6 Types of Augmented Reality: Choose the Best for Your Business
Leverage different types of Augmented Reality to deliver visually rich experience, drive immense user engagement, & maximize conversions.
‘Picture speaks louder than words,’ — we all aware of this famous quote and it’s so true too.
In this digital era, the pictures become immersive and interactive to provide a better and complete understanding of a subject by introducing cognitive technology Augmented Reality (AR).
It’s a very popular technology that helps businesses to represent products, services, methodologies, processes, etc. by delivering a visually rich experience to the users. Many businesses leverage AR apps to drive tremendous user engagement to represent their subject effectively and in a convincing way.
AR has created its own space in the digital world by allowing varied industry domains to increase business opportunities and gain a competitive edge. To take maximum benefits of the technology, the market continuously evolving and exploring the fundamentals of it.
You must come across the Augmented Reality before. But, let’s start with the definition to get a crystal clear understanding of the technology from scratch.
Augmented Reality Definition
In simple words, Augmented Reality is the technology that superimposes the digital or computer-generated content on the real world to provide a composite view.
This content could be immersive (3D view) or interactive, and consists of multiple sensory modalities, including auditory, visual, olfactory, somatosensory and haptic.
If I say in a practical way, then you can impose an animation, video, images, and more. See the example below.
Now, let’s understand different types of Augmented Reality, so you can select the best suited to convey your subject.
6 Types of Augmented Reality
Augmented reality app development companies are constantly elevating the user experiences by enabling brands and SMEs with visually rich and innovative ways of representing the digital content. And, they are doing so using different types of AR. There are six different types of Augmented Reality.
1. Marker-based AR
2. Market-less AR
3. Location-based AR
4. Superimposition AR
5. Projection-based AR
6. Outlining AR
1. Marker-based Augmented Reality
The marker-based AR identifies the markers of an object or image with the help of AR apps. When you open an Augmented Reality app, the app uses a back camera of your smartphone to track the markers.
Based on the marker tracking, it showcases overlaid content such as video, another image, 3D model, animation clips, or scene. Users can interact with the content using the app.
Marker-based AR is also popular as Recognition based AR or Image Recognition.
It allows users to view the object with more details and from different angles. Not only that, when the users rotate the marker, the 3D imaginary rotates as well.
Marker-based Augmented Reality Example
The user is tracking the images and words printed in the book through his smartphone using an AR app. The imposed animations and content play on the app screen after detecting the markers of the objects. Moreover, the user can interact with the content as well.
2. Markerless Augmented Reality
This type of AR works without the help of any marker. It allows users to decide where they want to put the virtual object or content, without moving anything in the surroundings.
The markerless AR relies on the device’s GPS, digital compass, camera and accelerometer to gather the positional information.
Marker Less Augmented Reality Example
Image credit: AnyMotion
In the above images, you can see in the first image there is no object lay on the floor. In the second image, there is a car along with its features. The AR app tracks a place surface and runs the immersive content over it.
There are different types of marker-less AR where no object or image is required to access the superimposed content.
3. Location-based Augmented Reality
This is the widely implemented application of AR. The best part of this AR is, it augments the content by detecting the location. The digital content is mapped to a specific location. So when the user enters in a predetermined location, the objects are displayed on the screen.
Location-based Augmented Reality Example
In the video, the user can view the digital information once he enters in that particular locations such as a parking area or inside a building.
4. Superimposition Augmented Reality
Superimposition AR creates an alternate view of an object. It replaces either the entire view of an object or a portion of the object with an augmented view. In this type of AR, object recognition is quite essential. If the app is not able to identify what it is looking at, it cannot replace the original view with the augmented one.
Superimposition Augmented Reality Example
Image Credit: ResearchGate
In the above image, Augmented Reality delivers a partial alternative view of a historical place.
5. Projection-based Augmented Reality
Projection-based AR is not a user-operated technology. It runs with the projection of lights on a surface. You need to use advanced projectors to leverage this technology. It cannot be operated using smartphones. The projection-based AR could be interactive or non-interactive, you can make your choice.
It is quite an interesting type of AR as it gets activated when light is blown onto the surface. It allows users to interact with the digital content by touching the projected surface with hand.
In projection-based AR, you can create deception of orientation, depth, and position of an object. In such a case, the object and its structure need to be taken into consideration to study it in-depth.
Projection-based Augmented Reality Example
In this video, you can see the projection light blown on the shoes and chair and the users can view the digital content of the respective objectives.
6. Outlining Augmented Reality
This is another different type of AR. Outlining AR identifies the lines and boundaries that human eyes cannot recognize. It uses object recognition to understand the user’s existing surroundings. Imagine the cases like low light condition or viewing a building structure from outside.
Outlining Augmented Reality Example
Image Credit: Slideshare
The above image shows that outlining AR shows boundaries of the road to the car driver in a foggy environment which is quite tough for human eyes to identify.
Takeaway
The best thing about AR is, it can be accessible by any ordinary user. They can view and interact with digital content without any technical knowledge.
It is quite easy to access. Isn’t it?
The only requirement is, users have an AR app installed on their smartphone. They need to scan any image or object or plane surface through the phone to view the computer-generated content or information. This app could be your own or any AR app available on the App Store or Play Store.
If you want to impose simple video and animation on your products or subjects, then you can ask your customers to use any app. However, to deliver highly interactive and seamless experiences, developing your AR app is the best option.
Moreover, to leverage projection-based AR and outlining AR, you need to take the help of advanced devices such as hi-tech projectors or cameras respectively.
