Augmented Reality

It's normal to feel anxious about going under the knife, but stress before surgery can range from mild anxiety to overwhelming fear. Now, researchers believe a tech more often seen in video games – augmented reality – can help relieve that anxiety.

A new smartphone app is using augmented reality to help reduce a person’s fear of spiders. In a study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders the app was found to significantly reduce feelings of fear and disgust after a two-week program.

Overlaying 3D holograms on its wearer's view of the real world, Microsoft's HoloLens augmented reality headset has allowed users to do everything from reading emotions to taking a virtual tour of Mars. More recently, it's also been used to guide doctors performing lower limb surgery.

​Imagine if doctors could see through a patient's skin, and their perspective of the underlying bones and organs changed accordingly as the person moved around. Well, that's what scientists at the University of Alberta have developed – kind of.

Researchers in Switzerland have developed a type of "virtual mirror" that promises a cheaper way of seeing the results of upcoming dental surgery. By using augmented reality software, patients can see the results of their upcoming surgery in real time.

A new teaching tool adds an innovative twist to the traditional chemistry model kit. Happy Atoms combines augmented reality with a physical product to educate students about the wonderful world of molecules​.

When the unmanned CRS-7 flight blew up, it destroyed a dozens of experiments. One of these was Sidekick, which used HoloLens technology to provide astronauts with their own holographic augmented reality.

Despite what the movies might have us believe, getting a needle into a vein isn't always a straightforward procedure. It can sometimes take multiple attempts, much to the discomfort of the patient. Now, however, Eyes-On Glasses reportedly let nurses see patients' veins right through their skin.

A group at MIT Media Lab has produced a light bulb-sized device capable of turning any surface into a touch screen interface.

The EyeRing system features a finger-worn camera module and wirelessly connected smartphone that provide a visually-impaired user with aural feedback on objects captured by the lens.

Canon has launched its new Mixed Reality System that is designed to let virtual product prototypes replace physical ones.

CAMDASS uses augmented reality to provide astronauts with instant medical know-how.