A few years back, the concept of Augmented Reality (AR) existed only in movies. Today, AR has penetrated into our lives. Thanks to advances in the processing power of smartphones, and the ever-increasing use of location-based services based on GPS.

Once looked upon as gimmicky or promotional, AR has carved its space into almost every sector imaginable. Experts predict that AR will continue to drive innovation within the gaming, medical, mobile apps, automotive, and manufacturing markets.

Imagine standing in a department store, and see what an item of clothing would look like if you were wearing it (without actually putting it on). That’s what we can expect from the future.

Here’s a look at the innovations that will drive Augmented Reality’s future:

• Screen-less displays: Imagine operating your desktop mid-air. Yes, you have the entire screen set up in front of you and you can browse through the windows sans an actual screen!! You have seen the iron man do this, haven’t you? Well, this is going to come to your home soon. The future lies in going screen-less.

• Wearable technologies: In conjunction with AR, 3D visualization and mapping capabilities help navigate places with updated situational awareness. How does that happen? With the help of devices which are called wearable’s. Ever since Google launched its Google Glass project, the reality of wearable eyewear seems to be inevitable. Since then, developers from around the world have been trying to take on it by creating their own wearable display glasses. With capabilities such as being able to integrate augmented reality with your own, feeding you live information during your activities, projecting images at a high resolution, and even letting you manipulate 3D objects with ease; it’s only a matter of time before smart glasses become a part of our daily lives.

• Gestural interfaces: The combination of gestures with technology has redefined the human-technology relationship. We are able to use body language and actions to control technology. But what’s next? Gesture controls have the power to ease our interaction with devices, reducing the need for a mouse, keys, a remote control, or buttons. When combined with other advanced user interface technologies such as voice commands and face recognition, gestures can create a richer user experience that strives to understand the human language, thereby fuelling the next wave of electronic innovation.

• Haptic technology: While 3D experiences are common, haptics adds another dimension to the near real experiences technology offers us. With haptics, users feel the vibrating force or resistance as they push a virtual button, scroll through a list or encounter the end of a menu. In a video or mobile game with haptics, users can feel the gun recoil, the engine rev, or the crack of the bat meeting the ball. So, haptic has a huge scope, not only in entertainment but also in defence, law enforcement, and healthcare.

With all these innovations underway, in the next three to five years we can expect to see AR becoming a mainstream technology concept, blending the physical world and the digital realm in fascinating new ways.