Augmented reality (AR) has gradually integrated itself into our daily lives. AR is more than just a fleeting trend, as seen by the amusing puppy ear filters on selfies and the virtual first-down lines in NFL broadcasts. But the question still stands for companies: is augmented reality just a mere gimmick or a useful strategic tool?
This piece delves into the possibilities of augmented reality (AR) applications that go well beyond entertainment and looks at how companies may use this formidable technology to their advantage.
Augmented Reality: The Digital Overlay
At its most basic level, AR is the application of digital layering onto our physical environment. At present, all this augmented reality experience is being presented and accessed through the screen of a smartphone device.
Future AR glasses, by contrast, should accomplish nothing less than smoothly embedding the digital world into our field of view. Imagine a world where the small gadget you’re holding is not the only screen but your entire range of vision is a screen.
In essence, augmented reality is identifying and superimposing the viewing of real objects, a real location, or actual behaviors using digital data and other data visualizations. A successful, engaging experience arises through this enchanting fusion of the digital and the tactile medium, using creativity and full knowledge of customer requirements to maximize the value.
Current Use Cases: A Look at the AR Ecosystem
There are already numerous companies utilizing AR:
- Nike’s AR app helps customers try on clothes virtually, in order to understand and visualize how different items will look on their type of figure. They could even project the virtual avatar into their room to be able to understand the look from all angles.
- Ford has shared a “Driveway Dealership” experience where potential customers can realistically place the new F-150 truck into their virtual driveway to check size.
- Living Labels bring wine labels to life through animations and storytelling, turning dull facts into an interactive and engaging brand experience.
- IKEA was a pioneer in using AR to let customers visualize how the furniture would appear in their own homes, so they have really adapted to seeing scale and style before making a purchase.
Some say that it has brought revolution in different kinds of industries, redefining remote assistance where a technician on-site can video-share their view with a remote expert to hold their hands through complicated repairs or troubleshooting, totally filled with visual annotations. Companies like Unilever have shared dramatic results on downtime reduction due to AR glasses.
The Future of AR: Beyond the Screen
The limitations of current smartphone-based AR shouldn’t hinder creative thinking. AR is just a building block toward the opportunities down the road. Here are ways by which AR can unlock tremendous business value:
- Product Interactions Revolutionized: AR will do more than giving simple virtual try-on flashes. Scanning a product for instant access to its user manual or scanning the fridge to form a list makes you fantasize; AR shopping is going to recondition the grocery-shopping experience. Walking inside a virtual mall? How about just scrolling around 3D product displays as you do?.
- Transforming Healthcare: AR can equip healthcare providers with instant access to patient records, real-time vitals, and relevant medical data—all overlaid in their field of view. This has the potential to go a long way when it comes to improving the decisions that physicians make both prior to and for the delivery of patient care.
- Improved Data Visualization: Data overdose is increasingly becoming a bother. AR can render data in a 3D, 360-degree format, thereby enabling interactive exploration and analysis. Think about the ability to actually see your sales trending, your customer demographic trending in a more immersive format.
Augmented reality doesn’t seem like such a futuristic idea anymore. Studies show a direct relation between AR, higher customer engagement, and conversion. Brands need to act quickly because over a billion AR-ready smartphones are in use globally, and many more immersive ways to experience the world will appear in the near future.
