Augmented Reality Made Simple: What You Need to Know

Industry 4.0 unites production environments with cyber-physical systems and is marked by several technological innovations that facilitate and accelerate production processes in the factory. Among them are Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, robotics, Big Data, and another very useful and interesting resource: Augmented Reality (AR).??

By combining real-time information and visual projections such as videos, infographics, and 3D animations, this technology allows you to project virtual scenarios into the physical world. For this, in addition to the internet, systems, sensors, cameras, and, in some cases, even virtual reality glasses are used.

Let’s explore some situations in which augmented reality is applied and find out why it is so advantageous for Industry 4.0.

Unlike Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality keeps the user in the real world but introduces virtual objects with which it is possible to interact and which are easily distinguished from the real ones. The goal is not to create an immersive experience, but to improve interaction with reality. Since a totally new world is not simulated, the processing power required is lower and no special device comes into play. A smartphone is enough to download an application that uses Augmented Reality (AR), as is the case with the famous game Pokémon GO.

Augmented Reality is no longer something out of science fiction to become an aid to be taken into account by most companies. Commerce is one of the sectors that stands to benefit the most. Brands like IKEA already use it as a marketing tool. Thanks to the IKEA Place app, the furniture giant's potential customers can 'see' the items in their own home, thus having an idea of how they fit into a given space. A Japanese cosmetics company has placed a mirror, which is actually an Augmented Reality monitor, in some of its points of sale in countries such as Japan, the United States of America, and France. Through it, it is possible to test different makeup products and even get suggestions on colors and use. And these are just two examples.

Augmented Reality applies to stores selling other products, such as clothing, making life easier for the customer, who can try on pants or a coat without having to change clothes.

One of the applications that, of course, you find every day and can be useful in your business is the QR Code. Already commonly used in stock and inventory management, this technology has entered the daily lives of consumers through various applications, including the digital menus of restaurants in the time of a pandemic or content made available using AR. Using a reading app, this barcode can trigger content such as videos, images, text, 3D experience, among others, favoring a win-win relationship for entrepreneurs and potential consumers. For example, in a supermarket, we can read a QR Code of a bottle of wine and in front of us appears a text with the description of the wine and even a video about the place where it was produced, using Augmented Reality.

Another successful case of using Augmented Reality is Google. The technological giant increasingly uses this resource, and the possibilities also become more interesting. We are talking, among others, about the Maps app, which has already become an aid to millions of travelers across the planet with arrows that indicate which way to go; and Arts & Culture, which brings the greatest works of art from museums around the world – and in full size – into the users' living room.

The advantages of augmented reality

Knowing all the features of augmented reality, it is already possible to see that it brings several advantages to industry 4.0. Are they:’

Improvement of manufacturing processes and procedures: with real-time and easy-to-view information, it is possible to make much of the industry's production processes easier, more agile, and more accurate.

Improvement in employee productivity: with easier and more agile processes, industry workers can be more efficient in their tasks, reducing the execution time of each activity and delivering more results in less time.

Decrease in production costs: as a result of improved productivity, production costs are reduced.

Forecasting possible failures and problems: easy access to up-to-date and accurate information makes it possible to predict possible problems, reducing errors in processes and preventing further problems.?

More safety for workers: the reduction of errors in the processes and the possibility of improving preventive maintenance of machines and equipment guarantees more safety for workers in the industry.

AR trend has been gaining more and more space in industry 4.0 and in the creation of new products and services, and it is here to stay.???

What about your business? Is any technology from Industry 4.0 already applied in your company?