The AR Roundup: August 2021

Every month I round up what you may have missed in Augmented Reality including the latest stats, funding news and launch announcements! Here is what happened in augmented reality between August 1-31, 2021.

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Numbers

Forecasts

• "Global mobile AR revenue is projected to grow from $6.87 billion in 2020 to $26.05 billion in 2025, a 30.5 percent CAGR." (AR Insider)
• "Mobile AR ad placement will grow from an estimated U.S. $1.36 billion in 2020 to U.S. $6.68 billion in 2025." (AR Insider)
• "Web AR is advantaged by its sheer reach....more than 3.06 billion global smartphones – the greatest of any platform. As for other platforms, Facebook has 1.63 billion AR-compatible smartphones, followed by ARkit (1.25 billion), TikTok (1.1 billion), ARCore (891 million), and Snapchat (515 million)." (AR Insider)

Reported

• "China's SenseTime says daily users of its augmented reality tech number 100 million." (Reuters)
• Don Allen Stevenson III reports "2 million views" for a full body Snap Lens created in partnership with Paige Piskin (Twitter)
• "Brazilian bank Bradesco ran a TV spot which featured a web AR experience created by Buu Digital during the semifinale of The Voice Brasil. Within the first 5 minutes, 250,000 users experienced it." (AR Insider)
• "Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, ran a web AR promotion created by Mosaic Media and Hyper Reality, that resulted in more than one-million user sessions, 94 percent of which shared the experience with a friend." (AR Insider)
• "New York fashion brand KHAITE’S web AR campaign led to a 400 percent increase in sales and increased customer engagement time by more than 4 minutes. KHAITE worked with Rose Digital to create this experience." (AR Insider)
• "Sony Pictures’ Jumanji: The Next Level web AR promotion resulted in consumers spending over 5 minutes in AR. The campaign was produced in partnership with Trigger–The XR Agency. (AR Insider)
• "Saatchi Art launched a “View in My Room” feature that let users view more than 1 million works of art in your home before purchasing. Completed with the help of Rock Paper Reality." (AR Insider)
• "At Airbus Helicopters, AssistedReality has cut technician administrative time by an outstanding 41% and increased the reliability of info recorded in SAP," according to RealWear (Twitter)

Survey Results

• "In the last three months, more than half of American consumers have used a QR code at least once at a bar/restaurant, venue or store (55%). Roughly a quarter of those who had never used one prior to the pandemic had used one in the last 90 days (23%). (YouGov)
• "Within five years we will see a 57% increase in Gen Z shoppers who use AR before buying. Significantly, 56% of consumers who have used AR when shopping claim it encouraged them to make a purchase. The mobile phone will be the core tool." according to survey by trends agency Foresight Factory, for Snap Inc. Technology (The Drum)

Featured Video: Reality Faucet app brings realistic physics to Augmented Reality

The Reality Faucet app lets you put a wide range of physically realistic digital objects into your real world using LiDAR technology on the latest iPhone Pro and iPad Pro models. Created by Pantomime Corporation. (Source: YouTube)

Money

Funding

• Snap announces winners of the Snap Creative Challenge which awards $100,000 to solutions that foster in-person socialization (Snap)

Hardware

• WowCube raises $1.5M from Xsolla founder for its Rubik’s Cube-like game device (VentureBeat)

Platforms &?Tools

• TetaVi Raises $20 Million For Its Metaverse-Focused Computer Vision Tech (Forbes)
• Byju's acquires AR startup Whodat (BusinessToday.In)
• Buildots boosts digital twin process mining with $30M (VentureBeat)
• ByondXR secures $7M seed funding to expand its 3D and AR virtual shopping offering for the e-commerce market (Auganix)
• Chinese AI startup SenseTime to file for Hong Kong IPO by end-August -sources (Reuters)

Applications & Solutions

• Niantic acquires 3D scanning app Scaniverse (TechCrunch)
• Korean 3D spatial data tool startups Urbanbase closes $11.1M Series B+ round (TechCrunch)

Featured Tweet: Steven Mutter demonstrates the potential of AR with Oculus Quest Passthrough

(Source: Steven Mutter - Twitter)

News

Hardware

Launch Announcements

• Leia launches its 3D Lume Pad Android tablet (VentureBeat)
• Infineon announces new MEMS scanner for eyeglasses and head-up displays (Infineon)
• DigiLens Announces T-REx, doubling Waveguide resolution within existing form factor (DigiLens)
• WaveOptics announces strategic MicroLED display supplier partnership with Jade Bird Display for AR smart glasses (Auganix)

Updates

• FCC filing reveals more details on Facebook's Project Aria, or the device known as Gemini (Protocol)
• Lenovo certifies RealWear HMT-1 Assisted Reality devices for use on its ThinkReality enterprise XR platform (Auganix)
• Intel is giving up on its AI-powered RealSense cameras (Engadget)
• Mojo Vision announces its technology is now "feature complete" (CNET)
• Zappar debuts final designs and hits a manufacturing milestone for the all-new Zapbox (KickstarterKickstarter)
• Form launches Workouts feature for smart swim AR goggles (VentureBeat)

Rumors, Patents & Relevant Research

• NewSight Reality announce it is actively prototyping and demonstrating proof of concept of its Transparent Optical Module (TOM) for commercial use of augmented reality technology (PRNewswire)
• FRL publishes blog post on "reverse passthrough VR" research (The Verge)
• Apple wins a Patent relating to Spatial Audio in context with Augmented Reality and a Future HMD (Patently Apple)

Platforms &?Tools

Launch Announcements

• TikTok is building its own AR development platform, TikTok Effect Studio (TechCrunch)
• Spatial launches Spatial 5.0 with portals, multi-level environments, new avatars and more (Spatial)
• Croquet launches edge collaboration platform and global developer infrastructure for creating real-time, multi-user web and mobile applications (Marketwatch)
• Google launches 3D Pose Detection with MediaPipe BlazePose GHUM and TensorFlow.js (TensorFlow Blog)
• Geenee launches no-code WebAR platform (Auganix)

Updates

• NVIDIA announces major expansion of its Omniverse simulation and collaboration platform (Auganix)
• Snapchat updates Scan to identify clothing, dogs, plants, cars and more (The Verge)
• Vuforia Engine 10 releases with new API for faster and easier development of AR apps (Twitter)
• Unreal Engine Gets OpenXR Improvements Just in Time for Oculus Development Shift (Road to VR)

Featured Creator: Bill Bourbeau doubles himself using Ready Player Me and takes his dancing avatar on an AR tour

(Source: Bill Bourbeau - Twitter)

News

Applications & Solutions

Augmented Reality Apps

• PairPlay augmented audio app launches to guide users through imagined scenarios within their own homes (Wired)
• Polycam updates its app with photo mode (Twitter)
• VoxelizeAR launches on the App Store to transform the world around you into pixelated blocks (Twitter)
• Waitlist opens for AirGift app which combines GPT-3, voice and AR to "speak content into existence" (Twitter)

Enterprise Solutions

• Northrop Grumman demonstrates its next generation space technology with WebAR portal (Twitter)
• IRS looking to use augmented reality as a tool to better carry out duties when interacting with citizens (Next Reality)
• Taqtile announces enhanced Digital Twin capabilities to its Manifest Augmented Reality work instruction platform (Auganix)

Toys & Games

• Batman Augmented Reality App Launches (License Global)
• Star Trek USS Enterprise gets realistic Playmobil makeover with AR app (SlashGear)
• PUBG uses AR to feature PUBG Mobile Tournament highlights (Twitter)

Marketing

• Reese's Puffs turns cereal boxes into AR synthesizers (Marketing Dive)
• Stags’ Leap jumps into the world of digital, augmented reality marketing (Napa Valley Register)
• Afterpay Launches First- Ever AR Shopping Experience For Afterpay Day (8th Wall)
• iFolor uses WebAR to let consumers turn postcards into digital videos (Twitter)
• Almond Breeze On-Pack AR Experience Maps Orchard-to-Shelf Journey (PackWorld)
• Molson Coors launches Pacific Northwest WebAR River Tour (Twitter)
• Coca-Cola releases AR gallery to celebrate Free Comic Book Day (Twitter)
• Coca-Cola Europacific Partners NL is the First Company in the World to Add AR Experience to the Serving of Soft Drinks (8th Wall)

Fashion & Beauty

• Louis Vuitton invites 200 visionaries to create window art to celebrate its Founder's 200th birthday including AR artist Helen Papagiannis (Twitter)
• Kate Spade uses AR to bring their window displays to life in NYC (Twitter)
• Ralph Lauren Is Now Selling Digital Apparel For Avatars Inside Of Zepeto (Forbes)
• Reactive Reality Launches New Augmented Reality Shopping Tool (ARPost)
• Dermalogica Uses On-Packaging WebAR Experience to Educate Customers on New Product Range (8th Wall)
• Yahoo Kicks Off NYFW By Hurling Holograms Into Fans’ Homes (Forbes)
• Perfect Corp. Partners with Avon Mexico to empower sales reps with powerful facial analysis technology tools (BusinessWire)

Music, Film & TV

• Universal Pictures Uses Sound to Trigger Augmented Reality Horror Experience for 'Candyman' Movie (Next Reality)
• Netflix now rolling out Spatial Audio support on iPhone and iPad (9to5 Mac)
• Google adds Godzilla to its "View in 3D" search results (Twitter)
• Meet the Tune Squad from Space Jam in this WebAR expereince (Twitter)
• Miranda Lambert launches AR dog-adoption experience on Instagram (Musically)
• Aardman and Fictioneers launch city-Scale Wallace & Gromit AR in Bristol, Cardiff, San Francisco (Animation Magazine)

Art

• Augmented Reality App Lets You Play With BMW's Art Cars (Car and Driver)
• NYC Immersive Van Gogh exhibit uses WebAR to bring to life 5 different paintings (Twitter)
• Ottawa ARt City is virtually painting the town (Ottawa Citizen)
• World’s largest rubber duck returns to Toronto in AR (The Star)
• Augmented reality takes over Long Beach’s Harvey Milk Promenade Park (Press Telegram)
• GHOSTING LONDON: the first auction from the global AR exhibition (Illust.space)
• POW! WOW! Worcester brought art to life with AR interactive murals (Twitter)

Sports

• PGA TOUR unveils first-of-its-kind mobile AR experience for fans attending the 2021 FedExCup Playoffs (PGA Tour)
• Watch the NASCAR Brickyard 400 like never before with this AR portal (Twitter)
• Phoenix Mercury app updated to give fans exclusive access to the Phoenix vs Chicago game via AR Portal (Twitter)
• ImagineAR partners with iSportConnect to introduce its AR fan engagement products to UK & European sports leagues (Auganix)
• Supporting Your Favorite English Premier League Club Just Got Sweeter With Cadbury’s WebAR Experience (8th Wall)
• Molson Coors launches Raiders WebAR experience (Twitter)

Travel & Hospitality

• Disney Cruise Line is to debut a new interactive experience called Disney Uncharted Adventure onboard its new cruise ship, Disney Wish (Cruise & Ferry)

Featured Quote: Google's Osterloh on the immediacy of phone-based AR and our smart glasses future

"Rick Osterloh said that smart glasses will be “very useful” in the long term, but ended his remarks saying phone-based AR will be in place for the foreseeable future.

“Without a doubt, sometime in the future, there will be the ability to have those experiences on different devices too,” he said. “But for now I think your phone is the most relevant place where you’ll see a lot of them show up.”"

(Source: 9to5 Google)

News

Human Impact &?Ethics

• This Is How the Augmented Reality World of the Metaverse Could Be Opened to the Visually Impaired (Next Reality)

Read my "21 Augmented Reality Trends for 2021"?post here.

For the latest in augmented reality follow me here on LinkedIn or on Twitter?@TomEmrich.

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