Augmented reality Books: Now reading becomes more interesting
“Jump a little left”
‘’Look, the kind turtle is right behind you”
“What a show by these fireflies?”
“Oh, there you go to your meadow”
Isn’t this snippet of conversation by a 7- year- old boy, while reading an AR book by Dawn Publication,’ The mouse and his Meadow’, revealing much about the level of engagement and fun created by augmented reality books.
Undeniably books of all kinds such as paper-printed, e-books or AR books have edified people since many decades. However, with the pace of technological advancement, the choices and preferences of masses have undergone a major change, which has necessitated the need to revamp how we interact with the books. The question is not about, comparing AR books with traditional books, rather it more about how effectively augmented reality can be used to engage the readers and make reading a more interesting experience for all.
AR technology being highly holographic in nature provides a number of outlets for creativity and innovation in any disciplines like medical, real estate, education or marketing. By supplementing the real world environment with digital elements, AR technology fosters a highly interactive and engaging experience. And, when the same is applied to the world of the books, the level of imagination knows no limit.
Books of all Types get charged up with AR technology:
From fiction to non-fiction books, story tales to academic books, epics to biographies all gets charged up by the virtue of AR technology. Need not to say, when fiction books are talked about, technological augmentation would take the readers into a completely different world by means of added videos, 3D models, and digital pop-ups. Book of Spells by Wonderbook, The Little Mermaid are some examples of fiction books that have gone massively viral. Non-fiction books are at the same advantage with AR technology, by having an additional space for providing extra information to the readers about a subject.
Examining the use and applicability of AR technology in the education sector, the level of retention and engagement fostered by AR books goes nonpareil. The successful transition from blackboard learning to Smart –Board learning paved the way for the introduction of AR books for the academic purpose. AR books under this domain can bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical knowledge. With the use of 3D models, the students can understand the instrumentality behind any object or theory in a precise manner.
When talked about some ancient epic or biographies of some personalities, taking the rescue of AR technology for making people acknowledge about the thing of past, sounds like a perfect match. What better technology than AR can one think of, for showcasing an entity that exists no more? A book on Life of Dinosaurs by John Rhodes is the best example that evidence the usability of AR to make people acquaint about dinosaurs’. This book gathered immense popularity among the young kids, who have heard the tales of the dinosaur, and was now rewarded to see the virtual model with the help of augmented reality books. The same futuristic technology when applied to the famous Indian epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, the AR version of these books can act as a small TV screen bringing the characters to life and spreading the word of wisdom unanimously among all.
