Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that allows users to enjoy an interactive experience by overlaying digital elements in the real world. AR is more commonly associated with the gaming industry, but you can also find it in many other industries nowadays, such as retail, healthcare, and education. By blending the physical and digital worlds, AR draws more attention and provides more desirable results.
In this article, you can read more about how AR development has brought innovation to multiple sectors.
Innovations in AR Development
For as long as AR has existed, it has been evolving. Through advancements such as real-time object recognition, tracking and localisation, and SLAM technology, AR has provided an increasingly enhanced experience for users, with refined stability and improved interaction.
In addition to the overlay, the hardware has also seen significant enhancements. Many companies have started to invest in the development of optimised AR equipment. Smart glasses and headsets have features that make the AR experience even more unique, such as cameras, sensors, audio capabilities, motion tracking abilities, and high-resolution displays.
AR can integrate other relevant and emerging technologies, like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. These technologies have contributed to a quality increase of AR experiences by, for example, enabling accurate and seamless object recognition and tracking, understanding the context of the scene, and interpreting gestures and voice commands.
Innovation becomes even clearer when looking at mobile apps. AR and the app development industry have gotten very close, which resulted in an interesting combination of mobile apps and AR features. Social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat are immediate examples of this relationship, as they are known to provide filters to add to photos. The retail industry also benefits from AR technology – for instance, IKEA’s app uses AR technology to allow users to try on furniture in their real-life environment.
Use Cases: AR in Different Sectors
AR in Retail and E-commerce
As mentioned previously, AR plays a relevant role in the retail and e-commerce transformation. As people increasingly turn to online shopping, the more necessary it is to find technologies that allow customers to benefit from the advantages of being in a physical store. AR has thus enabled virtual try-ons, which allow shoppers to virtually try on the products before purchasing, from makeup to furniture.
AR in Education and Training
Thanks to Augmented Reality, education has become more interactive and enjoyable. AR technology can overlay digital elements such as 3D models and animations onto real-life objects, making the experience more interactive, immersive, and memorable, which helps keep students motivated.
Besides providing a more entertaining learning experience, AR also helps learners acquire skills through simulations of the real world, in which the student can learn and practise in a controlled but realistic environment. This is especially helpful for skills related to aviation and healthcare, for example.
AR in Healthcare
Augmented Reality can help medical staff perform tasks more safely. For instance, this technology can help surgeons during medical procedures by overlaying a 3D model of the patient’s anatomy onto their field of view, which helps guide them in the surgery, improving precision. Likewise, the same can be applied to students, who can practise performing medical procedures of different levels of difficulty in a realistic environment without the implications and risks of real-life training.
AR in Manufacturing
AR can also transform the manufacturing industry and make the lives of assembly workers easier by overlaying visual instructions onto their environment, thus guiding them through the most complex assembly processes. Additionally, it can help them detect and reduce errors and display real-time metrics, which increases efficiency and productivity.
Final Thoughts on the Expansive Realm of AR Development
The future of AR development holds promising advancements, as the realm of AR is constantly evolving. Technological progress makes AR more accessible, immersive, and integrated into our reality. And with the advent of emerging technologies that are bound to be part of our daily lives as well, such as 5G and Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality will only continue to grow and provide users with platforms that enhance their learning and skill development processes, their work duties, and their leisure moments.