Augmented Reality – The Revolution

We are living in a world where technology advances each second. Along with the other technologies we can see the advancement in the field of Augmented Reality or simply AR. So to begin with let’s see what is AR is all about. AR is an enhanced version of reality where live direct or indirect views of physical real-world environments are augmented with superimposed computer generated images over a user’s view of the real-world, thus enhancing one’s current perception of reality. Augmented Reality may not be as exciting as a virtual reality roller coaster ride, but the technology is proving itself as a very useful tool in our everyday lives. From social media filters to surgical procedures, music industries AR is rapidly growing in popularity because it brings elements of the virtual world, into our real world, thus enhancing the things we see, hear, and feel. When compared to other reality technologies, augmented reality lies in the middle of the mixed reality spectrum; between the real world and the virtual world. It initially began in the year 1968 by Sutherland, who used it in the construction of head-mounted display systems. When the evolution of augmented reality is concerned, it has rapidly been used in the fields of business, logistics, gaming, manufacturing, retail industry and many more. AR used to be an activity that can easily enhance the growth of any business by its visual overlay.

Augmented reality has come a long way from a science-fiction concept to a science-based reality. Until recently the costs of augmented reality were so substantial that designers could only dream of working on design projects that involved it – today things have changed and augmented reality is even available on the mobile handset. That means design for augmented reality is now an option for all shapes and sizes of UX designers.

The Current State of Play in Augmented Reality (The Present)

Augmented reality is achieved through a variety of technological innovations; these can be implemented on their own or in conjunction with each other to create augmented reality. They include:

• General hardware components – the processor, the display, the sensors and input devices. Typically a smartphone contains a processor, a display, accelerometers, GPS, camera, microphone, etc. and contains all the hardware required to be an AR device.
• Displays – while a monitor is perfectly capable of displaying AR data there are other systems such as optical projection systems, head-mounted displays, eyeglasses, contact lenses, the HUD (heads up display), virtual retinal displays, EyeTap (a device which changes the rays of light captured from the environment and substitutes them with computer generated ones),Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR – which uses ordinary projection techniques as a substitute for a display of any kind) and handheld displays.
• Sensors and input devices include – GPS, gyroscopes, accelerometers, compasses, RFID, wireless sensors, touch recognition, speech recognition, eye tracking, and peripherals.
• Software – the majority of development for AR will be in developing further software to take advantage of the hardware capabilities. There is already an Augmented Reality Markup Language (ARML) which is being used to standardize XML grammar for virtual reality. There are software development kits (SDK) that also offer simple environments for AR development.
• Navigation

Augmented Reality, also known as spatial computing, is rapidly growing and expanding into countless business and industrial applications. Spatial computing is used as a broad term to describe the way humans interact with computers in the same surrounding. In other words, spatial computing machines occupy the same space as humans rather than being contained in one single location.

Why AR?

AR is positioned to accelerate today’s digital transformation by addressing these key business challenges:

The Future of Training:

Technology and automation are changing the nature of work and the skills required to be productive in new and changing settings. Study after study shows that upwards of 35% of employers struggle to fill jobs due to lack of talent, despite traditional training tools like handbooks and videos. How will we teach the next generation the skills needed to thrive in a technologically advanced workplace?

Today’s Competitive Edge:

Companies are being squeezed by competitive pressures to be more efficient and productive. Customers demand more, and even a single poor experience can tarnish a brand’s reputation. The 5 year mortality rate for publicly traded companies in the US has reached a staggering 32%. How can we better use the technology we have to gain a competitive advantage?

Data is the New Oil: 

The digitization of business processes and information sharing has created an explosion of digital content, from CAD models of manufactured products to digitized user manuals and service procedures. We’re producing 2.5 quintillion bytes of data a day! How do we turn all of the value from this data into actionable insights?

Why Now?

Previously, the opportunity of AR has been limited because the technology lacked the necessary capabilities, ubiquitous connectivity, and digital content to be practical at scale. But now it has been changed because of:

Technology Readiness: 

Some of the biggest technology companies on the planet have made a significant investment in AR/VR enablers like Computer Vision in recent years, and now it’s ready for prime time. 

Ubiquity:

Today, ubiquitous connectivity and mobile devices enable access to the digital world through WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G, and other wireless network signals to communicate high volumes of data at a fast rate. With over 6 billion smartphone users worldwide, the potential for killer AR experiences is right there in your pocket!

Authoring For All: 

Tools from companies like Google, Apple, and PTC have resulted in new AR platforms, devices, and authoring tools. These tools quickly connect data to enable practical creation of enterprise-ready AR experiences at scale.

Future of AR 

According to Markets and Markets, the Augmented Reality market is expected to reach $60,55 billion worldwide by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 40.29 percent during the forecast period comprised between 2018 and 2023. Increasing interest and investments from top technology giants are directly linked to driving the growth of the AR market.

The main sectors which certainly benefits from the advancement in AR technology are:

• Archaeology, Art, Architecture
• Commerce, Office
• Construction, Industrial Design
• Education, Translation
• Emergency Management, Disaster Recovery, Medical and Search and Rescue
• Games, Sports, Entertainment, Tourism
• Military

Let’s see the future of AR in some of these prominent industries:

Entertainment/Music Sector

1. Improve memory

There are many approaches to learning music, but AR is a great path to take because its diverse angles can be used to help improve both mind and muscle memory. For example, colors can be added to different notes and positions on an instrument in order to help the learner visualize where to place their fingers.

In other words, AR helps to quickly build and strengthen connections between things that the learner would otherwise have to spend a great deal of time focusing on in “normal reality”.

2. Makes it possible to “learn on the go”

These days, people’s schedules are fuller than ever, and it seems to be getting harder and harder to make time to learn new things like a musical instrument. Fortunately, augmented reality done right can make it easy for individuals to practice and learn music while on the go.

3. Tailoring the learning that suits to individual learning paces and styles

The fact is that most people learn best when being personally taught rather than being just one of many students in a classroom all being given the same approach. Many teachers do attempt to focus personally on individual students, but this often remains a struggle and isn’t as successful as many would hope.

Fortunately, AR music learning practices are very “personal focused” and can be tailored to fit individual users. Basically, technology helps individual music learners follow their own patterns and learning rate.

4. Enables learners to look at things from different perspectives

There are only so many ways someone can look at a musical instrument in the real world, while AR allows users to go more in-depth. Music learners can explore different aspects of their equipment without ever needing to move it or take it apart. One of the coolest things about AR is that it helps users learn more about music and their equipment from different perspectives, thereby helping them learn at a faster rate and maintain their interest.

Healthcare Sector

As populations continue to boom and people live longer and longer, healthcare services the world over are coming under ever-increasing pressure. Coupled with rising expectations about access to and quality of healthcare provision, increased demand is seeing resources stretched and costs skyrocket.

Healthcare provision is one of the cornerstones of modern society. Being able to adequately meet increasing demand is the key challenge the medical profession faces both now and in the foreseeable future. It is a puzzle that healthcare providers the world over are applying their time, energy and talent to solve. And technology is playing a critical role.

Out of all the many technologies now being applied to healthcare delivery, Augmented Reality (AR) is one of the most exciting. The ability to seamlessly blend direct sensory experience of the real world with all the power and potential of digital information technology is groundbreaking.

It is this immediacy that is helping to establish AR as a breakthrough technology in healthcare. When time and resources are of the essence, AR allows medical knowledge, skills, and expertise to be shared remotely the moment, ensuring they get where they are needed most.

Here are three ways that advancement in AR helps healthcare sector:

1. Improving access

How do you meet the medical needs of seven billion people when there are not enough doctors to go around? Access to healthcare has traditionally been limited by the availability of a practitioner for each patient to see face-to-face – long queues in surgery waiting rooms and so on. The concept of telemedicine is removing these limitations by normalizing the concept of medical consultations over distance, via smart devices and the internet. AR has a key role to play in guaranteeing the quality of such consultations. This is especially true in our own field of surgery. The immediacy of this knowledge sharing means expertise can reach further than ever before, improving access to surgery.

2. Boosting training

The longer term solution of “there not being enough medical professionals to go round” is, of course, to train more. AR is already having a profound impact on medical training, with applications ranging from 3D visualizations to bring anatomical learning to life, to helping trainees to master techniques for checking vital signs. A key benefit of AR as a learning tool is that it creates a highly engaging, immersive educational experience which, by combining different sensory inputs, aids retention and how well complex concepts can be grasped.

3. Speeding up the adoption of new technology

Innovative new technologies that promise great benefits to healthcare providers are continually arriving on the market at a rate of knots. However, one challenge the healthcare sector faces is that there is often a lag between a promising technology coming out of its development phase and achieving widespread adoption. Reasons for this delay include things like the costs of purchasing new tech, the time it takes to raise awareness, and the need to integrate new systems, from installation to training staff. Time lost to these delays is time wasted in providing a potentially better service to patients. AR can help. Instead of waiting for those all-to-rare opportunities to demonstrate new products face-to-face. Following a purchase, AR can also be used to train staff remotely and to form the basis of long-term aftercare services.

Construction Sector

Construction is one of the oldest industries in the world. Innovators have been developing new tools to foster its advancement since its earliest days. The advancement of AR in this sector will results;

1. Making It Easier to Visualize Construction Projects

More and more companies are using Building Information Modeling (BIM) with augmented reality to make 3D blueprints come alive. Uploading a BIM model into their AR software and using a tablet or a pair of AR glasses would allow workers to have full-scale walkthroughs of the plan. Clients and team members can then view the models from the app and project them on top of the original blueprint.

2. Allowing Construction Teams to Plan Adequately

Indeed, designers and architects can use the technology in selecting materials and organizing the layout of an area. In fact, they can even use it to guide builders through the execution of complex designs, saving time and effort in the process. Meanwhile, when the digital model is overlaid on the actual site, workers get to see the parts of the structure as they are intended to be installed. They can see the ductwork and pipes prior to assembly to get an overview and assess units that need reinforcements or modifications. They can also take measurements with high precision, preventing costly errors.

The advantages of AR in each industry goes on like this. Through the advancement of AR, it is clear that everything we need will be at our fingertips irrespective of Industries!!