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- How can you explain AR to your work colleagues?
How can you explain AR to your work colleagues?
Welcome, professionals 👋
Answer in Short
→ A technology that blends digital elements with the real world, enhancing your daily experiences with interactive visual overlays. ←
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Figure 1: The reality-virtuality continuum
Augmented reality (AR) overlays digital content—like images, videos, or information—onto the real world around us. Unlike Virtual Reality (VR), which immerses you completely in a digital environment, AR keeps you in your environment but enhances it. It can be used through devices like smartphones, tablets, or special AR glasses.
AR has many practical uses. For example, in education, it can bring historical events to life right in the classroom. In retail, it lets you see how furniture would look in your home before buying. And in gaming, AR can turn your backyard into a virtual playground.
The best part about AR is its ability to provide additional information in real time. Whether it’s stats about athletes during a game or navigation paths on the road, AR makes information engaging and accessible right where you need it.
Figure 2: How does AR work
AR works by using your device’s camera to display the real world on your screen, then layering digital information on top of it. The device uses sensors like GPS and gyroscopes to understand your location and orientation. This allows AR elements to be placed accurately within your environment.
Figure 3: How do AR Glasses work
When you look at something through an AR device (AR glasses), software recognizes the object using computer vision, similar to how facial recognition works. It then provides relevant digital enhancements. For instance, pointing your phone at a restaurant might display its menu or reviews.
Developers create AR experiences using platforms like ARKit for iOS devices and ARCore for Android. These tools provide the necessary frameworks to blend digital objects with the physical world smoothly and realistically.
AR isn’t a new idea. It dates back to the 1960s but only recently has technology caught up to the vision. One of the first uses of AR was in television during football games where they superimpose the yellow first-down line.
The 1990s saw more advances with the military using AR for training simulations. In the early 2000s, AR started appearing in mobile apps. One of the biggest boosts in AR popularity was the game Pokémon Go, released in 2016, which allowed users to catch virtual creatures in real-world locations.
Figure 4: Augmented Reality Market Size: 2022 to 2032
The market for AR is growing rapidly. It’s being applied in numerous fields such as healthcare, where surgeons use AR for enhanced precision during surgery, and automotive, where drivers use AR for navigation displayed on windshields.
Education and training are also significant areas for AR’s growth. By integrating AR, complex subjects can be taught in more engaging and intuitive ways. For example, an AR app can overlay the human body in a biology class to teach anatomy interactively.
Businesses are increasingly adopting AR to improve customer experience and streamline operations. In retail, AR allows customers to try before they buy, significantly enhancing customer satisfaction and reducing return rates.
Augmented Reality is transforming how we interact with the world. With its ability to overlay digital information onto our real-world surroundings, AR is not just a tool for entertainment but a significant enhancer of day-to-day activities and professional tasks. As technology advances, AR’s integration into our lives is expected to deepen, making its understanding and adoption more important than ever.
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Your Inoovion Team 👋
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