STORIES

Augmented Reality and Medicine


Augmented Reality and Medicine

April 5, 2023

Luke Argue

The future is now, thanks to science! As our technology advances and our digital world continues to develop, the line between the real world and the digital becomes increasingly blurred.


One example of this blurring is augmented reality (AR). Through augmented reality, we can put parts of our digital world on top of our physical one. Typically, we think about augmented reality’s implications for entertainment, shopping experiences and social media. But beyond those industries, AR could completely reimagine how we experience and receive medical care.

 

What is Augmented Reality? 

Augmented reality is best understood as an interactive experience of a real-world environment. That means that through AR, you’re able to interact with your real-world environment through digital technology. Often, this means using a combination of cameras and displays to project a digital image over something in the real world to allow us to interact and change it in real-time.


A good example of AR technology is Google’s old Google Glass project. Google Glass worked by projecting digital images through a pair of glasses so that you could see the digital images in the real world. It allowed users not only to see the real world but also to see it digitally enhanced. 

 

How is Augmented Reality Used Daily?

Even more than just the example of Google Glass, currently, with even more developed AR technology, we cannot only place digital things into a physical world, but we can also make those digital images interactive and reactive. You can use AR all across your daily life. You may have come across some of these common applications of AR already, but even if you haven’t, AR will likely continue to be a bigger and bigger part of daily life. 

 

Visualizing New Finishes or Furniture in Your House

AR technology can help you remodel or decorate your home. Through AR, you can see what that couch, paint color, finish, etc., would look like in your house before you buy it and have to go through the trouble of installing it. 

With AR, you can simply pull up a digital image of your new sofa and see it in your current living room. This lets you make more informed decisions as a consumer because instead of taking a risk on a new couch, paint color or home, you know how that new product will look in your home or what your new home will look like. 

 

Bringing Labels on Wine Bottles to Life

AR is also being used daily to make labels on wine bottles more interactive, which might be the future of product decoration. For example, the company Living Wine Labels uses augmented reality to turn their labels into an interactive storytelling experience and incorporate fun experiences that add value to their wine for their customers. 

 

Translating Signs into Different Languages

Perhaps the most exciting usage of AR in our daily lives is the ability to translate street signs and other text into different languages using our phones’ cameras. One of the companies that spearheaded this technology is Word Lens, a smartphone app that allows users to use their cameras to translate street signs and text in real-time. Apps like Word Lens work almost magically by replacing the original text with translated text in the same font and size as the original, giving you a digital window into a world where all the signs and words are translated into your language of choice.

 

How Does Augmented Reality Work?

So how exactly does all of this seemingly magical technology work? Through a concept called Volumetric Video. 

Volumetric Video works by capturing a three-dimensional object or space, allowing that same object or space to be digitally viewed as three-dimensional. It gets its name from its ability to capture volume or the three-dimensional space an object occupies. By reproducing that volume, you can make an object digitally interactive as it would be in the real world.


Augmented reality relies on this technology to capture an object and space in 3D and overlay additional information to that image. For example, AR can use volumetric video to accurately scan a room and then put a digital image of a physical object that can be digitally interacted with as though it was actually in the room.

 

How Can Augmented Reality Impact Medicine?

AR can reinvent how patients experience medical care by helping them visualize results, make medical advice more memorable and explain how a treatment or illness will affect them.

 

Prosthetics 

In prosthetics, AR can be used to give patients an idea of what their prosthetic might look like and how they would be able to move and interact with it. The doctor could use AR to help explain how the prosthetic would work in a way that the patient would better understand because they would be digitally interacting with it as the doctor explains it. 

 

Aesthetics

AR can also be used for aesthetic medical procedures like plastic surgery, implants or fillers. The hardest thing about these procedures for the patient is the unknown of whether they’ll like the aesthetic changes from the surgery.


With AR, the patient will see the proposed aesthetic change before the surgery and be able to move around with it, interact with it and work with the doctor to tailor it to their preferences. This will lead to greater patient satisfaction and easier communication for doctors.


The same principle applies to smaller things like hair color changes. Through AR, you’ll be able to see what your new hair color or style will look like on you as you interact with it.


The same is true for choosing a pair or style of glasses. You won’t need to have a physical pair of glasses with you anymore. Instead, you can use AR technology to try on and interact with new glasses from anywhere! 

 

Closing Thoughts about Augmented Reality and Medicine 

Augmented reality is slowly changing many levels of our society, particularly how consumers and patients experience their products or care. In medicine, AR makes it easier to visualize and understand outcomes, removing the anxiety of undergoing prosthetic or aesthetic procedures through clearer communication.

Making it easier and simpler for doctors to explain complex medical procedures and outcomes to patients and for patients to understand and give feedback on proposed outcomes. Through these innovations, AR will make medical care clearer, simpler and less stressful for all, improving the patient experience and making care provisions easier.

OTHER STORIES


More from TopDoctor

By Lindsay O’Neill-O’Keefe January 20, 2026
When you meet Lindsay “LOO” O’Neill-O’Keefe, the first thing you notice is the energy. Not the rushed, frenetic energy of someone hustling for relevance, but the grounded clarity of a woman who has rebuilt her life and her biology with intention. She carries the kind of presence that makes people listen more closely. Something is happening here. Something new. Something worth paying attention to. Lindsay “LOO” O’Neill-O’Keefe is not yet a household name in wellness or longevity, but she is rapidly emerging as one of the most compelling new voices in culinary medicine and biohacking. She is the founder of Wellness Eternal, the architect behind The Biohacking Index, host of the number one rated podcast Optimize WE, a global speaker who has appeared on the TEDx and Gaia stages, and the author of Biohacking Breakfast: Faith, Family & Food to Live Better, Not Just Longer, now available on Amazon. She is now bringing that perspective to TopDoctor Magazine, where she will write in-depth features spotlighting best-in-class wellness and biohacking companies from the Biohacking Index. These features pair verified outcomes and data with insights from leading physicians and clinical experts who help validate what works, what is emerging, and what deserves careful scrutiny.  Her credibility does not come from viral trends or paid influence. It comes from lived experience, rigorous training, and an origin story that forced her to confront the limits of human physiology long before she ever planned to enter the health world.
By Rob Fletcher August 1, 2025
“Phil Daru is very respected! A highly respected guy!” – Joe Rogan In a world where every fraction of a second can define an athlete’s career, one name stands out as a beacon of innovation and excellence: Phil Daru. As I sat down with this remarkable strength coach, it became clear that his approach to athletic performance is unlike any other. With over 16 years of hands-on experience and a track record that boasts collaboration with more than 200 professional athletes— including seven world champions across the UFC and boxing, Olympic judo competitors, NFL players, and even A-list celebrities—Phil is not just shaping bodies; he’s transforming the very fabric of sports training. His flagship performance center in Boca Raton, Florida, is a hallowed ground for elite fighters and high-performance athletes, all drawn to his evidence-based methods and personalized training systems. In this exclusive feature, we explore Phil’s journey from athlete to pioneering coach, delve into the groundbreaking techniques that set him apart, and discover how he is redefining strength training for the next generation of champions. Daru has built a world-class reputation as one of the most trusted and influential strength and conditioning coaches in the industry.
By Riley George July 1, 2025
Dr. Robert Martino is not your typical dentist. While he still carries the title and possesses the deep understanding of oral health that comes with decades of experience in the field, his role has evolved. Today, he’s the CEO, the “takes-care-of-all-the-crap guy,” as he jokingly put it, behind a thriving multi-office dental practice and the innovative oral care product, OraCare. His journey, sparked by a simple observation during a high school romance and fueled by relentless curiosity, has led him down a path of entrepreneurial success and a genuine desire to elevate the standard of patient care. A true entrepreneur, Dr. Martino has taken what he learned in dentistry and applied it to other endeavors. He is the founder and CEO of EASW, an international aircraft maintenance company. He also runs a statewide marketing company and is the founder of Freedom Day USA, a national charity that gives back to veterans, military members, and their families. Although he is very proud of being a dentist, it was just the start. From Small-Town Roots to Multi-Practice Leadership Dr. Martino’s entry into dentistry wasn’t a lifelong aspiration rooted in family tradition. Instead, it was sparked by the seemingly straightforward life of his high school girlfriend’s father, a dentist. “He would come home like clockwork at the end of the day after working in his dental practice, and I liked that,” Dr. Martino recalled with a chuckle, acknowledging the naïve simplicity of his initial perception. After dental school, he always intended to return to his hometown in central West Virginia. Starting with a single office that quickly became insufficient for a growing partnership, Dr. Martino and his partner strategically expanded, eventually building a network of seven thriving dental practices. For the past two decades, however, Dr. Martino’s focus has shifted from direct patient care to the operational and strategic aspects of the business. “I haven’t seen patients in twenty years. I’ve shifted to fully focusing on my responsibilities as CEO,” he explained, highlighting his role in managing HR, finances, and the myriad details that allow his clinical team to focus solely on providing exceptional patient care. 
By Riley George June 1, 2025
From Iowa Roots to Global Health Innovations Dr. Richard Downs, DDS, FAGD, FICOI, D-GMDIA, D-ASBA, embodies a remarkable journey of dedication and innovation within the realm of dental health and beyond. In an insightful conversation, Dr. Downs shared his life trajectory, from his formative years in rural Iowa to his distinguished career as a practicing dentist and his current groundbreaking work in developing wellness solutions. His story is a testament to a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a profound commitment to improving the well-being of others. Growing up in a small town, Dr. Downs experienced the close-knit fabric of a rural community. “I grew up in a little town called Montour, Iowa, right next to a reservation. My dad was good friends with the Native Americans living there. Montour was a rural small town with approximately 200 people,” he said. This upbringing instilled in him a grounded perspective that would undoubtedly shape his interactions with patients and colleagues throughout his career. His academic path led him through Montour Grade School and Marshalltown High School before he earned his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from the University of Iowa. Even in his early academic pursuits, a spark of innovation was evident. “I spent two years at the community college in Marshalltown with a Workship Scholarship in chemistry. That is how I got interested in developing products. My chemistry background from the Workship Scholarship ignited my interest in innovation.” Following dental school, Dr. Downs dedicated three years to serving as a Navy dental officer, an experience he recalls with pride. “I practiced three years in the Navy, right after dental school. I enjoyed my stay there. It was a great experience that I would do all over again.” This period not only refined his dental expertise but also instilled a sense of discipline and self-assurance. Reflecting on his decision to establish his own private practice in Iowa in 1978, he stated, “I felt more confident than most people who just started their practice immediately after graduation from dental school.” After a distinguished 42 years in private practice, Dr. Downs retired from clinical dentistry in 2020. However, his passion for enhancing health and well-being ignited a new chapter focused on product development.