Augmented reality: An In-demand Technology in Various Sectors

The technology of augmented reality (AR) is one of the latest buzzes around the globe and is going to become more prevalent as AR-equipped smartphones and other gadgets become easily available. AR is an advanced technology that allows us to view the real-life world right in front of us— cars moving on the road, dogs barking, kids playing football—with a digital augmentation draped over it.

What is Augmented Reality?

To explain it clearly, augmented reality (AR) is nothing but an experience in which designers enhance portions of users’ real-world with computer-generated input. Designers add inputs, such as sound to videos, graphics, GPS overlays, and many other things, in digital content which respond in real-time to alterations in the user’s surroundings.

These examples might seem familiar to you as you might by now be using similar features on your smartphone. Today, AR is readily accessible and being used in innumerable ways, for instance, in applications that aid you in finding your car in a crowded parking lot, in Snapchat lenses, and in several shopping applications that allow you to try on clothes from the comfort of your home.

Possibly, the most renowned application of AR technology is the mobile app: Pokemon Go, which was launched in 2016 and instantly became an inevitable sensation. In this game, players detect and capture Pokemons that can be seen in the real world—in your garden, in a school, and simply anywhere around you.

Not just games, the wonders of AR have been experienced in a variety of other applications in our everyday lives. Here are a few outstanding applications of AR:

1. Advanced navigation systems make use of AR to overlay a path over the live view of the road.

2. In football games, broadcasters make use of AR to draw lines on the ground to demonstrate and evaluate games.

3. IKEA, a famous furniture & housewares company, has invented an AR-based app (called IKEA Place) that allows you to view how a piece of furniture will fit and look in your house.

4. Pilots in military fighter teams take help of AR projection to see their speed, altitude, and other statistics on their helmet screen, so that they don’t have to waste their time and lose focus by looking down to see them.

5. In some cases, even neurosurgeons make use of AR projections of a 3-D brain to help them in surgical procedures.

6. At historic places such as Pompeii in Italy, AR is used to depict scenes of ancient civilizations over today’s remains, thus bringing the past to life.

7. At Singapore’s airport, ground crew staff make use of AR glasses to view information about freight containers for accelerating loading times.

8. In recent years, Oppo, a Chinese consumer electronics and mobile communications company, has come up with some immaculate impressions, ranging from a waterfall display to a hidden selfie camera in the screen. And now, the company is set to enter into another innovative space: augmented reality glasses with time-of-flight (ToF) sensors to calculate distances. The glasses will use simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms to measure the area around the person wearing them.

9. Flipkart owned by Walmart has recently stated that it has acquired Bengaluru-based AR firm, Scapic. This acquisition will benefit the e-commerce site to improve its immersive shopping experience competences.

10. Last year, Ford, an American multinational automaker, has implemented AR to develop car models, to improve the clay models of the forthcoming new cars, which can be created using AR in a less expensive way and will save lots of time as well as manufacturing cost while developing a new car or upgradating a prevailing model design.

What is the Future of Augmented Reality?

AR has attained its repute in a very short period, and in the coming years we will witness a variety of inventions related to it. AR is not just restricted to entertainment, but its impact is being verified by numerous giant businesses and they are trying to strengthen their process so that they can compete harder in the near future with their rivals.

Nobody is sure about the future of anything, but merely predictions can be stated. However, the way AR is making its footmark in various industries, it is undisputable that AR’s future will be bright and keep flourishing. Considering the cumulative effect of AR, it is clear that this technology is heading for a big deal in the future.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.