AR technology has been around for some time. While it’s not a new technology, we are using it today in ways which we have not seen it used before, which is why its introduction into our lifestyles has such a sizeable impact. The fact that our technology allows us to access AR at a level we have never been before means it can, and has, changed how we live.
It uses the already existing environment by overlaying information in the context of audio, graphics, and other formats over real-time displays on smartphones and other devices. It adds information to create a new artificial environment, including simulated graphics. The fact that many industries are now creating AR apps that connect to different industries means the application of it is aimed at a wider audience.
But what does this mean for YOU? Here are a few ways AR can transform your life…are you ready?
Real-time Navigation
Our technology to navigate the world has evolved drastically from 2D paper maps to 3D interactive navigation systems.
One of the most transparent and widespread use cases for AR is within navigation. Car manufacturers offer Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) on windshields that directly support AR navigation in your vision field.
Outside of cars, Google introduced a new augmented feature for its maps that overlays navigational arrows on the real world, as you see it through your smart device screen.
Task Assistance
Are we trying to fix your plumbing or repair a problem with your car engine? We usually try it ourselves if we don’t want to call an expert. We’ve moved from traditional manuals to YouTube instructional videos in the modern age, but these are sometimes insufficient.
Rather than attempting to discover how your system connects to the general one in an online course. AR apps will guide you through the steps in real time, lighting things up and drawing arrows, showing exactly where you need to loosen, tighten, or replace parts.
Gaming & Entertainment
Persistent AR will turn your home environment into an interactive gaming arena. You’ll have immersive, social experiences that leap off the screen and into the world around you. From first-person shooters to tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons, you can interact virtually with your favorite games, characters, and adventure, no matter what you’re into.
Travel
Forget about browsing internet sites, or Instagram accounts to taste travel destinations. AR will give us 3D immersive videos to recreate the experience of traveling to another country, helping us make more informed travel decisions from the comfort of our homes.
Once we reach our destination, AR can be our guide around the city, take us on a museum or gallery tour, or return our favorite historical landmarks to their former glory right before our eyes.
Health Care
AR is transforming the landscape of traditional medicine. Also, AR can help doctors and surgeons get a better picture of what is happening in a patient’s body to help give a more accurate assessment and treat them better.
AR tools allow practitioners to render patient-specific anatomy leading to increased clinical knowledge and speeding up the care process.
Shopping & Retail
Arguably AR has had its most significant impact on the retail industry. Many apps available in the retail and fashion industry increase the user’s shopping experience.
This is true not only in fashion but also in interior design. AR offers customers product visualization, which allows them to see and demo products before purchasing them. So, you can see not only what your new sofa will look like but how it fits into your home and where it would look best.
Fashion-wise, you can see the outfit on you before you buy it online or test out which shade of makeup suits you best before committing to your purchase, giving a much more personalized and exact shopping experience.
The Future is Here
However, AR will transform how we learn, shop, and communicate. It will change our lives just as radically as the smartphone. It has already begun. Can you see the benefits?
