3 Augmented Reality (AR) Startups You Need To Know About
At a Silicon Roundabout event in London, three AR startups are making strides in three essential areas of human society: healthcare, education and communication.
We keep hearing how Augmented Reality (AR) is going to blow up, but away from “hilarious” snap chat filters, it can sometimes feel like a technology that hasn’t delivered on it’s potential.
True mass adoption of AR will only happen once a more user-friendly and affordable wearable (i.e. Google Glass 2.0) comes to market. And with all of the big players entering this space, including Facebook’s plan to turn us all into holograms, it won’t be too long now.
It’s good to know, then, that there are a bunch of startups out there developing AR beyond bunny ears and devil horns, and finding remarkable solutions to some enduring real-world problems.
Proximie
Did you know there is a global shortage of surgeons?
According to Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram, there are only 1.2 million surgeons worldwide. And in countries such as Sierra Leone where there are only ten qualified local surgeons, it’s the equivalent to something absurd like one surgeon for every 600,000 people in the country.
This shortfall, says the co-founder of MedTech startup Proximie, can be bridged with their groundbreaking augmented reality collaboration software.
“Now, any surgeon can virtually “scrub up” and appear in real-time alongside doctors in operating theatres anywhere in the world.”
From there, they can guide on the procedure and lend expertise to the local team (in a way far more supportive than via a FaceTime call which has been the way in recent years!).
Check our Dr Hachach-Haram’s Ted Talk for a full preview of the tech in action:
vividbooks
vividbooks are creating the next generation of tech talent by helping schoolchildren fall in love with science.
They argue that kids are bored at school and many do not learn basic maths and science because of antiquated learning materials that are out of sync with how they experience the world.
Enter vividbooks’ virtual textbook. Once it is seen through the eye of a tablet, the textbook comes to life and makes learning fun and super-interactive.
“We couldn’t bring something so radical into the classroom,” says co-founder, Vitek Skop. “So we build something based on traditional learning materials (i.e. pen and paper) but with a digital layer.”
They have only recently launched their MVP and are testing in London and Prague, the later where they are based. And with 5,000 secondary schools in the UK and the 37,000 in the USA as their initial markets — presumably, because they are building products in English — they have plenty of work ahead.
Check out how fun science is going to get:
HoloMe
Are you familiar with the Uncanny Valley?
The hypothesis goes that any entity appearing ‘almost human’ spooks real humans, and therefore provokes negative feelings from us to the technology.
And with the proliferation of robotics, 3d animations and holograms into our lives we are being made to increasingly visit this unhappy place.
“But,” says HoloMe Marketing Director, Tom Pascoe, “if some of the ‘human experience’ has been lost with digital communication then we are reintroducing it.”
HoleMe’s software allows for the creation of real humans in augmented reality using nothing but a smartphone.
Thousands of people would have unknowingly used their tech on fashion retail website ASOS, where the virtual catwalk transports the model and the designer clothes into your living room.
Virtual shopping is the only start for HoloMe. Co-founder Janosch Amstuz recently appeared on BBC News explaining the vast potential of their tech:
AR For All
AR is entering every facet of our lives: when we go under the knife, when kids learn in school, and when we shop online.
However, to really take off, these startups are waiting for one other, major component: 5G.
With 5G, AR’s potential is phenomenal. The quality of experience will improve five-fold and the user won’t be restricted to the computational power of their device as all the data will be shifted to the AR cloud.
There is no doubt, in three-five years time, AR will be a ubiquitous technology that most of us will use every, single day.
Craig writes for Metier Digital, a London-based consultancy that validates ideas, products and markets. This year, Metier built their first AR game following a successful validation process. Reach out to craig@meteirdigital.com if they can support your product development needs.
