The AR technology has expanded to the real, physical world today at a large scale and has undergone massive digital transformation. Virtual reality differs from augmented reality because it creates a virtual environment for users to have authentic experiences.
On the contrary, augmented reality enhances the experience of the current environment by adding graphics, videos, and sounds to it.
The future of augmented reality looks extremely promising. If you are a user of mobile phones or computers, you will see a huge impact of AR on these devices.
This is because the AR technology allows us to see reality in a completely different light. This technology has impacted several sectors, including healthcare, medicine, education, gaming, advertising, and marketing.
AR is likely to excel in all aspects in the future, including advanced GPS, face recognition, and much more.
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Here are the most important AR trends for 2019 that you must know about!
Teaching
Augmented Reality also has an application in the education sector. Using virtual environments, students can learn and practice in a more engaging environment and through real-world training.
This means that students can receive information in real time on the subject matter. These simulated environments are also perfect to be incorporated in multinational companies to train employees in wide-ranging skills.
For instance, Walmart used 17,000 Oculus Go headsets with the purpose of training its employees in customer service and compliance. This not just gives individuals a practical knowledge of their industry but also helps in the growth of a company or an individual.
Artificial Intelligence
Augmented Reality has become even more intelligent than expected, thanks to its merger with artificial intelligence. Whether we realize it or not, all AR platforms have AI at their heart.
These two technologies, when well-positioned and synced with perfection, enhance the operations of a plethora of applications. In simple terms, AI enables augmented reality to interact smoothly with a physical environment multidimensionally.
This includes things like object recognition as well as tracking, voice command recognition, eye tracking, and much more. The amalgamation of these two technologies is bound to open more doors in the future.
Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook are no strangers to Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technology. In 2016, Facebook purchased Oculus, which was a clear demonstration of its belief in the importance of VR to build shared online environments.
AR tools are being increasingly used in offices and board rooms where users can see virtual pin boards and whiteboards on real-world objects. This trend is only expected to enhance in 2019, and as a result, social media giants like Facebook and WeChat are expected to experience a boom in their sales.
The best part about amalgamating the AR technology with social media platforms is that it significantly increases the user-engagement.
Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles are definitely defining the future of transportation today. It will not be long before self-driving cars turn out to be as ubiquitous and prevalent as the manually-driven ones.
Augmented Reality could reach mainstream relevance in the automotive sector. In addition to that, when autonomous vehicles do become ubiquitous, AR will be key in showing the passengers exactly what self-driving cars see on the road.
They will also be able to see all the relevant information displayed on the windshield during the progression of the trip. In this context, many automotive models such as Volvo, BMW, Lexus, Mazda, Chevrolet, etc. have incorporated AR features into their cars.
In 2019, these trends are expected to become more mainstream with more and more AR features incorporated into vehicles.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry has also experienced an intense integration of the AR technology. The Internet of Things, in particular, has found a niche in this sector by way of intelligent objects.
In this context, users can employ smart “data to human interface.” As a result, people can make use of AR-equipped intelligent objects to get assistance in the various processes related to the manufacturing field.
These tools can go a long way in helping employees visualize a set of data. In addition to that, industrial employees can also use this data to get help in physical labor jobs.
In 2019, the manufacturing industry is expected to see a massive digital transformation.
Healthcare
Augmented Reality has also impacted the healthcare sector with telemedicine. This is revolutionary and is likely to be a growing trend in the future as well.
Telemedicine allows for a medical consultation without being with the doctor physically. It can help doctors immensely if they can remotely administer therapy to patients.
We lead a very rapid life today, and so we want everything done as quickly and conveniently as possible. In this regard, this is good news because patients can get treated from doctors remotely through AR software and AR training simulators.
The latest AR trends in the healthcare industry show increased mass user adoption of this technology. In addition to that, healthcare service providers and physical therapists are also likely to get the relevant training to administer treatment to patients remotely.
Advertising & Marketing
AR has become quite popular in enhancing the quality of advertising campaigns. With the help of AR, consumers can have a more personal experience, which can lead to brand recognition and user engagement.
Many major brands have started using AR for advertising and marketing their products and services. An interesting example is that of the Ikea app that has revolutionized the customer experience.
The app allows the users to visualize how the furniture they select would look in their house. The high number of downloads of this app shows that many consumers enjoy this technology, and this is likely to set the trend in the future.
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Final Words
The AR technology seems to be fully equipped to take the world by a storm and infiltrate businesses more than it already has, thanks to its ingenuity and applications. The proof will be in the pie, as always!