Virtual and Augmented Reality: Past, Present, and Future

Augmented and Virtual Reality are two intertwined concepts. These are distortions of the reality humans live in, either partially, for the first case, or creating a totally virtual environment. Both are related to the fourth industrial revolution. Although these are topics that were born during the past century, they have gained increasing relevance in the last decades. This paper performs a systematic literature review of the evolution of Augmented and Virtual reality. The past is explained through a brief overview of older developments, while the present is presented through a bibliometric research, coupled with case studies applied in various industries. Finally, future paths and conclusions are presented on the last section of the paper, which include a look at the tendencies of both technologies, that seems to lie in more mobility and convenience. The authors conclude that both Augmented and Virtual reality have a big potential to grow and become an important part of various industries.