A live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data – Wikipedia
Various forms of Augmented Reality have been around for more than 30 years. Over that time, increased bandwidth and smart phone adoption have helped AR evolve from a family of cool gadgets on the periphery of graphics and visualization technologies to an increasingly central player in the technology landscape. Companies are developing Augmented Reality brochures, packaging, and kiosks, while game developers are using Augmented Reality to create new kinds of entertainment. Augmented Reality is often described with reference to its two predominant modes of gathering information. The first mode relies on a visual metaphor and the second relies on spatial positioning.
Markers
In the first method, the position of “markers”, which are visual cues, are “seen” by a camera on a computer or mobile device. The marker is interpreted by software that brings up information in response to physical reference points. These points (markers) are used to interpret the device’s precise location and the nature of objects in their field of view. As marker-based systems continue to develop, many are beginning to recognize common real-world objects as markers, or even special gestures, increasing their flexibility dramatically.
Position based
Position-based applications use of a mobile device’s GPS and compass information, and then use the device’s location and position to discern what objects are nearby. Some applications also use image recognition, in which input to the camera is compared against a library of images to find a match; more recent applications can detect and interpret gestures and postures as commands to perform certain functions.
Common usages
Augmented Reality can be added to any type of medias since mostly all images can be recognized as a marker:
- Catalogs
- Brochures
- Magazine
- Annual report
- Walls
- Tee shirts
- Business Cards
- Billboard
- Paintings
With the new generation of smartphone all types of media can be displayed in the context of the Augmented Reality:
- 3D animations
- Videos
- 3D games
- Images
- Texts
- Ads
- Localization-aware content
Many sectors can take advantage of it:
- Advertisers
- Education
- Industry
- Science
- Museum
The only limit is your creativity! Check our recent posts to review some common Augmented Reality implementations.
Augmented Reality – What’s next?
I would like to share with you the conclusions of a recent report from Juniper Research:
- The increasing focus on incorporating augmented reality elements within mobile applications will lead to nearly 1.4 billion annual downloads of such apps worldwide by 2015, up from just over 11 million last year;
- Annual revenues generated by mobile AR applications and services are expected to approach $1.5 billion by 2015, up from less than $2 million in 2010;
In addition, the report noted that brand interest in, and awareness of, Augmented Reality rose dramatically lately, with a number of leading brands either creating apps with AR content or else utilizing existing mobile AR apps to enable end users to access the Augmented Reality elements of advertising campaigns. Don’t miss the train and contact us to evaluate how Augmented Reality can help you improve your business!
