Augmented Reality

In News

• Snap, the parent company for Snapchat, sees Augmented Reality (AR) as the next big driver for growth and increasing adoption in the market. 

Augmented Reality: Definition 

• It is the technology that superimposes an image onto a user’s view of the real world and enhances it with sound, touch, and even smell. 
• It is a combination of the real scene viewed by the user and a virtual scene generated by the computer. 
• The technology that is going to blur the lines of reality.
• Augmented Reality represents the upcoming shift in our ability to create and then experience software applications in a totally new way. 
• It is actually much more in line with the way we as humans naturally behave and imagine the world around us.

Sectors where AR can be adopted

• Education:
  • AR can be used as an educational tool and a way to learn more about the world around them. 
  • AR is used in the field of language translation.
• Defense and Security:
  • Law enforcement agencies can use AR tech to recognize criminals in huge crowds.
  • It will improve the situational awareness of the soldiers.The tech is named Tactical Augmented Reality (TAR). 
    • TAR will one day replace night vision goggles, as this technology can help soldiers in the dark.
    • It will replace the handheld GPS that soldiers carry today to locate their positions.
• Advertising:
  • Flipkart, and other e-commerce brands can use AR to help consumers shop and visualise products before they buy them
  • AR is used by Retail companies to help customers envisage aesthetics while redesigning the interiors .
  • Jaguar Land Rover puts prospective car buyers in the virtual driver’s seat of its latest models without visiting the dealership. 
    • Customers can see the outside view seated at the driving seat through transparent windows.
• Healthcare:
  • AR technology would replace the traditional handheld ultrasound scanners.
    • It will help in locating the blood vessels very accurately and in a shorter period.
  • Google Glass and other Head-up Displays (HUD) put AR directly into the glasses. 
    • These glasses could be used as reminders for patients undergoing medication
• Pharmaceuticals:
  • AR would help Drug developers to step inside the molecule and determine the drug’s movement and response to different stimuli and situations. 
  • This will reduce errors and reduce the years-long drug development cycle.
• Logistics:
  • Optimizing warehouse operations, transportation , last-mile delivery and enhanced value-added services.
  • Scanning the product’s  QR code could provide wholesome information on the screen.
• Social Media:
  • Various filters on Snapchat and Instagram are nothing but Augmented Reality.
  • Pokemon is one of the most famous games to hit a big chord with the public.

What is a Lens Studio?

• Lens Studio is a tool and a platform that allows anybody to create an AR experience. 
• They can then deploy AR seamlessly without any extra work across both iOS and Android user bases.
• Lensathons: It is basically an international lens hackathon. 
• Lens creators performance
  • There has been a lion’s share of engagement around Augmented Reality being rooted in what we would call creative expression. 
  • These are Lenses that are really funny and entertaining and represent ways to express oneself. 
• A success story
  • A student Jagmeet Singh has seen his Lenses get over a billion views. 
  • The Smoke Flare Lens from India saw over 30 billion views.

Difference between Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality

Source: IE