All throughout 2016, one of the biggest talking points of the year was virtual reality. A variety of different companies were jumping on the bandwagon, with major pushes from not only the likes of Facebook, but also HTC, Google, and others. If a company had any ability at all, or desire, they apparently were ready to go all-in with VR in some capacity or another.

I don't imagine that VR is going to completely drop out of the tech industry's consciousness this year, especially considering the investment these companies have put into the effort, but I can't help but wonder if augmented reality is going to start to see a concerted effort in its direction throughout 2017, too.

Google has Tango, for starters, and we're already seeing adoption right out of the gate (after a prolonged period of teasing from phone manufacturers). But it isn't just from the smartphone companies supporting this push into AR. Google announced recently that it's already got Tango in one museum, and it plans on putting Tango-enabled devices in more of them in the future.

I've said this in the past: I've come around on virtual reality, but I don't think AR is going to need to try as hard as VR did.

Seeing Tango in the Detroit Institute of Arts, and what it's capable of, is pretty awesome. There is a lot that AR can do to enhance the learning experience, and museums seems like a pretty perfect place to put the technology.

Apple is also rumored to be jumping into the AR game with new glasses, which could even see the light of day this year. Google's already tried this with Google Glass, and while that didn't take off, it will still be interesting to see how Apple implements the technology and features. We already know that Tim Cook, the company's CEO, loves AR and thinks it's a big piece of the tech puzzle in the future, so what happens next will certainly be interesting.

How do you feel about the future of augmented reality? Do you think it will be a hit, or is this a technology that won't get much traction? Let me know!