Augmented Reality
Augmented
reality has the potential to revolutionize marketing as a whole in the next few
years. Some estimates even claim that AR-oriented products like camera glasses
could be the main stream as early as
next year. With changes this big on the horizon, its worth taking some time to
look what augmented reality has already accomplished in last few years and what
is going to achieve.
So, firstly
let’s take a look at what augmented reality is??
What Is Augmented Reality?
Augmented
reality (AR) is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved
through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli
delivered via technology. It is a growing trend among companies involved in
mobile computing and business applications in particular.
Amid the
rise of data collection and analysis, one of augmented reality’s primary
goals is to highlight specific features of the physical world, increase
understanding of those features, and derive smart and accessible insight that
can be applied to real-world applications. Such big data can help inform
companies' decision-making and gain insight into consumer spending habits,
among others.
The
Current State of Play in Augmented Reality (The Present)
Augmented
reality is achieved through a variety of technological innovations; these can
be implemented on their own or in conjunction with each other to create
augmented reality. They include:
Ø General hardware components – the processor, the display, the
sensors and input devices. Typically a smartphone contains a processor, a
display, accelerometers, GPS, camera, microphone etc. and contains all the
hardware required to be an AR device.
Ø Displays – while a monitor is perfectly
capable of displaying AR data there are other systems such as optical
projection systems, head-mounted displays, eyeglasses, contact lenses, the HUD
(heads up display), virtual retinal displays, Eye Tap (a device which changes
the rays of light captured from the environment and substitutes them with
computer generated ones),Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR – which uses ordinary
projection techniques as a substitute for a display of any kind) and handheld
displays.
Ø Sensors and input devices
include – GPS,
gyroscopes, accelerometers, compasses, RFID, wireless sensors, touch
recognition, speech recognition, eye tracking and peripherals.
Ø Software – the majority of development for AR
will be in developing further software to take advantage of the hardware capabilities.
There is already an Augmented Reality Markup Language (ARML) which is being
used to standardize XML grammar for virtual reality. There are several software
development kits (SDK) which also offer simple environments for AR development.
What
are the predictions for the AR industry and technology in the next 2, 10, and
25 years?
Jessica
Lowry, a UX Designer, writing for the Next Web says that AR is the future of
design and we tend to agree. Already mobile phones are such an integral part of
our lives that they might as well be extensions of our bodies; as technology
can be further integrated into our lives without being intrusive (a la Google
Glass) – it is a certainty that augmented reality provides opportunities to
enhance user experiences beyond measure.
This will
almost certainly see major advances in the much-hyped but still little seen;
Internet of Things. UX designers in the AR field will need to seriously
consider the questions of how traditional experiences can be improved through
AR – just making your cooker capable of using computer enhancements is not
enough; it needs to healthier eating or better cooked food for users to care.
The future
will belong to AR when it improves task efficiency or the quality of the output
of an experience for the user. This is the key challenge of the 21st
century UX profession.
Conclusion:
AR or
augmented reality has gone from pipe dream to reality in just over a century.
There are many AR applications in use or under development today, however – the
concept will only take off universally when UX designers think about how they
can integrate AR with daily life to improve productivity, efficiency or quality
of experiences. There is an unlimited potential for AR, the big question is -
how will it be unlocked?
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