When I set out to dig into the augmented reality industry and one of its biggest players, Magic Leap, I didn’t realize how far the technology had come. I didn’t realize the extent of the challenges either.

Head-worn, battery-powered computers can combine fake images with the real world. I’ve shot laser guns at flying robots bursting through real-life walls. I’ve grabbed virtual objects with my bare hands and moved them around, just like you would blocks. They feel like they exist in the world and not where they actually reside: on the surface of your glasses.