The year 2016 witnessed the launch of Pok\u00e9mon GO, a path-breaking innovation in the world of mobile video games, and the game earned tremendous acceptance globally with 100 million downloads on Google Play in one month. It is one of the top augmented reality examples among many more that have emerged in the past two years.<\/p>\n
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in 2016 that the augmented reality technology will become so essential that it will be as much a part of a user\u2019s day as eating three meals a day.<\/em><\/p>\n In the FIFA World Cup 2018, football fans got an engaging opportunity to extend their support for their favorite team by adding 3D face masks to photos and videos. This became the first international sporting event to implement Facebook\u2019s augmented reality masks.<\/p>\n Over the past couple of years, we have come across numerous augmented reality examples, either in the news or experienced ourselves. The world of augmented reality has finally become as real as peanut butter. Its capabilities which we have seen in sci-fi fictions movies like HER are now a science-backed reality in life. It offers an enriched experience by introducing elements of the virtual world into the real world using technology.<\/p>\n From education to entertainment, healthcare to medical science, sports to tourism, product marketing to retail shopping, construction to telecommunication, engineering to manufacturing, environment to energy, AR has marked its presence everywhere. AR is here to stay and all set to become an indispensable part of our daily lives.<\/p>\n Augment means \u2018to add\u2019 or \u2018to enhance something\u2019. Augmented reality is an enhanced version of the real environment by superimposing graphics, sounds, touch and effects for a better user experience.<\/p>\n The primary objective of AR is to ensure a superior audiovisual experience for the user. The implementation models and applications of AR are wide-ranging and unlimited. It can be applied to simple things like text notifications for better user experience as well as to prepare medical professionals to perform complicated surgeries.<\/p>\n Both virtual reality and augmented reality are changing the way we perceive reality and set to have remarkable growth in the coming years. Although they sound similar, they are two different concepts. Augmented reality adds digital elements to an existing natural environment for enhanced user experience, whereas in Virtual Reality an imagined or real-world environment is recreated.<\/p>\n AR aficionados classify Augmented Reality majorly into five categories, although the differences between each are not quite obvious. The different types of augmented reality are:<\/p>\n It projects digital images on physical objects in real space.<\/p>\n You scan an image and it comes to life.<\/p>\n It makes use of the location-detecting feature of the smart devices.<\/p>\n It is similar to projection-based AR but uses object recognition to work.<\/p>\n It provides an \u2018alternate\u2019 view of a particular object. Therefore, it is used widely in healthcare and military AR applications.<\/p>\n The augmented reality ecosystem has evolved very quickly over the past few years and continues to grow at a rapid rate. The International Data Corporation (IDC) expects a five-year compound annual growth rate of 98.8%<\/a> for AR and VR products and services during the period 2017-2021.<\/p>\n Major industries have started exploring augmented reality for improving customer experience and interaction, workforce enablement, brand advertising, etc. The home furnishing market has already put AR technology into action to enhance brand experience for their customers. Siemens, the engineering company, has recently used AR to showcase the new range of magnetic valves. Major brands like Coca-Cola, Spotify etc., are using augmented reality applications to advertise their products.<\/p>\n ARCore<\/a> is the platform from Google for augmented reality apps. It enables developers to integrate virtual content with the real world and thereby offer numerous AR experiences for the users. The Expeditions AR, which was introduced to provide an augmented learning experience for students, is now free for all. Google Glass, the wearable augmented reality eyeglass launched in 2012, is often reviewed as a product far ahead of its time.<\/p>\n The ARKit2,<\/a> with an impressive list of additional features, was unveiled by Apple in 2018 at the Worldwide Developer Conference. It enables developers to build AR apps that ensure a deeper level of immersion for the users.<\/p>\n Facebook introduced AR Studio<\/a>, the augmented reality tool, for third-party developers in 2017. While Netflix used the AR Studio tools to launch its comic book series, Nike<\/a> experimented with the Camera Effects Platform to employ AR with Messenger bots for its new line of sneakers.<\/p>\n Amazon has also stepped into the AR world with Amazon Sumerian<\/a> and AR View. Amazon Sumerian lets anyone create AR apps quickly and easily using its tools. AR View is another amazing feature from the online retail giant which lets you view the products in your home before you buy it.<\/p>\n Microsoft launched Hololens<\/a> in 2016 to mark its presence in the world of Mixed Reality. The release of the second version of Hololens is a much-awaited event in the tech world. It is expected to be launched this year with a custom AI chip for better performance.<\/p>\n This highly funded Florida-based startup has come up with its futuristic pair of augmented reality glasses named as Magic Leap One<\/a>. It is designed to enhance the real world with digital objects while you can interact with everything real that is going around you.<\/p>\n Samsung Electronics has included augmented reality features in Galaxy 9<\/a>, its recently launched smartphone model. The company has also used augmented reality tech features in Bixby Vision, the smart assistant in Galaxy Note 8, for better user experience.<\/p>\n Well, the list is not complete as there are many other AR startups and tech companies working on AR-based products and services. AR is expected to revolutionize the way businesses operate in the near future. The global spending on AR and virtual reality technology will reach $215 billion in 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the next couple of years, Apple and Google together will have 4.25 billion<\/a> AR-capable devices. The AR industry is expected to generate revenue of $90 billion by 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n -Social<\/p>\n -Marketing and Retail<\/p>\n -Gaming<\/p>\n -Utility<\/p>\n -Education and Training<\/p>\n The history of augmented reality can be traced back to the beginning of the 21st Century when Lyman Frank Baum published the illustrated novel \u2018The Master Key.\u2019 The first augmented reality device, named \u2018The Sword of Damocles,\u2019 was invented by Ivan Sutherland. Fast forward to 1990, Tom Caudell coined the term \u2018Augmented Reality.\u2019 And in the same decade, AR tech has taken its baby steps as a commercial commodity. With numerous applications, AR is all set to transform our lives for the better. Check out below a curated list of the best AR examples put into action.<\/p>\nAugmented Reality and its types<\/h2>\n
AR vs VR<\/h4>\n
Projection-based AR<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Recognition-based AR<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Location-based AR<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Outlining AR<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Superimposition-based AR<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The current \u201cReality\u201d of \u201cAugmented Reality\u201d<\/h2>\n
How tech giants are defining this new reality?<\/h3>\n
Google and ARCore<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Apple and ARKit<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Facebook and AR Studio<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Amazon Sumerian and Amazon AR View<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Microsoft Hololens<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Magic Leap<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Samsung<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Major applications categories of Augmented Reality<\/h2>\n
22 of the most interesting, inspiring and innovative examples of Augmented Reality<\/h2>\n
Acknowledge it or not, AR is slowly becoming a part of our everyday life now.<\/p>\n1 IKEA Mobile App – Put furniture on the streets<\/strong><\/h5>\n