabilities.

Location-based augmented reality games are expanding into all kinds of avenues. Eastern Market Murder tasks players with solving a century-old true crime mystery in the actual locations where it all went down. New Atlas hit the streets to try it out.

Microsoft has won a 10-year contract to build advanced augmented reality systems for the US Army, giving infantrymen videogame-style super-soldier capabilities. A new production contract will net the company up to US$21.88 billion over ten years.

Facebook has taken the unusual step of revealing its next-gen augmented reality gear at a working prototype stage, including a staggering neuro-motor controller that reads nerve impulses in your wrist at single-neuron resolutions.

Video calls are handy, but you lose that sense of presence. To make remote meetups a bit more personal, Microsoft has unveiled Mesh, a “mixed reality” platform that lets people work and play together as virtual avatars overlaid on real-world spaces.

Coming later this year, the Cognixion ONE headset is promising something extra on top of the regular augmented reality experience: a brain computer interface that can turn thoughts into commands for the device.

One display just isn’t enough for most people. If you’d rather not clutter up your desk with a whole bunch of screens, Lenovo has unveiled ThinkReality A3, a pair of augmented reality glasses that can project up to five virtual displays around you.

Augmented reality has previously allowed us to place furniture in a room before buying, bring photos to life and go gaming on the streets. Now you can have a life-like avatar perform an upbeat version of a Beethoven classic in your front room.

The United States Army is developing augmented reality goggles for military dogs. The technology is being designed to enhance communication between the dog and its human handler, allowing for more remote commanding of the animal.

Facebook's Reality Labs Research wing is currently working on a number of projects designed to help us cut through noisy environments and zero in on folks we're trying to hold a conversation with, or enhance our daily lives when used with AR glasses.

Mario Kart is the latest game to cross over into the real world via augmented reality (AR). Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit lets you drive a little remote-controlled kart around the floor using the Switch console, dodging virtual racers and items.