Augmented Reality or AR is getting more buzz than Virtual Reality these days. The prime reason for the shift in interest can be attributed to that fact that AR adds a lot of immersion as it takes the real world as the background. The other reason is that many startups have come forward to create various AR experiences and technologies. While 2017 gave limelight for AR and VR technologies, 2018 is going to be the year where consumers will have finished products and apps ready to use. Here are the best AR Augmented Reality Startups to look out for in 2018.
HoloLamp
When we say AR, you either imagine chunky goggles or a mobile phone that gives you the AR experience. But what if AR can be implemented without the use of any goggles, computers or mobiles? This is the vision put forward by a startup that goes by the name – HoloLamp. Hololamp uses pico projectors instead of goggles. This enables you to interact with AR without the use of any handheld devices.
DigiLens
Many of the AR technologies available today are for gaming or interactive experience that relate to entertainment or education. But DigiLens brings in a twist as it wants to use AR in tandem with HUDs or Heads Up Displays.
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With DigiLens you will be able to have your cars fitted with HUDs that gives real-time projections pertaining speed limits, intersections, turns, etc. they are also developing technologies that can be applied to motorcycle helmets, eye wears, etc.
Lightform
If HoloLamp has got you excited, then Lightform will definitely blow your socks off! Unlike HoloLamp, Lightform isn’t just playing with prototypes as they have made the first computer that can create Projected Augmented Reality. With Lightform you can turn a dull looking surface into something magnificent thanks to their special effects. With Lightform, any ordinary surface is a canvas ready to be brought to life.
Waveoptics
While many companies try to get rid of wearables to make for a truly hassle-free AR experience, Waveoptics chose a different route. They are working on lenses that are a compilation of special crystals and wave guides that help them to come up with light and thin lenses. Waveoptics says that their technology can be scaled to an extent where the AR lenses would be as thin as normal eyewear glasses. If they manage to achieve that, we can say goodbye to all those chunky AR glasses.
Travel AR
Want to immerse yourself in a tourist destination without even going there? This is exactly what Travel AR is trying to do for its customers. They boast the world’s first travel AR apps that can help you get to know a place without actually going through the struggles. This App gives the users a taste of what to expect in a country or a place they are planning to visit. It also helps the users to have a preview of the experience they are about to embark. Their app is available to download for iOS devices.
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Augmedix
Some might think that AR/VR has no place in healthcare industries, but that is not at all the case as Augumedix demonstrates. Augumedix uses Google’s Smart glasses to project images and data about a patient. The healthcare record will be stored in the Augumedix database, and it will pull up the records when the patient is before the doctor. Now, the doctor doesn’t need to go through paperwork or record as everything is displayed right before their eyes. The software even takes note based on the voice input given by the doctor. Early tests show that with Augumedix, doctors are able to see more patients per day!
Magicleap
Even though MagicLeap was founded in 2011, they are going to showcase some impressive tech in 2018. They are not disclosing a solid release date on their tech, but their current achievements are pretty impressive. MagicLeap has already got funding from Google and Alibaba to continue their research in AR. MagicLeap hopes to create an AR experience that feels almost like the real deal. This means that their images will be harder to distinguish from real-world objects. They call these new signals the Dynamic Digitized lighting technology and one day we can hope to see Magicleap products that can give users 100% immersion.
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Yeehaw Wand
What if we say you could create 3D images and virtual objects without having to study 3D programming or 3D graphics training! Impossible? Not anymore as Yeehaw Wand is aimed to help people to bring their imagination to life and all you need is a smartphone or tablet and their magic wand. Currently, they are on Kickstarter and are planning to take the platform live later this year. The users can even send their creation directly to a 3D printer have it in physical form.
blippAR
blippAR is a startup founded in 2011 that got major fundings in the year 2017. Their mobile app aims to give users the advantage of AR by overlaying information of everyday objects. It means that you can point your camera at a dog and the app will tell you about its breed and other info about dogs. Point the camera at a flower, and the app does the same thing in finding you all the info about that particular flower and flowers in general. You can download the blippAR from both Play Store and iTunes.
RealCast
We know how boring it is to sit through lectures on history and science. But RealCast wants to tell you all about history, science or any content by making you part of it. They plan to do it by using Microsoft’s HoloLens. They call their experience Extended Reality because RealCast plans to bring the sense of touch and sound into the mixture with their Situ Experience. The topics that you once considered boring will not be boring anymore!
We can certainly raise our hopes for 2018, as many startups have geared up to storm the AR market with groundbreaking technologies. It is always refreshing to see new startups entering the limelight rather than the tech giants that we are used to seeing.