Augmented reality (AR) is the term used to define the vision of a physical environment of the real world, through a technological device, that is, tangible physical elements are combined with virtual elements, thus creating a augmented reality in real time.
It consists of a set of devices that add virtual information to the already existing physical information, that is, adding a virtual synthetic part to the real one. Augmented reality is different from virtual reality because on the material reality “of the physical world” it mounts a visual reality generated by technology, in which the user perceives a mixture of the two realities; On the other hand, in virtual reality the user is isolated from the material reality of the physical world to “immerse” themselves in a totally virtual scenario or environment.
With the help of technology (for example, adding computer vision and object recognition) information about the real world around the user becomes interactive and digital. Artificial information about the environment and objects can be stored and retrieved as an information layer on top of the real world view.
In the field of training, augmented reality offers us the possibility of showing videos or 3D animations to explain mechanisms of action of a drug, action protocols, clinical trial graphics, complex concepts of pathophysiology… all of them associated with a scenario or real object. Simulation with 3D models allows students to see and interact with the anatomical parts of the body, zooming in different directions and rotating up to 360 degrees to obtain another perspective. All this information and interactivity is carried out on a virtual level, that is, it is a vision on the screen of the mobile phone, tablet or a large screen in front of an audience, with the advantage that several people can intervene at the same time, unlike virtual reality, which is an individual experience.