A peek into the world of Augmented Reality
As we move forward in the era of the digital revolution and in a hyper-active digitized ecosystem where new and future technologies are booming, “The Matrix” is becoming less like fiction and more like reality, thanks to the hardware and software engineers who continue to refine their augmented reality technologies, making the line between the real and virtual life even blurrier. The concept of AR has gone beyond just some sci-fi concept and now we use it in our smartphones.
Augmented reality, is a word that is thrown around in every tech conversation. Let’s start by understanding augmented reality with a basic definition, “Augmented reality(AR) is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of the digital visual element, sound, or other sensory stimuli delivered via technology.” Amid the rise of importance and analysis of data collection, the primary goal of AR is to highlight and understand the basic features of the physical world and derive smart and accessible insight that can be applied to real-world applications.
Going back in time, The concept of AR was first introduced in 1957 by cinematographer, Morton Heilig. Then in 1980, a photography researcher, Steve Mann, introduced wearable computing. This concept became a foundational base for upcoming inventions. Scientists Jaron Lainer and P Caudell, in 1989, then coined the term “Augmented Reality” using this concept.
When we look at the present, AR is not only bound to physical machinery or mobile applications; now, we have WebAR and many other augmented reality-based applications. Let’s discuss a few:
i) The first one is general hardware-based AR- it is usually available in smartphones and portable tablets. The requirement for it is a processor, display, and input sensors. Usually, smartphones contain better and advanced hardware needed for AR, so it is easier to integrate AR.
ii) The second one is AR-based displays, which usually include head-mounted displays, eyeglasses, and virtual retinal displays. Head-mounted displays are getting widely popular nowadays.
iii) The third one is software-based AR, the majority part of AR work in today’s time is done in the software domain. AR software uses hardware capabilities to its benefit in order to provide exceptional services.
Moving further, Augmented reality is more advanced and modern than any technology to date. Television systems display graphics from only one point of view, but next-generation augmented reality will provide graphics from each viewer’s perspective. A few years back, a game called “Pokemon GO” became quite popular, which was probably the first time a mass of the population witnessed augmented reality in action. This game allowed users to view the world around them through their smartphone cameras while showing game items, like onscreen icons, game score, and Pokemon creatures, as the graphics made them seem as if those items were right in their neighborhood. This game was so immersive that it sent millions of kids and adults alike walking through their real-world backyards in search of virtual prizes. But augmented reality is more than just a bunch of smartphone games and fun. This technology finds its use in almost every field, from entertainment to business to warfare to medicine. The possibility of augmented reality is limitless. It is just a matter of time until we use AR in our daily lives.
Now, after the COVID19 virus hit the globe and led it to a global pandemic, AR is going into mainstream implementation. Companies, education institutions are leveraging advanced reality-based applications to fulfill their needs. Technology like WebAR and AR apps have come in handy to reach a large audience without actually meeting them physically. Virtual events are among the greatest AR business solutions that companies are happily adopting due to several advantages. Also, virtual events are not only cost-effective but provide audiences with more viewing flexibility. This helps companies establish a stronger bond with the viewers.
Apart from this, Education is also among the top priority sectors, and AR technology is improving the complete paradigm. With AR apps, teachers can teach students and can continue classroom learnings from remote locations with a higher engagement rate. Teachers can leverage AR apps to project complex figures, and students can have a closer overview during the video lectures.
AR helps schools and institutions deliver better knowledge in a shorter time. Whether it is primary schooling or advanced higher-level lectures, AR technology is more comfortable with customizing and programming based on deliverables. And with time, we will see more robust AR-based platforms to make Education more reachable.
As of now, there are numerous augmented reality applications available, and the number will grow in the future. The 17.67 billion dollars worth of industry will touch the mark of 88.4 billion dollars by 2026. As this technology becomes more accessible, more small-scale companies will adopt it. In the coming time, we can expect more AR-based solutions to streamline complex works. Also, Metaverse is an up-and-coming technology based on AR with bounds of future scope in it.
But after all this, augmented reality still has some challenges. Like, people will stop relying on smartphones that have small screens. Then, there is access to too much information. Right now, due to the internet and social media, we already have access to such information, the advancement in AR will add to it. There is also a concern about privacy and apart from all these, we might see many other concerns when AR is implemented in daily lives.
But despite these challenges, we have to imagine the spectrum of possibilities that come with the introduction of AR in our daily lives. In the coming few years, we will witness the evolution of AR, in terms of software and hardware. We will experience the surfeit of new applications. The future of Augmented reality is so exciting that you could expect yourself in Iron Man’s head suit in the next few years.
References:
- https://www.inglobetechnologies.com/augmented-reality-2021-trends-and-predictions/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality#:~:text=Augmented%20reality%20(AR)%20is%20an,%2C%20haptic%2C%20somatosensory%20and%20olfactory.
- https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/augmented-reality
- https://mobidev.biz/blog/augmented-reality-trends-future-ar-technologies
