# Beyond Human Vision: Unlocking the Potential of Augmented Reality for Spectral Imaging
## 4 Discussion  
Leveraging these capabilities, the potential applications of this approach are vast and will be discussed in relation to the following two major directions, in close connection with the samples presented: industrial applications and academic ones, with a focus on heritage science. From an industrial perspective, the applications of this technology essentially focus on quality control and monitoring. As seen for the tool in Figure 2, LIBS imaging can identify and monitor material degradation, providing critical information for maintenance and conservation efforts. Integrated with AR, areas of corrosion or material fatigue may become more evident, allowing us to establish a deeper connection with the object volume. In addition, and in the context of quality control, AR can guide maintenance personnel through complex inspection processes, overlaying spectral data onto physical components to highlight areas requiring attention, thus improving worker efficiency. This holds potential for upstream interventions, including the detection of production defects and ensuring product quality by detecting elemental inconsistencies or contaminations. From an academic perspective, the applications are also compelling. Focusing on heritage science for illustrative purposes, the study of objects and artifacts strongly benefits from using spectral imaging techniques like LIBS as they offer sensitive and rapid spatial maps of chemical compositions with minimal sample preparation. With such a technique, the researcher can analyze paintings, metals, ceramics, and stones, providing detailed information about the composition of the object, which may aid in their characterization and inform the planning of preservation interventions. AR is also rather popular in this research domain, as it provides a means for users to visualize and interact with accurate digitized models of objects, allowing free gesture-based interaction without harming asset preservation [34]. In addition, it can transform cultural and educational experiences into  
Figure 4: Depiction of using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device and interacting with the interface developed. engaging experiences, facilitating collaborative and inclusive environments among scholars using shared digital platforms regardless of their physical location [34; 35; 36]. In this context, the potential to add novel layers of information to digital models of heritage artifacts coming from spectral imaging technologies may enable deeper analysis and yield insights without physical interaction, contributing to a better yet harmless understanding of the materials and techniques used for example, as well as the formation of connections to the historical period [34]. The 3D interactivity may also be utilized to inform the planning of preservation strategies and to establish collaborative playgrounds with multiple layers of information and multiple samples (e.g., fragments [37; 38]). All in all, besides the natural exploration of the tool in multiple domains of science and technology such as heritage research [34], biology and medicine [19; 39; 40], geology [41], and industrial process control [42], we anticipate that promising future research lines may also include the exploration of a few other ramifications, including the following: the exploration of other spectral imaging techniques with multimodality and sensor fusion; the integration of machine learning tools and solutions for analysis and sample classification; and the exploration of the tool in classroom settings for teaching and demonstration purposes. The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15126635/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15126635/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15126635/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15126635/s1)), Video S1: Demonstration of the augmented reality interface and interactive visualization tool developed for Microsoft HoloLens 2.