The year 2020 has been a very interesting year for many reasons. While there is the global crisis of the pandemic to consider, there are other good things happening in the world of technology innovation and growth. Businesses are adapting to change and many startups and SMBs are adding immersive and cognitive technology solutions to their business strategy and roadmap. Applications of AR/VR solutions in business are at an all time high as smart, alternatives are being looked at.

Companies like HP for instance are working on developing Augmented Reality solutions to help clients with workforce management and collaboration, especially for remote workers. In industries like aviation, retail and education, AR as a training tool are already being explored as advanced simulation models.

It’s not 2045 yet, but with AR and VR causing ripples worldwide, we can actually say, ‘Ready Player One?’ (we refer to the 2018 movie where everyone dwells in the VR world of OASIS).

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented Reality (AR) in the simplest of words is the digital enhancement made to physical elements by adding information such as picture, sound, GPS data, and motion, etc. to elevate the attractiveness and details associated with a view, making the surroundings highly interactive and digitally manipulated. If done in a perfect manner, people may actually fail to distinguish between the real world and the computer-generated one.

Businesses today are adapting AR at a faster pace than ever before. From fun social apps like Snapchat to gaming apps like Pokemon Go, home decor apps like IKEA Place, and even Sky Map to stargaze the night sky, AR apps for business are being adopted worldwide.

Types of Augmented Reality applications

Augmented and Virtual Reality are fun technologies for the new era. Users engage actively with it, while businesses are able to boost revenue and ROI from it. There are a wide variety of applications of Augmented Reality that are being explored worldwide. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Marker-based AR

Marker-based AR is also known as Image Recognition. The Augmented Reality technology helps users to access details about an object and enjoy a more appealing presentation. The recognition of the object depends on the marker. Once the object is identified, the application replaces the object with a 3D version of the corresponding object in which the details of the object can be viewed.

2. Marker Less AR

One of the notable benefits of Augmented Reality technology in business is associated with geolocation as well as geospatial mapping. The AR application uses the mobile’s GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and a digital compass to predict where the user is moving/focussing to provide the user AR content of a certain area. This type of application is essentially designed for travelers, and can even provide information regarding events and businesses in the vicinity.

3. Projection-based AR

When we talk about how AI and AR/VR is shaping the future, this is one of the most prominent and simple applications of AR that we see in everyday use. These types of applications project a synthetic light on the object providing visual appeal to objects and detect user interaction by hand movements. According to the detection of the movements, the AR application can depict the physical orientation, positioning, and depth of an object.

4. Superimposition based AR

As the name suggests, these applications superimpose the view of an object completely or partially in a given setting. Object recognition plays an important role in these kinds of applications. One of the more renowned examples of superimposition based AR is that of the IKEA Place application that allows users to place virtual objects in the catalog in their rooms.

How can businesses use Augmented Reality?

When it comes to including AR functionalities into business applications, it’s not a very easy task. There are several challenges including challenges of development cost, design elements, features and functionalities, among others. Of course this has not hindered organizations from including AR applications into applications and intelligent products, especially considering the advantage’s it brings. The opportunities are amplified when AR/VR is complemented with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies, something that brands are venturing into headfast by partnering with top AI service providers.

1. Brand services

Studies from reliable sources have that brands are increasingly getting familiarized with AR as well as the opportunities it makes available. This technique is being used by renowned brands to provide customers with a virtual representation of their products and market them more effectively. Augmented Reality in business helps in elevating the effectiveness of branding and marketing activities. Aesthetically pleasing visuals along with multisensory experiences make AR a favorable choice. Amongst the many problems AR can solve, its application in promoting a brand is of utmost importance.

Sephora, the cosmetics provider for instance uses AR technology to showcase the effect of different products on the virtual face of their customer. Customers no longer have to try out different shades of makeup to choose the products they want.

2. Education

The education sector has benefited immensely from AR applications. Concepts can be made easily understandable for students. Medical students are being trained to operate in AR environments.  Objects such as atoms, volcanoes, the heart, the planets, etc. can be presented and explained in detail. Students are being taught about abstract concepts such as elements in chemistry and their reactions, keeping students interested and curious, some of the key advantages of using AR in education. It can come to life on pages, the floor, and the walls or via interactive whiteboards.

3. Industrial

When considering the role of AR/VR in transforming businesses an important value it adds is that decision making for manufacturers becomes hassle-free. They can even support events such as project launches by being virtually present in the setting. Dangerous working scenarios, especially in the construction field can be avoided as the work progress can be virtually viewed by the site managers in real-time.

The effectiveness of using Augmented Reality applications is vouched on by an organization like NASA that used the Google Hololens instead of manuals to build their new spacecraft.

4. Media and Entertainment

With AR, entertainment media has got a new life to it. The immersive experience provided by television, sporting events, or even music for users is something matchless. Media and entertainment have always been at the forefront of the adoption of technology, especially movies and media. The uses of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in this world are virtually limitless. Applications of augmented reality are being used for immersive theater performances, interactive exhibitions, music shows, and concerts, even at amusement and theme parks.

The Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum has replaced stolen artworks with digital artworks using AR technology. Other innovative examples include the application of The Dali Museum, which can be used to explore the artworks of the late Salvador Dali.    

Final Thoughts

Augmented Reality solutions for businesses are making some major improvements worldwide. Businesses are incorporating AR at a faster pace than ever before. As a top AR/VR app development companies, we are happy organizations are realizing the value of AR/VR applications. Augmented Reality has proven to be extremely useful in training employees, and it is even coming in handy for salespeople as they can learn about their product on the go as well as use it for enhancing the visual appeal of their pitches. However, developing AR applications require technical adeptness and creative intellects.

We have both in plenty and with that, we are backed by most sophisticated toolkits. Following the best techniques and equipped with the right blend of talents, we offer the unmatched class of exceptional quality services. If you are looking for customized AR applications to support your organization, let’s discuss.