When we look around, the world is powered by technology these days. We see the Internet of Things, Blockchain, Cloud, Storage, and Virtual and amp; Augmented Reality (VR and amp; AR) in some ways or the other.

Amidst the pandemic too, people remained connected with Zoom, Teams, or WhatsApp video call. It is a clear example of virtual reality striking our daily lives. Out of all these technologies, augmented reality has a broad scope in the business and job sectors.

Time to see how does augmented reality work in real life.

How augmented reality looks like today?

When people talk about augmented reality technology these days, most people refer to smartphones or other devices. A properly working AR device consists of a powerful processor, a feasible display or monitor, several sensors, and other input options.

“Typically a smartphone contains a processor, a display, accelerometers, GPS (global positioning system), camera, microphone, etc., and contains all the hardware required to be in an AR device,” the Interaction Design Foundation says in “Augmented Reality – The Past, The Present, And The Future” on its organizational blog.

A few forward-thinking marketing departments have already started adopting AR technology to campaigns targeting tech-savvy consumers.

  • A visible example is Comic book films that have paved their way for theatrical releases with AR Snapchat filters.
  • Second example – the Lego app shows an AR version of the complete Lego set when people look at the box via their smartphone camera.
  • Third example – manufacturers of accessories such as glasses or watches use AR to allow customers to try different usable products.

Many instances of augmented reality are visible through revolutionary mobile apps and games for a more significant effect.

More examples of AR today

  • Facebook or Instagram’s camera effect, which is also a big pass time due to its overlying graphics, is AR.
  • A popular app Pokémon GO or Harry Potter Wizards Unite also falls under augmented reality apps.
  • Google Maps that cover the entire street views and points to different roads is an example of augmented reality apps.
  • Wayfair and Sephora indicate an excellent AR shopping experience. It allows you to see the furniture inside of your own home while creating a superb AR experience.

So, these were the takes on how augmented reality looks like today. It is seen that AR has been an intrinsic part of everyone’s routine, such as when they use Google Maps or Instagram. However, the implementation of AR is only going to increase in the future.

How will augmented reality look like tomorrow?

“For AR to become truly useful, somebody will have to make a platform for it that could host a variety of apps and services,” claims tech industry consultant Tim Bajarin in his 2017 Time article- “Why This Futuristic Tech Will Be The Future Of Computing.”

“It’s most likely this platform will exist first in smartphones,” he says, “then, years later, extend to some glasses or goggles, like a more fully realized Google Glass.”

The gap persists in the way augmented reality is perceived and gets a platform to grow. Once AR finds a compelling and full-featured platform, it is sure that a lot of consumers will become AR proficient, and its ability will be realized completely.

Several sectors will benefit from the embracement of AR. The industries include digital marketing, eCommerce, educational resources, and geolocation. Apart from these, the superior use of Augmented Reality can be seen in workforce training. How? Continue reading.

People gain experience in the work process by staying years and years in an industry or plant. All of them develop a proper understanding of how things operate for rendering benefits to the company. One day, all the experienced staff leaves and is replaced by the young millennials with fresh ideas and approaches. However, the experience is not there.

With the adoption of augmented reality software, organizations can guide or train the workforce with real-time examples.

AR works wonders in the manufacturing industry. It not only improves the concept stage but also assists across manual assembly and maintenance. It helps freshers and new employees perform complex tasks, leading to reduced costs, better quality, and on-time delivery.

So it is clear that AR has not reached its full potential. The reason can be blockers or obstacles stopping augmented reality from dwelling into the industry and reaping its benefits.

What restricts AR from reaching full potential?

“We are all trying to determine the ROI (return on investment) of AR. If we connect it with the brand story and our owned properties, then we can start to show value through engagement and brand affinity,” says Forbes Agency Council in 2017.

There are economic uncertainties that need to be cleared. And above that, there are technological hurdles that require being cleared to be fully realized.

Below mentioned are some areas where augmented reality should pay more attention to:

  • There must be a complete field view of the optical display (glasses or goggles) that must integrate AR into daily life.
  • Object recognition and visibility of real-looking objects into AR digital space needs to be improved for augmented reality experience.
  • There needs to be an AR hands-free interface.
  • AR technology should be able to perform more precise tracking across indoor and outdoor environments.

It is quite obvious that augmented reality applications are moving beyond the boundaries. As a stream of innovation, AR has become a centric thing in the industrial segment. It is already seen in various industries showing a positive impact on the operations, testing, and delivery of products.

AR experts will reap more benefits in the coming line of years. It will transform business processes and mitigate the knowledge gap coming from the retiring generation of experienced workers.