Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) dominated the tech market in 2018 in a big way. Therefore, the lovers of this technology are in for a treat and are excited in anticipation of what is yet to come. We have already heard that VR and AR are the things of the future and are all set to take over our generation as the biggest technology. 2018 was a good year for some major digital trends in AR and VR. However, 2019 is expected to be even more of a blast where these two breakthroughs in technology are concerned.
Let’s check out the leading AR and VR trends in 2019!
A Transformed Shopping Experience
AR and VR have revolutionized the way in which people buy products today. Virtual Reality in addition to Augmented Reality can reshape the retail world, and countless customers believe that investing in these technologies can enhance their shopping experience manifold. Augmented Reality while shopping is a cutting-edge transformation.
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Imagine that a buyer wants to buy a rocking chair for his/her living room but is not sure what kind of a rocking chair would go with the decor of the room or where to place it for that matter. AR can come in as a handy technology in this aspect as just by opening your mobile camera and pointing it to a space in your living area can help you see a 3D model of a rocking chair as an overlay on the living room.
The E-commerce business is expected to witness a huge boom as they offer customers an opportunity to explore a full range of virtual showrooms and in-store engagement.
Mobile Augmented Reality
The market of Mobile AR is already quite large, and it will only continue expanding in 2019. In the present times, hundreds of millions of individuals around the world already own a smartphone. This means that hundreds of millions of individuals already own AR-ready devices. If this is combined with investment and support from industry giants such as Google and Apple in AR technology, the mobile AR market can grow even further.
For example, the ARKit and ARCore have made it quite easy for developers to develop and release applications that are AR-ready. Also, mobile AR is expected to continue its growth as it is more accessible than other technologies such as Virtual Reality. It is a known fact that Virtual Reality needs a significant amount of investment, an up-to-date and cutting-edge PC machine, a VR headset and other accessories.
Alternatively, AR only needs the availability of a smartphone which is a blessing in disguise since most consumers around the world already own a smartphone of some kind. Another rising trend that is expected in 2019 is that mobile AR might have a significant share of the Extended Reality market with games, social media, etc. utilizing the AR technology more and more.
Extended Reality (XR)
Extended Reality is definitely the new buzzword today. Extended Reality can comprise Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) or Mixed Reality (MR). The ‘X’ that you find in XR can mean any of these three technologies or letters. It is no secret that different realities have distinct purposes and origins. Having said that, sometimes, the boundaries get erased and the similarities, as well as the overlaps, tend to grow more evident. It is believed that the term “Extended Reality” will gain much more popularity and wider use in 2019.
AR In Manufacturing
According to statistics seen in July 2018, America alone has manufacturing jobs of 12.5 million. That said, over 600,000 jobs are still in anticipation of workers who possess the right skills for the job. The adoption of AR in the industry has been on the rise. In addition to AR, IoT has also carved its niche in the world of manufacturing through intelligent objects. Augmented Reality is all set to offer users something called a “data to the human interface.”
This means that it is possible for users to use intelligent objects that are equipped with Augmented Reality to see a view of the world which has been augmented with a set of data. Since manufacturing jobs around the world are steadily climbing, AR software is expected to play a key role in the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry.
Industrial AR Applications
AR is also expected to make its mark in the industrial field. The biggest challenge for the widespread adoption of Augmented Reality is to dismiss the notion of AR being nothing more than a technology gimmick and mostly focused on applications such as Pokémon Go and Snapchat.
However, 2018 witnessed a lot of industrial AR prototypes. In addition to that, AR also proved its functionality as a commercial application, and its trend started to kick in. 2019 is expected to continue this trend as big businesses getting their hands dirty with an AR initiative can reap a lot of commercial benefits.
The advantages include creating new revenue streams, cost reduction and growing the streams of revenue that already exists. If you run a business that involves software, you could not find a better time to incorporate AR and the other emergent technologies than 2019.
Final Words
AR and VR definitely have a promising future in 2019. The technological trends that we saw in 2018 are only expected to take a leap in the coming year. VR is expected to continue its growth, only slower than AR.
However, it is safe to say that expectations regarding these two emerging technologies as well as Extended Reality, Mixed Reality and the Internet of Things will grow far beyond their realistic advancement.
