The world has exponentially developed in terms of technology. The current era is officially termed as the digital era. A lot of things that were once a mere concept are now embracing reality and changing the face of the world.
One such thing is Augmented Reality technology. From a science-fiction concept to science-based reality, Augmented Reality has come a long way. Until the recent times, the cost of AR was so substantial that people could only dream of working on projects that involved the use of it. Although now the dream has evolved into reality and AR is available even on a mobile handset. This has created a wide range of options for UX designers.
Now, what is Augmented Reality?
Augmented Reality in simpler terms is an enhancement of the real, physical world with the help of computer-generated graphics. Let’s understand the past of Augmented Reality.
History of Augmented Reality
To some extent, AR development was first achieved in 1957 by a cinematographer, Morton Heilig. The concept was called Sensorama. It delivered visuals, sounds, vibration, and even smell to the viewer. It wasn’t computer-controlled but it was initially the first attempt to add more additional factors to an experience.
In 1975, an American computer artist named Myron Krueger developed Videoplace which was the first “virtual reality” that allowed users to manipulate and interact withvirtual objects and to do so in real-time.
However, these weren’t “virtual reality” or “augmented reality” because the term “Augmented Reality” was coined in 1990 by Thomas P Caudell and the phrase “Virtual Reality” was coined in 1989 by John Lainer.
It’s ideal to say that the first-ever AR with proper functionality was the one developed by USAF Armstrong’s Research Lab in 1992 by Louis Rosenberg. It was called Virtual Fixtures. It was a highly complex robotic system that was designed to compensate for the lack of high-speed in processing power of 3D graphics in the early 90s. It helped enable the overlay of sensory information to improve human productivity in a workspace.
Augmented reality has come a long way since its origins in the 1990s. It's now used by huge companies like Google, but even smaller ones have begun to incorporate it into their products.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways augmented reality applications that has been used so far, and how it can continue to be used in the future. One of the earliest uses of AR was in the military, where it was used to help soldiers train for combat. The military used AR to simulate war zones and scenarios that would be encountered in battle. Since then, AR has been used more broadly to help train people in all sorts of fields, from software engineering to marketing to law enforcement.
Another example: In the past few years, we've seen an increasing number of apps that use AR to help you prepare for your next medical or dental appointment—you can see what's coming up on your calendar, get instructions about how to prepare for your procedure or treatment, or even see what kinds of equipment might be available for you at the facility.
While these examples show how AR is being used in practical ways like training and healthcare, it's also being used in creative ways like art installations and interactive experiences.
The Present of Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality has developed prominently today. It can be achieved through a variety of technological innovations. These innovations can be implemented on their own and even in conjunction with each other to create AR. Augmented reality is everywhere. You can see it in the way people interact with their phones, or the way they use apps like Snapchat or Pokémon Go.
Augmented reality is a mix between virtual and real worlds. Rather than looking at an image or video, you look at the real world through your phone's camera, which then creates an overlay of information on top of it. This could be text overlaid on an image of a building, or a video of someone walking down a street while you see them walking around in front of you. The current state of AR is that it's currently being used in gaming and entertainment, as well as in enterprise applications. This includes software for medical diagnostics and training purposes.
The Future Of Augmented Reality
The future of AR is showing and the potential it so clearly depicts, tells us prominently that Augmented Reality is the future. Even in terms of design, the majority of designers agree the AR is indeed the future. Consider mobile phones for a minute. They have become such an important part of our lives. This factor would allow AR to be integrated into our lives without it being intrusive.
AR most certainly provides opportunities to enhance the user experience beyond measures. UX designers should consider the questio,ns of how traditional experiences can be enhanced and improved further with AR. The future most definitely belongs to AR as it shows promising improvements in work efficiency and customer experience.
Conclusion
Augmented Reality has gone from a dream to reality in over a century. A number of AR applications are in development today. However, the concept can actually take off when UX designers think about the how, where and why of integrating AR in our day-to-day life in order to improve efficiency, productivity or the quality of experiences. A lot of companies are investing in this new technology because they think it will change their business in ways they never thought possible—and they want to be at the forefront of this new way of doing things.
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FAQS
What are the 3 types of AR?
There are three types of AR: marker-based AR, markerless AR, and project-based AR. Marker-based AR uses a marker, such as a QR code, to trigger the AR content. Markerless AR uses features in the environment, such as a point of interest, to trigger the AR content. Project-based AR is AR content that is triggered by a specific project or event.
How IoT platform can empower AR application?
IoT platforms can empower AR applications by providing a way to connect devices and share data. This can enable AR applications to interact with the real world and provide users with new and innovative experiences. This data can be used to improve the accuracy of the AR experience and to provide feedback to the user about their performance. IoT platforms can be used to manage and update the content of AR experiences.
What was the first AR app?
In the early 2000s, augmented reality apps for smartphones started to appear. One of the first was AR Tennis - a two-player augmented reality game developed for Nokia phones in 2003.