Augmented Reality: A New Way to Build Knowledge. Bibliometric Analysis and Apps Testing

Augmented Reality (AR) combines real and digital images, and is fast becoming a new immersive source of data for building knowledge. This research analyzes its real potential, through a bibliometric analysis of recent research and a descriptive analysis of the characteristics of 100 AR apps following testing. The results reveal several emerging lines, a range of user profiles and the most suitable areas for these technologies to be applied; this study also points to new emerging immersive methodologies, and the opposing perspectives of this phenomenon. The empirical descriptive testing of these apps also reveals the limitations of these technologies in the structured construction of knowledge.