A couple of years ago Augmented Reality was pretty expensive technology that was used exclusively in the manufacture, medicine, and military. However, this technology is becoming increasingly popular, which leads many to wonder what Augmented Reality actually is and why it is gaining immense popularity…
We are all used to discovering digital content with our laptops, smartphones and web browsers. But Augmented and Mixed Reality are widening our options providing us with a whole new way of interaction with the digital world. This is done by layering real-world and surrounding objects, thus blending them with digital content, that can be taken from the web or simply hardcoded to apps. On top of that, these technologies provide an instant search of information through scanning the objects, images and physical environment.
Nowadays you can come across plenty of various useful AR apps and projects that can improve our daily life. Many large companies such as IKEA, Walmart, and Wayfair are integrating this technology to improve our shopping experience. With Augmented Reality technologies, customers are able to see the products in real-world surrounding before buying them.
Img source: digiday.com
Wayfair AR experience
AR community also aren’t standing still. Lots of entrepreneurs and makers, such as Dan Zaitsev are working on their own startups and side-projects that help to grow and scale AR and MR community. For example, Catchar.io is a great website and catalogue where users can easily find the best Augmented and Mixed Reality apps, lenses and campaigns in one place, while AR developers and startups can share and promote their projects and products. So, if you would like to discover more AR examples and projects, Catchar will definitely help you in this case. Besides, it’s free to use.
Augmented Reality is also changing the way we navigate around the world. Recently, Google Maps have introduced Augmented Reality feature that can simplify navigation in cities, locating streets and attractions of your interest.
Google Maps AR experience
Owing to the AR education industry will experience certain changes as well. Using augmented books children will be able to see interactive stories and derive far more pleasure from learning. For adults, it offers a chance to discover 3D realistic content and vivid examples that can animate overly complicated or vague concepts and processes encountered whether at work or while studying.
Img source: thurrott.com
Eager to know what’s next?
In the nearest future Augmented and Mixed Reality will revolutionize the way we perceive and interact with digital content and the world around us. Currently, lots of companies such as Apple and Google are working on improving their devices to ensure they support these technologies. This guarantees that AR and MR are going to be brought into our daily life. Other companies, such as Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap are working on Mixed Reality headsets (smart glasses), which might well replace smartphones, laptops, and desktops whatsoever in not so distant future. Admittedly, right now all the mentioned companies face some issues, be it problems with battery life on newly invented devices, the performance of AR on the old ones or size of headsets which makes them uncomfortable to wear in the streets. Nevertheless, all these companies are on the right track, and getting it right is just a matter of time.
Img source: Mastersofmedia.com
Conclusions
Both of these technologies have a huge potential, but what’s more important is finding the right balance between useful content and advertising so that Augmented and Mixed Reality would not turn into a digital dump and become the most used technologies.
