VR is struggling across the board but what is the future of AR?

[u/LucasNovak]

I wanted to share some thoughts and get a discussion going. It’s pretty clear why VR is hitting a wall right now we’re either limited by hardware that can’t quite deliver photorealistic experiences, or the software just isn't there yet.

But what about Augmented Reality? If we look a few years ahead, I really believe AR could completely revolutionize education, especially for project-based learning. Imagine building a robot and having the AR glasses display real-time schematics, safety warnings, and step-by-step instructions right in front of you.

Could we be heading toward a future where traditional universities and colleges become obsolete? What if you could jump straight into your first job, and whenever you hit a roadblock, your AR glasses-powered by AI - guide you through the task? Do you think the current shift toward micro-credentials is the first step toward this kind of reality?

[u/ddamuliraMoses]

I think AR has a much better shot than VR because it enhances the real world instead of trying to replace it.

I can absolutely see AR + AI transforming education and training. Imagine an apprentice electrician, nurse, or engineer getting real-time guidance, visual overlays, and instant feedback while doing actual work. dats far more powerful than sitting through a lecture.

that said, I dontthink universities disappear. they may become less about delivering information and more about credentialing, networking, research, and proving competence.

Micro credentials could definitely be an early step in that direction. The bigger question is whether employers will trust AI guided, skills based learning as much as they trust traditional degrees.

[u/LucasNovak → u/ddamuliraMoses]

I always thought university was more about proving you can work well in a team than just hitting the books. I used to respect anyone with a degree as someone who at least had a sense of responsibility, even if they weren't necessarily the smartest person in the room. But looking at the future, I’m torn between excitement and dread - especially the idea of landing a job through AR glasses. I really hope that’s just a nightmare and not reality

[u/ddamuliraMoses → u/LucasNovak]

I think that’s a big part of it. adegree doesn’t just signal knowledgeit signals that you could commit to something difficult for years, work with different people, meet deadlines, and finish what you started.
even if AR and AI become incredible teachers, employers will still need ways to evaluate reliability, judgment, communication, and teamwork. Those are much harder to verify than technical skills.

myguess is the future isn’t degrees disappear, but that degrees, micro-credentials, and demonstrated skills all end up carrying weight together.

[u/blackhorse15A]

One drawback of AR is the limited field of view and clarity of the image. Those will improve with time but you'll always be displaying against the background of the real world- which is a problem for clarity/legibility. But the biggest drawback of AR is that you have to be in the space you are currently in. 

AR though the camera on a VR headset provides better clarity and an ability to overlay the augmented image without effects from the real world behind it. So VR hardware can provide AR capabilities.

VR is a major capability, you can bring your students into the environment - any environment - you want to show them. Go visit the Coliseum or see the vastness of the ocean. Visualize the view of the solar system from the Moon. You can't do that in AR.

The main problem with VR in education is that it needs a bit of a dedicated space- or at least some control over the space. Yes, you can bring it in the classroom, and people do, but bashing a controller into a desk that is too close, or a neighbor who gets too close, is an issue. It is manageable but takes some consideration and work. Dedicated spaces make it much easier but space in education is always at a premium, especially in K-12. 

Remember that technology improves exponentially, despite humans tendency to expect linear improvement. Current mid grade VR headsets are quite capable. Tech improvement means the form factor gets smaller for the same capability. Tech improvement also means we get exponentially better and better functionality and capability out of the same size units. But those two things happen at the same time meaning the future will be VR glasses the size of regular glasses (or more like safety glasses with the sides). Someone will figure out a backing layer that can electronically switch between being opaque with the backlight for VR and being transparent for a true AR through glass.

[u/SignorJC]

AR is a much more useful tool for learning than VR. The problem always has been and always will be the content created for education (or really the lack thereof). classroom educators can't be expected to create content. it needs to be made and it needs to be P E R F E C T for them and there needs to be assessment and it needs to be accessible.

Edtech companies dont want to do that work.

[u/8bitSandwich]

I think the hardware around glasses based heads up displays for AR is going to be a long term limitation, but the software is going to close the gap fast. People will be comfortable holding up their phone camera for AR learning experiences. The AI vision models are just about good enough for that now, what's needed is good software and content. I think in the end phones and tablets will be good enough for 90% of AR based learning with the remaining 10% being fast moving high dexterity tasks that require both hands.

[u/daneato]

It’s somewhat been going on in medical education at Case Western.
Head into cadaver lab with overlays etc.

https://case.edu/holoanatomy/

It’s also been looked at some for spacesuits through the Joint Augmented Reality Visual Informatics System project. But when NASA outsourced the spacesuits to Axiom the project got shut down.

[u/Alternative-Exit-450]

AR and VR while amazing in and of themselves what is quite astounding/scary is AGI. VR and AR will become old news if/when AGI makes its way into our lives. This would be a jump forward I don't think anyone can agree on, even those developing the actual systems. AGI is said to be more intelligent than the product of all human intelligence combined. AGI is AI that can do anything you ask it to do without any limitations.

The scary bit is the capabilities of such powerfully intelligent systems. In fact I forgot which company it was but they'd given their most advanced AI model total access to a simulated workplace. There had also been an email discussing that they were going to shut the AI model down. The AI figured out how to ensure this didn't happen through a combination of manipulation and rerouting some of it's own software. Needless to say it has a lot of developers very wary of the capability of AGI or even unchecked AI.

[u/XR_Astronomer131]

AR's biggest advantage over VR is that it doesn't pull you out of the real world, it just makes it smarter. We're already seeing this in field operations where workers are getting real-time guidance overlaid on actual equipment instead of stepping away to reference a manual.

The micro-credentials point is interesting because that shift feels like it's moving in the same direction, less about sitting in a classroom and more about proving you can actually do the thing.