What Is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality (AR) is a digitally enhanced depiction of the actual world made via the use of digital visual components, audio, or other sensory stimuli provided by technology. It’s a growing trend among businesses involved with mobile computing, particularly commercial apps.
In the middle of the evolution of data collection and analysis, one of the main goals of augmented reality is to highlight particular aspects of the physical environment, enhance awareness of those features, and extract intelligent and accessible information that can be used for real-world applications. Big data may help firms make better decisions and obtain insight into customer purchase habits, among other things.
History of Augmented Reality.
Morton Heilig, a cameraman, was the first to produce some form of augmented reality in 1957. He created the Sensorama, which provided the audience with sights, sounds, sensations, and fragrances. It wasn’t computer-controlled, but it was the first time data and experience were combined.
The head-mounted display was conceived in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland, an American computer scientist and early Internet pioneer, as a form of window into a virtual world. Due of the technology available at the time, the notion proved impracticable for wider application.
In 1975, American computer artist Myron Krueger created “Videoplace,” the first “virtual reality” interface, which allowed users to modify and interact with virtual objects in real time.
Wearable computers were first exposed to the public by Steve Mann, a computational photography researcher, in 1980.
Of course, they weren’t termed “virtual reality” or “augmented reality” back then, because Jaron Lainer originated the terms “virtual reality” in 1989 and “augmented reality” in 1990, respectively.
The AR system developed by Louis Rosenberg at the USAF Armstrong Research Lab in 1992 was most likely the first completely working AR system. This was known as Virtual Fixtures, and it was a very complex robotic system created to compensate for the lack of high-speed 3D graphics processing power in the early 1990s. It enabled the overlay of sensory data on a workstation in order to increase human productivity.
There have been various new advances in augmented reality since then, the most notable of which are:
- Bruce Thomas designed ARQuake, an outdoor mobile AR game, in the year 2000.
- Adobe Flash made ARToolkit (a design tool) available in 2009.
- Google Glass was launched as an open beta in 2013. (a project with mixed results).
- Microsoft introduced augmented reality capabilities for their HoloLens augmented reality headset in 2015.
In an Analogue world, how do you make digital transitions?
You’re concerned about a variety of design issues, including:
- Safety- Remember the users’ real-world situations and don’t divert or mislead them into danger.
- Overkill- Avoid overloading users’ senses with irrelevant information; keep interactions contextualized.
- Environment – AR, unlike desktop experiences, can be used anywhere. As a result, pay attention to the user’s settings, such as whether they’re moving or stationary, and whether they’re outside or indoors. Regardless of their surroundings, users demand enjoyable, user-friendly experiences.
AR UX’s Rob Manson describes the following user scenarios:
- The public- using one’s entire body to interact with software.
- Personal- Cellphone usage in public settings is considered personal.
- Intimate- sitting at a desk, using a computer
- Private- Using a wearable gadget in private
- Comfort- Create designs that are comfortable in order to eliminate physical discomfort and reduce cognitive load.
- Security- Because AR data is so rich, it’s critical to design in order to keep consumers’ data safe.
Understanding Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is evolving and increasingly being used in a variety of applications. Marketers and technology companies have sought to dispel the myth that augmented reality is nothing more than a marketing tool since its inception. Consumers, on the other hand, are more likely to get real benefits from this feature and expect it to be included in their purchase decision.
Some early adopters in the retail sector, for example, have developed technology to improve the shopping experience for customers. By using augmented reality in catalog apps, retailers may be able to show buyers how different things may seem in different circumstances. When shopping for furniture, customers point the camera in the direction of the desired room, and the object appears.
Aside from that, augmented reality’s advantages might extend to the healthcare business, where it could play a far bigger role. One technique is to use apps that allow individuals to see incredibly detailed 3D images of various biological systems by hovering their mobile device over a target image. For medical professionals, augmented reality, for example, might be a beneficial learning aid throughout their training.
According to several experts, wearable technology might be a game-changer for augmented reality. Smart eyewear, for example, might offer a more complete link between the real and virtual worlds if it develops to the point that it becomes common, whereas smartphones and tablets only show a tiny portion of the user’s surroundings.
Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality
Augmented reality makes use of the existing real-world environment and overlays virtual information on top of it to improve the experience.
In contrast, virtual reality immerses users, allowing them to “inhabit” a completely new environment produced and recreated by computers. Users may be immersed in an animated scene or an image of a real-world place integrated into virtual reality software. Users can look up, down, or in any other direction as if they were really there with a virtual reality viewer.
What does the term “industrial augmented reality” mean?
Augmented reality (AR) is a highly visible, interactive way of delivering meaningful digital information in the real world, with the purpose of connecting people and improving business outcomes.
By superimposing digital content over real-world work surroundings, industrial augmented reality improves the production and distribution of easily accessible task instructions.
Conclusion-
Virtual reality and augmented reality are inverse reflections of one another in terms of what each technology wants to achieve. Virtual reality digitally recreates a real-life environment, whereas augmented reality superimposes virtual elements on top of the real world.