What is the future of AR?
What are the future applications of augmented reality for business?
The uses of augmented reality have already surpassed – or least met – the expectations handed down to us from sci-fi movies. AR has changed the way many organizations do business – it has helped create customized experiences for customers and even launched start-ups that are devoted to AR technology, applications, and development.
To understand possible future uses of AR, it’s best to understand the present state of augmented reality and its relationship to customers and businesses. Right now, there are two different kinds of ways to approach AR. The first is location-based – this AR technology uses a mobile devices GPS and other location settings to then place them in a space through their device. This is the technology that powers apps that help you locate where you parked your car, observe the constellations overhead even during the day, and see information about popular tourism spots nearby when in a new area.
The other kind of current AR is marker based; an example of this is when a furniture company creates an AR app so you can see their products in your space true to size and dimension, but in order to work to scale, a user has to acquire or print a marker with a code that the AR device can read and locate in space before displaying the AR imagery on the device screen.
So, with these achievements already accomplished and developments under way, what’s left for augmented reality development? What’s the future scope of augmented reality technology and can businesses continue to use it to their advantage?
One way that AR will continue to grow and shape businesses is on the online vs. brick and mortar retail space. Augmented reality devices and technology can be used by consumers who want “try on” a product on their person or in their space, and with a continued growth of e-commerce only businesses, AR will likely help these organizations compete for more business and market share.
Also, there is some evidence that the future scope of augmented reality could expand into education. One example is that users could be able to take their AR capable phones with them on museum tours and access additional information or gain additional context to the museum exhibits and displays. Also, just like tourism companies have used AR to help potential visitors “see themselves” as a destination, augmented devices may be able to be used in classrooms to help students “see themselves” in historic spots or immerse themselves into scientific experiments by seeing the inside of a volcano or the rings of Jupiter.
Another business use of AR development will likely be in the field of medicine. AR has the potential to help medical personal work faster, smarter, and safely by giving them immediate visual access to information while not taking their attention away from their situation or task.
AR technology has advanced at an incredible rate and has already influenced dozens of industries, and it’s only poised to continue to grow. Has your organization used AR technology at all? Does your business have any AR developments on the horizon?