Augmented reality (AR) is a way in which an individuals perception of reality can be altered through the use of technology. As technological innovations continue to interrupt various industries, AR is doing just this in multiple areas.
AR has had a major impact on the way in which certain industries go about interacting with their clients. According to an article done by Forbes, AR has been used in a multitude of ways, and by very different industries to achieve this. For instance, when it comes to advertising and selling products, AR can be a huge aid for companies. The article mentions that in certain Sephora stores, they have “virtual artists”. Essentially, you can look into a “mirror” that has a display feature that gives you the option to see what you would look like with certain makeup styles. When people are able to see what products they like, without having to actually test them, they are more likely to make a purchase. This type of AR feature has begun to really take root in online marketing, and companies are profiting off of it.
Another example of how AR has impacted people is through the use of animated filters on popular social media apps. This type of AR has especially been seen on Snapchat, with filters that can be overlapped on photos or videos. The best example of this would be the “dancing hot dog” filter that was trending just earlier this year. These types of filters are popular because they are fun and easy to use, but still provide an entertaining and amusing element to the apps functions.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/07/30/9-powerful-real-world-applications-of-augmented-reality-ar-today/#fc221952fe95
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/augmented-reality-the-past-the-present-and-the-future
Augmented reality is on the come up in not only our generation but for all generations. Augmented reality is a way to put a different perspective on life itself and can be incredibly useful for those using it. As described in the initial post AR can be used for relaxing content and comedic relief, but it can also be used for educational purposes.
Augmented reality will be used more and more in the class room in the future. According to thinkmobiles.com AR will enhance the classroom experience to grab the students attention and spark genuine curiosity in a topic. If a teacher is teaching about history and our modern technology can create an augmented reality experience of a historical scene in the context that a young learner would understand, it would benefit that young learner greatly. I know that if I had AR in grade school that I would have been more focused on a certain subject, because the subject is literally popping up at me and grabbing my attention. Overall I think that AR is a great educational tool and can really help young learners have a more genuine and hands on education.
Source:
https://thinkmobiles.com/blog/augmented-reality-education/
Augmented reality is now becoming increasingly popular, and companies are racing to use AR in their products with hopes of improving our interactions with technology, quality of life, and their business. Something I found interesting is that I hadn’t considered the Sephora virtual artist or Snapchat animations as AR until I read this post, but I see that they are still changing the reality that we see, just on a smaller scale. Currently, many companies are trying to use augmented reality to replace our phones. Although we already have smart glasses such as the Google glass or the Snapchat goggles, they only perform a fraction of what our phones can do, and are only an accessory to our cellular devices. However, with the advancement of AR, tech giants such as Microsoft and Facebook are working to create goggles or headsets that are basically fully functional computers. These glasses can be used to display virtual screens, movies, video games, and to communicate with others.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/11/smart-glasses-that-replace-phones-may-be-the-next-hottest-tech-trend.html
Employment of augmented reality in advertising has become the goal of many companies in the past few years. Numbers indicate that the worldwide spending on augmented reality for advertising purposes is increasing at a rate of $35 billion per year, and it is expected that it will reach a high of 335 billion USD.
I see that AR will help give consumers a better chance to see and inspect products more up-close and personally, allowing them to better find the product that might suit them way easier.
src: https://rubygarage.org/blog/augmented-reality-in-advertising