Impact Of Augmented Reality On Mobile Application Development

Technology is adding new features to mobile app development every day and augmented reality (AR) is one of those technologies. With the introduction of applications like Snapchat and Quiver, augmented reality has reached new heights and it will continue to grow with revenue of 6218.2 Million by the year 2020.

What Is An Augmented Reality?

AR is the technology that mixes a few components of the digital world. With this, the user can create an artificial environment all over your surroundings. This improves the user’s experience by affecting their viewpoint of the idea about reality by implementing some useful, artificial elements on the physical real-world environment of the user.

AR is the technology that takes reality and adds a digital layer to it. It fades out the line between the real and the digital world and gives users to be more active and vividly involved.

Need For Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality is needed because it is the best of both the worlds i.e the physical and the digital world. Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality does not block the physical world, rather it uses its element to present in a new alternative by adding 3D special effects and effective features to it that adds up from the digital side. This enhances the experience of the user by amplifying human senses like sight, hearing, feeling and smelling.

AR apps are being preferred by the users and mobile app development companies alike due to various advantages which are offered by it :

• The enhanced interactivity of the user with the physical world using the digital world.
• Instant and easy information access to the user without any changes.
• Information tracking and information based on location turns out to be more efficient.
• Augmented reality facilitates visualization, interaction and tracking using AR mobile applications.

For instance, if a user is wearing AR glasses while going to the market, then the glasses will automatically reckon all the details and information available related to the nearby location.

The projected information can be anything related to the infrastructure, like reviews of the mall, coffee shop, etc.

How Does AR Work?

AR works in a manner of three-fold which uses the camera to the user to visualize, analyze and interact with the environments.

It goes on with a few steps :

1. The camera tracks the nearby places using GPS tracking and also tracks the code which is placed near the object.
2. The computer vision recognizes the object and using barometric sensors and accelerometers the user’s depth and movements are analyzed.
3. The digital info of the object is then presented on it which gets updates again when the user’s environment is changed, making the interaction of the user and surroundings possible.

It is not generally possible that AR implementation may or may not use trackers always to place real 3D objects in their surroundings.

Browers can also be used for implementing AR as done by IKEA to provide customers with how their object would “look like” in the user’s surroundings.

Another medium used is gaming as seen in Pokemon go, where the whole world is a playground and you try to find artificial elements that have been placed around.

Geospatial systems, 2D AR systems, and 3D systems are some different types of systems that are included by them.

Obstacles Faced by AR

• Privacy: It is a significant issue as maximum info about a person is available on their LinkedIn and Facebook profiles and any user can tamper by pointing a screen at them.
• REALITY: As the interaction between the physical and digital world has increased, the interaction between the physical world and humans starts to suffer.

Users miss what is right in front of them and enjoy gathering what is not.

• Accuracy: Accurate tracking is not possible for the user as it is possible for a fixed scale only and it is not very accurate for indoor locations.

Sectors Which Are Benefited From AR

With the growth of AR, many industries of various sectors have already opted for AR and have provided great results with great solutions.

Well, some of the sectors are as follows:

• GAMING: the gaming industry is responsible for popularising AR with the launch of apps like Pokemon Go. Surprised by how the users got excessively occupied it made, mobile app developers initialized focusing on developing AR-based applications.

The response was higher customer retention and engagement, which encouraged mobile app developers to follow it further.

They now pursue to make the gaming more innovative while including maximum features. Temple Treasure hunt is another AR-based gaming app that has been very successful.

• RETAIL: It enabled users to virtually check items such as furniture, cosmetics, spectacles, etc before making the final purchase of the item.

The suitability of the product can be checked without wastage of time and effort of the user. Online stores have more advantage of showing more items virtually than physically.

Some examples of the use of AR-based app in the retail sector are Sephora, IKEA, and Lenskart.

• HEALTHCARE: Professionals use AR to complete their daily chores with less effort. They have improved the level of treatment provided to patients using AR.

AR glasses are used by surgeons to perform surgeries as every information is in front of them, so they are more precise, 3D visualizations are used to show organs from multiple angles in real-time.

ACCUVEIN is a successful AR-based healthcare app that helps to detect veins accurately.

• EDUCATION: Students these days are able to retain more as the learning process has become interactive and easy with AR.

They are getting practical exposure to the world with AR-based classes.

ChromevilleScience and Zooburst are successful AR-based applications in the education sector.

• ENTERTAINMENT: Users love to spend their time on mobile phones using apps like Snapchat, Tiktok, which provides real fun. Mobile app developers are now focusing to create more and more apps using AR technology to keep the entertainment going on.
• TRANSPORT: No doubt, augmented reality will inevitably get integrated into the transport sector also. For example, the current GPS system in cars requires an increased concentration level and good multitasking skills. Now with the help of AR smart glasses could help make the road safer. The sensor in glasses allows the driver to keep track of the route he/she wants to take without looking elsewhere but in front of them.’

CONCLUSION:

AR development will spur in the market as almost every industry has a vast potential to explore AR with new ideas, requirements, features. The AR apps not only occupy the user’s time but are also fruitful to them. AR is a fast-growing billion-dollar industry and will provide great results in the coming future.