Techs and the city: Pros and cons of augmented reality in the US

The Pokemon Go phenomenon ‘is a clear warning’ that this fusion between the physical and digital worlds could happen very quickly, said experts. — Photo by David Grandmougin on Unsplash

WASHINGTON: Washingtonians curious about what the Franklin D Reeves Center would look like after redevelopment didn't have to wonder for long: all they had to do was scan a QR code on the pavement and hold their smartphones up to the hulking building.

Thanks to the magic of 3D graphics and augmented reality (AR), they could see a sleek glass-fronted space that would, when finished, house the national headquarters of the African American advocacy group NAACP as well as a dance theatre, restaurant and more.