The word “augment” means to add or enhance. Augmented reality is an enhanced reality, which is created by overlapping natural world with a virtual world to make a better experience for the user. Both the environments, natural and virtual, exist harmoniously with each other creating a better and an improved reality, which helps the user in various day-to-day activities. With the help of improved graphics, sound, and touch, what a person sees, hears, and feels is made better. Imagine walking down a street and pointing the phone at an object and all the information needed about the object suddenly pops out of thin air! It will make everything a person looks at a little more interesting. AR (Augmented Reality) is almost like a science-fiction idea turned into a real technology. It is about to bring dramatic changes in countless fields.
The notion of augmented reality has been round for a while now, but recently it has been transformed into a powerful business tool. Starting from the games like Pokemon Go to the image filters on various social media platforms to AR apps for buying and selling products, it has entered various sectors of the market. Incorporating AR in the smartphones has revolutionised the mobile experience altogether. The possibility to use AR in mobile platforms and developing AR supporting apps will contribute in expanding the reach of this technology. According to a prominent source, the growth of AR technology is expected to reach $117.4 billion by 2022.
Applications of AR in the field of business are innumerable. Some of these have been implemented, while others still are mere ideas. Especially in retail and industrial applications, AR is already being used.
Advancement in Retail Business
Some retailers have developed AR supporting apps to display and sell their products. Say a person wants to buy a car from a specific company, a newly developed app by that company allows the user to virtually place the car in his/her driveway to analyse the colour, the shape, and various other aspects of the car without even going to the showroom. Similarly, other objects can be looked at, matched with the surroundings, analysed, and then purchased by the consumers from their home itself, without having the need to visit any store. Virtual trial rooms for clothes and accessories, the floor plan of a new apartment a customer wishes to buy; everything can be displayed, viewed or tried on with a great ease and without physically having to go somewhere.
Benefiting Manufacturing and Industrial Sector
In the manufacturing and industrial sector, the workers can wear the glasses to monitor and manage each product from a single desk. AR also enables the feature of pop-up information of an object, whenever a worker looks at it. The defects and problems can be easily scanned, as well as the workers can be assisted with the methods of fixing them. This feature can also be incorporated in maintenance of the already sold products.
Continue Reading…
