Augmented reality is one of the hottest trends in the mobile apps industry. Augmented reality means superimposing virtual images over real world objects thus providing a composite view of the virtual world over the real world. While the majority of augmented reality examples are seen in mobile devices, it in no way means that it is limited to mobile devices only. Augmented reality has found its place everywhere, even in previously non-IT products like helmets. The number of successful examples of augmented reality are huge and every industry is trying to leverage its potential. So far gaming is considered the most lucrative industry when it comes to developing AR applications and monetizing them. Tech savvy industries like tourism, hospitality, advertising, and retail have already shown many examples of augmented reality applications.
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You may have already heard about Microsoft's HoloLens by now or Facebook's Oculus VR headset. The cost of these AR headsets is currently unaffordable by many people and as of now, you can use it only after tethering it to a pc. With technological advancements, both these problems are expected to be solved. Along with this smart glasses are also unleashed in the market which serve as a very handy AR technology. Google glasses can not only capture photos or videos but also can also integrate augmented reality into the environment.
Another popular AR equipment is the new Skully AR-1 motorcycle helmet. This helmet provides a heads-up display on the front face shield of the helmet. This shield displays basic information like temperature, driving directions and a real time 180-degree rear view to the drivers. By using Bluetooth connectivity you can also make calls, send texts and play music just by giving voice commands.
Gaming is one of the hottest industry when it comes to augmented reality and virtual reality. There are plenty of augmented reality examples in the gaming space. In a typical AR gaming experience, the developer superimposes a pre created game environment over real world objects. The complexity involved in creating an environment depends largely on the level of gaming you want to provide. While it can be a simple chess board placed virtually over the table, the game may involve creating characters that interact with objects like tables, chairs or even pen and paper.
Any discussion about examples of augmented reality in gaming will be incomplete without the mention of Pokemon GO. The game Pokemon Go uses camera, gyroscope, clock, and GPS to provide a breakthrough gaming experience to the user. The game brings in Pokemon on the user's’ screen which is blended in the real environment using camera and GPS technology. The impact was so powerful that this game forced thousands of users to leave the comforts of their desks and go out to hunt Pokemons.
In retail augmented reality can be used to improve the buyer’s experience by bridging the gap between the perception of the product and the actual product. By using augmented reality buyers can know the size and look of the product in a much realistic way. This solves one of the biggest problem faced by online retailers today. Augmented reality can amplify the shopping experience and bring out better reviews from the buyers.
Examples of augmented reality in retail include apps like Augment and Yihaodian AR. Augment is a SaaS platform where users can visualize their products in 3D in a real environment using mobile phones and tablets. This can be used by retailers, eCommerce companies, architects etc. to provide a more immersive buying experience. Users can print the Augment tracker or create their own trackers to place and scale the 3D models in the real world, in real time.
Yihaodian is the largest Chinese online grocery store. By using AR Yihaodian not only enhanced the customer experience online but also expanded itself to new locations. Customers could use the Yiahaodian mobile app to shop virtually at the designated locations like parking lots, parks, and tourists spots. This way they managed to open virtual stores nationwide without spending a single dime on real estate.
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Augmented reality is used by the military to simulate real war experiences and situations in order to provide better training to the soldiers. A typical example of AR in the military will be the heads-up display which is used to drive such experiences. Augmented reality is not only beneficial for field troops but also for the air force. The heads up display can provide key information to the pilots so that they don’t need to look down at the aircraft instrument. Data like altitude, enemy location and airspeed can be provided seamlessly to the pilots. Though it sounds like a small advantage, it can save precious seconds in emergencies and war situations.
What better way to reach our destination than an arrow guiding our way just like we see in typical racing games. The current direction apps can be simplified by using augmented reality technologies. Examples of augmented reality in navigation include Cydalion, Layar Reality Browser etc. Cydalion is the navigation assistant to people with visual impairments. Currently, it uses a Tango device, a lanyard or vest, and bone conduction headphones. It is a very strong initiative to motivate people with visual impairments to face the world without any help.
Layar Reality Browser identifies your surroundings and overlays information in layers using augmented reality. It combines the inputs from accelerometer, camera, compass, and GPS to provide a seamless browsing experience. This provides a unique browsing experience that can be used to deliver information in ways that was never thought before.
From creating a better buying experience for the customers to increasing the level of engagement, augmented reality is proving to be very helpful for the marketers. Many advertising campaigns are planned using augmented reality technologies to stand-out from the competition. An example of augmented reality campaign is the Starbucks AR stunt 2012. Starbucks has always been in the hunt to create the best customer experience possible. They were also the pioneers in using mobile pay and loyalty rewards to boost sales. Starbucks created a brilliant marketing campaign “Everylove on Every Cup”. Using AR they turned every Starbucks cup into a Valentine’s Day card. Thus, by using a dedicated Starbucks AR app to scan their cups users could watch the design come to life. This came out as an opportunity to spread wishes of love by purchasing the Starbucks gift cards.
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Media companies have been the prominent players in using new technologies and the same goes for augmented reality. AR in media can be used to simulate movies in a real-life environment. Along with this, it can be used to run a range of marketing campaigns to build around movies, events, and album launches. Examples of augmented reality in entertainment include some of the famous industry names like Universal Studios and AMC.
At Universal Studios Orlando, park visitors can now engage directly with the dinosaurs of the Jurassic Park franchise by using a mobile app. The visitors stand on a Hollywood star to trigger the application and soon a variety of dinosaurs come up to investigate them. This is considered as one of the most impressive AR experience that can be achieved at a destination.
Another example of AR in entertainment is the AMC app. With the new AMC app, movie posters can do a lot more than just grabbing attention and basic advertising. By pointing the application on the poster information like the trailer, cast, release date etc can be casted on the mobile so as to create an interactive experience. Users can also buy tickets from the application itself. This app not only works on posters in the theaters but also on images in magazines and news articles.
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Thus we can see that there are plenty of augmented reality examples across different industries. AR is a very promising technology and its application can vary on a large scale. With the advancements in base level technologies like mobile phones, smart watches and glasses the ease of building AR applications will increase massively. Moreover when mixed reality in the making the chances of successful applications of such advanced technologies will increase drastically.
At NewGenApps we have given life to many AR projects. Our work includes some of the best AR apps like plastic surgery simulator and many more. If you want to successfully develop your app then feel free to contact us: