Current State of Augmented Reality And How It Can Influence Mobile App Development

Augmented reality (AR) is obviously a very useful tool in the everyday lives of many people. Though it might not be as exciting as a VR rollercoaster ride, it’s wondrous ability to enhance the things people feel, hear and see, as well as the elements of the virtual world is brings into the real world has made it a gregarious force to reckon with. Currently, there is a growing number of top app development companies that are starting to embrace the idea of developing AR apps.

How AR can be Experienced

Though augmented reality has been around for quite some time now, it wasn’t until iOS and Android smartphones came equipped with a range of AR, camera, and GPS capabilities that the public got to know more about it. Basically, this is a technology that can be designed by any AR app development company to integrate virtual reality (VR) with the real world using digitally enhanced live video imagery with computer-generated graphics. Users can experience AR through displays on mobile devices and their headsets.

AR Headsets

Currently, there are certain high-end headsets on the market that are designed to provide users with the AR experience they need. Some of these devices include Facebook’s Oculus VR headset and Microsoft’s HoloLens.

Though they initially seemed to be on the high side, they are now offered at a consumer price that is actually worth it.Most AR headsets work by being tether attached to a PC. However, there are positive indications that soon untethered headsets would be made available. Headsets are also available for use with tablets and smartphones on budget-price. There is every likelihood of smart contact lens and smart glasses to be all the rage in the nearby future.

Handheld AR Equipment

Many AR app development companies are now seeing the need to add AR elements to their apps. Thanks to the available tools offered by Apple’s ARKit for its mobile devices and a wide range AR software development kits for Android smartphones.

Users can get their favorite action-adventure game characters and locales to populate their dining room table after clean off. Interestingly, these AR apps are not limited to games alone. Now homeowners can have a preview of how a how a retailer’s virtual furniture will look in their homes before they even decide to buy it.

This is basically what every AR app development company is seeking to achieve. The number of augmented reality apps developed for both Android devices and the iPhone devices has dramatically increased in recent times. Both gamers and retailers are showing tremendous interest in augmented reality possibilities.

Augmented Reality Apps

Before now, the main objectives of any AR app development company were focused on the development of augmented reality apps for the early tablet, smartphone, and PC. But to today, AR uses now involve a much broader perspective.

The possible educational and commercial applications of AR apps across a range of industries are becoming more or less unlimited. Augmented reality, as it is today, is employed by medical personnel to prepare for surgeries. In the military, soldiers are using AR to render assistance to men and women while they make repairs in the field.

Uses of AR in the Medical Field

Educationally, an increasing number of medical students are making use of augmented reality technology to facilitate the practice of surgery in a controlled environment. Patients, on the other hand, are getting informed of their medical conditions through the use of visualization aid. Just so you know, the use of AR in medicine has helped to give surgeons an improved sensory perception thereby reducing the risk of an operation. When combined with X-ray or MRI systems, this technology can help bring everything the surgeon requires just a single view.

When it comes to employing surgical applications of AR, neurosurgery tends to be at the leading position. Before now, it has never been this easy for a surgeon to effectively obtain crucial data right on the top of the patient’s actual anatomy. Thanks to the advent of this technology which now help these doctors image the brain in 3D.

Compared to other parts of the body, the brain seems to be immobile (fixed) which to a large extent simplifies the process of achieving the registration of exact coordinates. During surgery, there are, however, concerns about the movement of brain tissue which can affect the registration process of the exact positioning necessary for the effective performance of AR.

Uses of AR in Military

When it comes to military applications of AR technology, a typical example is a Heads-Up Display (HUD). Positioned directly to the view of the fighter pilot is a transparent display. In addition to other essential data, it typically displays the horizon line, airspeed, and altitude to the pilot. Since it isn’t necessary for the pilot to look down at the instrumentation of the aircraft to obtain the required information, the term “heads-up” was coined.

Most ground troops use the Head-Mounted Display (HMD) to analyze critical data such as the location of the enemy presented within the line of sight of the soldier. Also, this technology is employed in military training facilities for simulation purposes.

Uses of AR in the Tourism Industry

When it comes to the use of augmented reality, the sightseeing and tourism industries are not left out. There are quite a number of AR apps currently employed in this sector. One natural use of the technology can be observed in most advanced museums where live views of displays are offered to present relevant facts and figures.

Beyond the real world, augmented reality has also helped to improve sightseeing. Tourists can easily get to see and read facts and figures while walking through historic sites with just a smartphone equipped with a camera. Basically, these apps are designed to employ image recognition technology and GPS to obtain data from an online database. This information is usually presented as an overlay on their live screen.

The Use of AR Apps for Navigation

The most natural fit of AR to everyday human lives is possibly the use of augmented reality for navigation.

AR is employed by most enhanced GPS systems to facilitate movement from point A to point B. While integrating GPS with their smartphone’s camera, mobile users can now preview selected routes over the live view of objects located before the car.

Conclu-

Today, we are only dipping our toes in Augmented Reality. We believe that in the next 5–10 years, a fully (or semi) transparent device that will be worn as glasses, will replace the mobile device as our personal computer.

The most important difference between smartphones and smart glasses is the promise of access to contextual information. Today, we only see glimpses of value on our smartphones (mainly with location-based information, e.g your iPhone now knows when you are parking your car and saves the location), but in the future, we will see our exercise data on the road while we jog, log food information when we look at it (or a menu), instantly translate a language we don’t speak, see information on people we meet and much much more.

It is impossible to foresee all of the services and applications we could use along with our daily lives, especially when we go outside our daily routine (e.g travel). We need to have the ability to access contextual data instantly, without the need to install an app for that. Sure, there will still be applications that we will take a significant portion of our usage time, but the power of contextual data “on the go” has immense potential.

Thanks for Reading! & Share your points

Blessin Thomas

CTO - HUBSTREW