Augmented reality is no longer a thing of the future. It is being used by businesses all over the world to enhance customer experience, increase efficiency, and boost sales. Here are some ways that augmented reality is transforming businesses:
1. Marketing and Advertising
Augmented reality is a great way to market and advertise products. For example, Alibaba is using augmented reality to create 3D models of real-world products for online shopping. This allows shoppers who are on the go to get a better idea of how products will look in their homes or offices before they buy them, increasing sales.
2. Productivity
Augmented reality is being used in an increasing number of industries to increase the efficiency of the workplace, such as worksite mapping and workplace maintenance. All it takes is a smartphone or tablet with an AR app, like those created by SolidGeo, which can be used to overlay necessary information over a real-world image in seconds.
3. Retail
Augmented reality is already used by brands like LVMH to transform window displays in retail stores into interactive digital worlds. This is a way retailers can engage customers without distracting them from their shopping.
4. Manufacturing
Augmented reality is being used to improve the efficiency of manufacturing industries, as well as increase safety on the factory floor. In offshore oil and gas or steel production, for example, augmented reality uses technology to provide workers with real-time field guides that help them monitor their job’s progress and potential issues, reducing errors and downtime.
5. Entertainment
Augmented reality is also being used to transform the way consumers interact with entertainment at home. Netflix and HBO, for example, are already leveraging augmented reality as a way to provide streaming video content inside of a living room. This changes the way consumers interact with these companies’ products so they not only watch them on their televisions but also get involved in the action.
6. Healthcare
Augmented reality is also being used in healthcare to aid doctors and surgeons during medical procedures. AR technology has been proven to be an effective training tool at facilities like the University of Washington, increasing efficiency and safety while helping doctors develop the necessary skills to provide better care for their patients.
7. Security and Law Enforcement
Augmented reality is being used by law enforcement agencies like the Los Angeles Police Department as a safer alternative to helicopters for surveillance and search-and-rescue missions.
In crime-riddled cities like Los Angeles, these types of devices can increase safety and security by providing real-time situational awareness — something that is particularly important in an environment like that of LA, where cars are often stolen to be used as weapons or used in other crimes.
8. Energy
Several companies are using augmented reality to help locate and identify natural gas leaks before they cause major explosions or major accidents. This technology has the potential to prevent millions of dollars in damages and fatalities by preventing disasters before they occur.
9. Engineering
Augmented reality is also being used by engineers and designers to improve design efficiency and create more efficient designs for new products. For example, L’Oréal used AR to test the look of a product’s packaging before it was created at their factory in France, using real-world images and product models instead of digital renderings.
10. Sports
Among industries that have been most impacted by augmented reality is sports, as it has the potential to greatly improve safety on and off the field, while also improving the efficiency of gameplay. For example, AR is already being used to improve how referees call the game by providing them with real-time data to help make better calls.
The Inception of Augmented Reality
At the beginning of the 21st century, augmented reality was a topic in pop culture that was talked about frequently in the media. But back then, people thought that augmented reality technology would soon become a reality thanks to advances in wearable technology. In 1980, Steve Mann, a computational photography researcher, introduced the world to wearable computers.
However, not long after this forecast was made by many people, it became clear that companies weren’t truly interested in investing in augmented reality technology as it wasn’t going to be profitable for them.
Since companies weren’t willing to invest their money into a product with no apparent use case, the idea of augmented reality went into limbo and hasn’t been seen much since then.
Evolution of Augmented Reality in The Past
Augmented reality is also known as “augmented virtuality” and is a technology that can provide reality with supplementary and digital elements.
In 1957, a cameraman named Morton Heilig found some success with augmented reality.
Although RealityPhone produced significant improvements when compared to other products that had come before it, it didn’t really meet expectations or have enough uses or applications to be commercially viable.
That said, some people continued to play around with augmented reality as well as other forms of virtual reality technologies long afterwards in hopes of creating something useful that could be useful in real life.
The history of augmented reality (AR) technology can be traced back to the 1960s when AR systems were developed for military training purposes. Today, AR technology is used in a variety of applications, from video games and education to healthcare and retail.
How to Get Started with Augmented Reality Development
We’ve outlined below the steps you’ll want to take to get started with augmented reality development.
1. Determine what type of augmented reality experience your business wants to create for customers. If you’re working on an app or a website, determine what type of interaction you want your users to have with the application.
If you plan on creating a new kind of object that needs to be physically interacted with, such as a toy or wearable gadget, find out what types of AR applications are available in the market today and decide which ones would best meet your needs.
With that information in hand, research which vendors are best suited for each type of AR application and hardware that may be required for customized creations using your selected technology platform.
2. Decide which kind of technology platform you’re going to use to build your augmented reality application. Think about what type of experience you want people to have with your AR app and how it will provide a consistent experience for users across all platforms and various device types.
For example, if you’re creating an app that allows customers to preview products in the real world through the use of their smartphones, then Android or iOS are both good choices for this type of application.
If you want to create an augmented reality game, which would require a different type of hardware and software than apps, then both Android and iOS are not good choices for this kind of development.
3. Find a software development partner (if you’re not a developer) who has experience with augmented reality applications. If you don’t have the in-house expertise to build an AR application, then you’ll want to find someone who does.
Check out vendors like Three Little Birds Consulting or MOOVZ and ask them questions to learn more about what they have to offer in terms of augmented reality development services and how their process works.
Make sure these partners have a proven track record of working on augmented reality projects and can show you examples if they are available so that you know they’re capable of helping you create your AR app.
4. Create your mobile app’s user interface and UX. Your application’s user interface is a key element of augmented reality technology. It should be designed to be intuitive and easy for users to understand so that they aren’t confronted with a complex set of instructions each time they use the app.
Once you have your application’s user interface, you can move on to creating the UX, which will determine how your users will interact with the software you’ve created. A UX should be as simple and intuitive as possible so that it doesn’t impede or get in the way of the AR experience.
5. Design and implement your platform’s API. Using an API is essential for creating applications for various types of platforms. If your application needs to work with other software or hardware, then you’ll want to create an API that’s compatible with the platform and device it’s being used on.
For example, if you’re designing a game and you want to launch it on both iOS and Android, you’ll need an API that works with both operating systems. For AR apps, which are designed to interact with the physical world through a mobile device’s camera, you’ll need an API that provides the device with accurate information about its surroundings so that the app can work properly.
The Different Types of Augmented Reality
Unlike virtual reality ( VR ), augmented reality uses computer-generated enhancements to interact with and respond to the real world.
Image recognition technology can now be used to create digital models of physical objects without needing to take pictures or make physical prototypes. This is particularly helpful for prototyping new products that don’t yet exist, like furniture and home goods.
Location recognition is another type of AR that uses GPS and maps to overlay directions for consumers who are using their mobile devices on their daily commutes. This type of technology is already being used inside of apps that allow users to order food, as well as provide directions to their destinations.
Tourism-related apps first appeared in the 2000s, however they were mostly made in university labs at the time.
In the near future, AR is also expected to be used by self-driving cars to identify where they are on the road, making it easier for vehicles to understand their location in relation to other objects and move more safely.
How it works In the simplest terms, augmented reality technology uses a camera and computer software to overlay digital information over a real-world image captured through the camera.
Pros of Augmented Reality for Businesses
For companies, augmented reality can be extremely valuable in a number of ways:
VR immerses users in a virtual environment and automatically creates an emotional connection between the product and the consumer. This is particularly helpful for celebrity endorsements that may be controversial to some.
AR uses computer screens to overlay digital information over real-world images, meaning it can provide users with more information than they would normally receive through VR technology.
This can help a brand stand out in a crowded market and also make it easier for people to interact with their products by providing them with extra information they may not have known they needed before.
Simulating digital objects such that they interact with real-world motions in real-time (often via paper printouts) was a popular technique to AR in the early 2010s, particularly for watches and jewellery.
AR works well when the technology needs to communicate something specific, like directions or instructions. This can be especially helpful for products people use every day.
For more consumer-friendly augmented reality, brands and companies will have to figure out ways to provide people with more detailed information and provide a smoother, more intuitive experience. This means being able to adapt AR technology for use in everyday use by users rather than just providing it for technical applications.
The Challenges of Augmented Reality Development
Despite the potential, augmented reality still has several challenges that must be overcome before it is embraced by mainstream consumers in the way virtual reality ( VR ) has been.
First of all, hardware development is still very much stuck in the 1980s, as AR headsets are extremely bulky and heavy for current technology. One expert estimates that a headset must weigh at least 8 pounds to qualify as light enough to consider using it for everyday use.
This makes it difficult for companies currently using AR to take their products to market, making their technology less useful for consumers. This is why Google Glass and other wearables like Microsoft’s HoloLens have been so well-received by many consumers who use them on a daily basis.
The second major challenge is the fact that AR requires separate hardware to work, meaning people will need to spend money in order to use it. In the case of the HoloLens, for example, people who wish to use it must purchase an additional piece of technology that will run them at least $3,000. This means increased expenses for consumers, who must purchase new hardware in order to get the full augmented experience.
While this may not be as big of an issue for companies and brands like L’Oreal or Walmart, since they have more resources available to them than consumers do it can still be a major setback for any company trying to revolutionize an industry with augmented reality.
Alternative Uses of Augmented Reality
Despite the innovations made possible by augmented reality technology, it’s not yet being applied as widely as VR. This is largely due to the fact that it requires a different type of hardware and technology that is not currently available in smartphones or other devices and thus greater expense on behalf of consumers.
With iOS12, Apple announced USDZ AR file support for iPhones and iPads.
While companies like Google and Microsoft have made strides to make AR more accessible, it’s still not as widespread. It’s for this reason marketing firms are working together to develop a way to use AR to increase sales.
The idea is that by highlighting products in the real world through augmented reality, the purchase process will become more streamlined for consumers and simpler for retailers who want to sell more of them.
For example, a marketing firm could send customers a direct message from their website that would let them know about the new style of shoes a certain brand is offering at a discount, thus enabling them to use AR on their mobile devices in order to check out without leaving their home or office.
The head-mounted display is a wearable augmented reality device that allows users to see and interact with virtual fixtures in the real world. The augmented reality industry is expected to grow rapidly in the next few years, and head-mounted displays will play a big role in this growth. AR apps are already being developed for a variety of industries, and the potential uses for head-mounted displays are virtually limitless.
The Future of Augmented Reality in Business
As global augmented reality technology continues to develop, more and more businesses are looking to create augmented reality experiences for their customers. However, there can be a lot of confusion about what type of hardware is needed to support augmented reality.
While there are several challenges still facing augmented reality technology, it’s predicted that it will be widely used in many aspects of the business world in the not-so-distant future, especially as technology continues to advance.
This is why businesses should take the following steps to prepare for AR’s arrival:
Buy into AR early to learn how it will impact your industry and how you can use it to shape new customer experiences. This can also help you identify ways you may be able to utilize augmented reality technology in unexpected ways.
Develop a strategy that outlines how your company’s marketing plan will incorporate AR. This involves answering questions such as, “How will AR change the way people interact with our product?” or “How will it affect overall sales?”
Assemble a team that can work to determine the best ways to apply augmented reality technology and how it can be used to meet your company’s goals. The more research and development you do on this front, the easier you’ll make the transition once AR becomes more widely available.
Last Updated on October 12, 2023 by Priyanshi Sharma
