Human’s constant need to better ourselves has led to some truly amazing technology. Soon we will have technology that will take over the world by storm and even have us questioning reality. One example of this ever-growing technology is augmented reality, also known as AR. Augmented reality is a concept that conceptually has no limits and it can almost change the way the world perceives technology and reality. Before we can understand how augmented reality will change the world, we have to understand what augmented reality actually is.
What Is Augmented Reality?
Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances the living style by embracing technology in the best way imaginable. The whole concept of Augmented reality is mind-blowing as it is basically a fine line between virtual space and reality. Augmented reality can upgrade what we understand as reality.
AR basically uses projectors specifically designed to show their unique content. They aren’t like normal projectors, projectors designed for AR are three-dimensional in nature. They have a certain shape, form, and vibrancy to them & project moving pictures and videos which are pre-recorded and then projected.
The immersive video concept was first used in the 1970s to build video games. You can even say that AR is the backbone of virtual games. Augmented reality is a three-dimensional projection and it has a 360-degree reach. The sound for these projections is fed to the viewers along with the images, so the video feels real and life-like. Let’s not wait any longer and look at how augmented reality can change the world.
1. AR In Malls
If you don’t know it already, the normal public like you and I can experience augmented reality daily using our phones. As the various uses of AR are becoming famous with the general audience, the concept is still being studied thoroughly. AR has been exposed to the public in malls, airports, convention centers, exhibitions, etc on multiple occasions. One of the most notable occasions was when an augmented reality display was set up by national geographic in a Mall in Bahrain in 2013. The display was appreciated by a huge crowd.
The display projected the top fauna clips from national geographic using AR. The content of the channel was shared with passersby in a completely new way. If Augmented Reality is implied in malls, it can serve some purposes such as:
- Augmented reality can project maps and the viewers can find the content with ease.
- Online catalogs of retail outlets in the malls can be displayed using AR projectors. This will help customers save time and get a comprehensive preview of the products.
- As shopping malls are public spaces, they can be used to teach people about the implementations of AR and how it can change the world.
2. AR In Airports
AR works amazingly well with the VR concept. VR is short for virtual reality, and it is growing at an exceptional rate. Virtual reality uses AR with accessories including mobile phones, headsets, projectors, and computers.
This mixed concept can be used in ways to make the flying experience better for consumers. The San Jose Airport in Silicon Valley constantly uses new technologies to serve its customers in better ways. They also decided to implement Augmented Reality by partnering with Google.
The whole project was named “Tango” and it was installed in one of the aisles. Similar to malls, airports can use AR for the following reasons:
- Flyers who have landed in a strange city can use this technology to project a 3-dimensional map of the city without using GPS or any extra signals. This is a tool that’s handy for people who are looking for hotels, bookmark locations, and more.
- Billboard advertisements- British Airways partnered with Tango and San Jose International airport and used AR during one of their flights from San Jose to London. The concessions area in the airport projected images of various attractions in the city.
The Future of AR Technology
AR is already an ever-evolving tool, and it’ll be an even more engaging tool in the future. Just as the internet grew and changed the lives of billions of people globally. The Internet helped to bring people from all over the world closer to each other, and proper implementation of AR can do the same thing.
VR is also a technology that’s loved by consumers all over the globe, but it has to be accessorized with VR goggles. These goggles limit the use of VR technology when it comes to a mass audience. If you are to provide information to masses of the audience, then AR is the better and easier option. It requires just two elements, a projector that will screen the image and a controller that will help you decide the image that is to be displayed to viewers. As we mentioned above, mobile phones can also help in providing users with the same AR interface.
AR has incredible uses in medicine as well. Accuvein is one such example, this technology lets the doctors scan the patient’s hand to find the right veins for IV injections. Another unexplored potential use of AR in the gaming industry. Some time ago, a game named Pokemon Go, took the world by storm because of its AR implementation. It’s safe to say that AR can be used to build great games in the future. Social media platform such as Snapchat also uses AR to enhance user experience.
Now all the technological giants such as Apple & Microsoft, AR is expected to be the next big thing in the tech industry. With the rise of AR, we will see the world constantly switching between reality and Augmented Reality.
