The democratization of augmented reality applications
The field of augmented reality is exploding. Dozens of new applications
integrating this technology are created every month. Adopted by many
industries such as luxury or even entertainment, all brands want their own Augmented Reality application.
Applications for everyone
There are now a large number of applications for phones and tablets that rely on augmented reality to provide a new experience.
You probably know the Snapchat app. Did you know that this social network was the first to believe in augmentative technologies? Their augmented reality filters are, to this day, their biggest added value. In addition to introducing AR to the general public, this start-up has also demonstrated the economic potential of this technology. No wonder that that all social networks have followed this trend in their applications.
Today, companies and individuals alike can create their own filters, whether for private use (weddings, birthdays, etc.) or professional use (events, marketing campaigns, etc.). For example, a company can invite users to take a picture of themselves with a custom filter to promote a new product or to participate in a contest.
Pokémon GoDoes that ring a bell? This application is the emblem of the Augmented Reality phenomenon. This game, released in 2016, allows you to hunt Pokémon around the world. Pokémon GO was an undeniable commercial success.
Consumer applications, which you may be familiar with, also use augmented reality to facilitate and encourage shopping. IKEA Placefor example, offers a full-size view of any piece of furniture from the IKEA catalogue right in your own home in actual size. The YouCam MakeUp app allows you to try L'Oréal beauty products virtually on your face.
Professionals also equipped with augmented reality applications
While augmented reality is becoming more popular with the general public, it is also becoming a formidable sales tool for professionals. Indeed, it allows customers to visualise products and easily project themselves into a new environment.
This is particularly the case with the augmented catalogues that are being developed by many manufacturers. Based on the same principle as IKEA Place, these tools allow sales representatives to offer their customers a full-size view of their products (either from home or in the shop) and to order them from the application. Imagine the potential: showing swimming pools, verandas, and interior design items in a realistic way through a simple app for smartphones and tablets. All consumers want this shopping experience today.
Urbasee has done it! All you have to do is upload the 3D models of the products you want into your management space. From furniture to houses, project them in augmented reality from your smartphone or tablet, in front of the customer to show him the final result before realization.
Tools to make Augmented Reality development accessible
Apple'sARKit and Google's ARCore allow developers to create augmented reality applications in a much simplified way. If you would like to know more about these tools, we recommend you to read our article on these two software development kits!
New trends in AR
Augmented reality has been gaining in popularity in recent years. Many significant effects are observed on different industries.
These first 6 months of 2021 have been flourishing for the augmented reality industry. Between the contract between Microsoft and the US Army for the sale of 120,000 augmented reality headsets and the release of Snapchat's latest Spectacles, this year is so far punctuated by the emergence of an increasingly " futuristic " world.
Today, Augmented Reality has undeniable advantages for training and education. In particular, it improves employee productivity by allowing them to practice their tasks in real time and without risk.
On a social level, Augmented Reality is becoming more and more adopted in the daily life of companies. To make meetings more dynamic or simply to make the work environment more collaborative, many business leaders are opting for new technologies.
Car manufacturers are also riding the AR wave. With the use of cameras and a screen on the vehicle's dashboard, dangers on the road can now be signalled.
What does the future hold for augmented reality?
What we are particularly interested in is the degree to which AR will be present in our daily lives in the next few years. And some answers are already being considered.
At the end of 2020, Mark Zuckerberg confided that, in his opinion, "augmented reality allows us to feel more in touch with the world around us than ever before. Even from a distance. As the years go by and the technology evolves, we will no longer be limited to a screen, we will be able to feel, hear and see people or objects around us, in real time. "
The Facebook boss even mentions the possibility of no longer needing physical devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.).
So, are we moving towards the end of screens to make way for holograms that will allow us to replace books, media, games consoles or even televisions?
In terms of new research projects, the Facebook Bracelet Bellowband The Bellowband will be able to measure the nerve signals that pass through the arm. The Bellowband, incorporating electromyography (EMG), will be able to measure nerve signals passing through the arm. This bracelet will allow virtual objects to be controlled with millimetre precision using sensor technology.
Zuckerberg, also announced the idea of Aria project in collaboration with Ray-Ban. "Augmented reality glasses that would help us in our daily tasks. These glasses would add a 3D layer of useful, contextually relevant and meaningful information on top of the physical world. »
Now that it has taken hold and proved its useful and economic potential, augmented reality has a bright future ahead of it and we can quickly expect to see its uses multiply. It could well transform both our daily lives and the way we interact with our environment, but also many professions such as construction, architecture, medicine or industry!
