A Glimpse into the Future of AR
AR has probably been one of the most exciting technologies that we have been introduced to in the past couple of years. You’d have to living under a rock to not know what AR is!
After Pokémon Go almost everyone is acquainted with AR. The Snapchat filters such as the dog face and the floral crown use AR too.
But AR is not just limited to games and filters, Surgeons, nurses, designers and even teachers are using AR.
To give personal and a relatable example, when travelling abroad to countries that speak a foreign language, travelling gets a little complicated. Especially when I am alone or in the company of people like me, who don’t understand the language as well. In this situation Google Translate becomes a life saver. The camera option lets travelers point their cameras to the foreign text and the text is translated to their desired language on the phone screen, in Real-Time. No more getting lost, when travelling alone!
A few years ago, implementing AR to its full potential, was not possible as the technology was very expensive, and all devices didn’t fully support AR.
Google’s introduction of ARCore and Apple’s launch of ARKit that are the companies respective AR development platforms, has given easy access to developers to develop Augmented reality applications. Apples ARKit is supported by iOS and Google’s ARCore is expanding across most of the Android phones. This alone cover majority of the smartphone market.
Which means that there would not only be more implications of AR in our lives but most of our devices would fully support AR without the requirement of any special sensors or depth cameras.
Can you imagine a world where you didn’t have to imagine anymore? Where you can view objects as if they were really there, right in front of you.
In the retail industry, when it is not possible to view the product in real life pictures and videos are all we can rely on and let’s admit it, most of the time they are not sufficient and clicking on the ‘Buy now’ option feels like crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
When you are buying an expensive piece of furniture online, your main concern is if it will go well with your interiors and if it will fit perfectly, after all nobody wants to end up with furniture that’s too small or too big!
IKEA has used AR for its business in the most pragmatic way, where you can select your piece of furniture and point your camera towards where you want to place it and the app places your furniture on your desired area, keeping the size implications in mind. And you can move closer and inspect every inch and angle through your screen. How amazing is that? Have a look below.
To give you another example of buying an expensive product online, like jewellery, you want to inspect the product carefully and there are also concerns regarding the size of the jewellery. With the use of AR these concerns are completely eliminated and by utilizing its full potential you could even place the jewellery on you. Talk about magic!
With further developments in the AR field, AR will not just be exclusive to a few companies and applications, but it will be the norm throughout the internet.
We at Eccentric Engine have used AR to showcase the 3D models of our cars. Below you can view Maruti Suzuki’s Ciaz in AR. You can also add accessories and see them appear on the car in Real-Time. Make sure to check it out.
