Everyone is talking about augmented reality technologies like augmented reality glasses and their prospects. However, the reality is that businesses are afraid to use them in real life. The question is how and in what processes to implement them most ergonomically. Here is more about it.
Augmented reality technologies in business
Industry 4.0 and the new economy based on knowledge and technology rely heavily on so-called Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). It combines physical processes, human biology, and information systems. One of the key technologies in this process is augmented reality (AR). It can already be used for product design and development, construction, training, repair, and control of complex production processes.
Augmented reality is the visualization of virtual objects in the field of perception and the reproduction in the same area of additional information related to the natural and virtual objects observed in the field of perception. The primary purpose of using augmented reality mobile devices is to provide the observer with additional visually recorded information about the real objects surrounding him and being in the field of perception.
The scope of AR applications and devices is constantly expanding and currently covers the following areas:
- The gaming and entertainment industry is an entirely new experience in creating quests and games with new technology;
- Retail and e-commerce – AR technologies allow those who do not have physical access to a product to try it;
- Electronics and equipment manufacturing – AR applications make it easier for employees to repair, and manufacture many high-tech components.
Popular augmented reality devices for business
The essence of augmented reality is to superimpose or add data, such as inscriptions, and images, to the actual picture we see. Popular devices that allow the use of such a technology in everyday or professional life can be divided into augmented reality glasses for construction or helmets and devices that a person does not wear but simultaneously project augmented reality directly onto the retina. Although computers and smartphones are not usually considered devices for creating augmented reality, applications based on this particular technology are being developed for them. For example, with the help of special applications for a smartphone, you can “revive” an illustration in a book or see a three-dimensional model of a human organ in medical manuals. Developers augment the physical world with layers of digital information.
Augmented reality applications for business
Smartphone apps are steadily conquering the market, transforming products designed for a short wow effect into convenient and useful everyday tools. For example, you can translate signs in unfamiliar languages with the AR application. Geolocation services are also developing, superimposing AR layers on the camera image, allowing you to find any play you need: from a pharmacy and a grocery store to a theater.
One of the most significant developments in augmented reality has been the introduction of Microsoft’s HoloLens, a product designed to be used as part of the Windows holographic platform. The current experience characteristics of the HoloLens suggest, however, that the device is less of an augmented reality device and more of a means by which users can access applications using holographic displays.
Augmented reality was previously considered within wearable technology, but recently we have seen a big surge of interest in similar technologies for smartphones and tablet platforms. This surge is dictated by the fact that a significant part of the population already owns such devices, which already have all the necessary hardware – cameras, a display, a GPS module, and a gyroscope – to run AR applications.