Introduction
Remember Back to the Future's life-like billboard? That was many of us's first encounters with augmented reality technology. It wasn't called that in 1989, of course. Boeing's Thomas P Caudell originated the word a year later, in 1990.
It took a long time for mixed reality to gain traction. However, as mobile hardware and software have improved in recent years, we see this digital trend spread across various businesses.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality (AR) technology overlays digital fragments on top of a real-world environment, linking the virtual and physical worlds. Digital content, such as graphics, sound, and video, is displayed on-screen using a device's camera to deliver augmented experiences. Augmented reality, unlike virtual reality, is not an immersive, artificial experience. Instead, it's made up of virtual components placed in your near vicinity.
Marker-based AR
Marker-based AR works by using markers to trigger an improved experience. The features function as technical anchors and are usually built with distinguishing patterns like QR codes or other unique designs. When an augmented reality program recognizes a physical quality, digital content is superimposed on top of it.
Augmented reality using markers is extensively utilized in marketing and retail. Consider talking business cards and moving brochures.
In this case, marker-based AR is used for retail purposes in a person's house. Consider being able to see how your new bathroom vanity will seem before you buy it. You can also use this app to browse a variety of sink alternatives to see which one looks best in your space.
Markerless AR
Marker-less AR is more versatile than marker-based AR since it lets users place the virtual object where they want it. You can experiment with various styles and locales digitally without relocating anything in your immediate environment.
Markerless augmented reality uses the device's hardware, such as the camera, GPS, digital compass, and accelerometer, to collect the AR program's data.
The virtual car, in this case, can be placed wherever, regardless of the surrounding region. You can personalize the Mustang, alter and rotate the perspective, and read more about the product.
The following types of augmented reality are classified as markerless AR since they don't require a physical marker to activate the digital material.
Location-based AR
Digital content and the experience it creates are tied to a specific location with location-based AR. The objects are laid out to appear on the screen when a user's location matches a specified spot.
Pokemon Go, the popularized augmented reality game, is an example of location-based AR. The program uses your smartphone to bring virtual Pokemon into our reality, and users are urged to find as many of the characters as they can.
Superimposition AR
Superimposition AR detects an object in the real world and enhances it to create a different perspective. This might be as simple as reproducing a section of the thing or as complex as rebuilding the whole entity.
The chair is cloned, rotated, and repositioned around the table in this example. With this technology, the user may pick if they want four chairs and a little elbow room or whether they can easily accommodate six at the same table.
Projection-based AR
Projection-based augmented reality is distinct from other types of markerless augmented reality. Put another way, you don't need a mobile device to view the material. Instead, light projects computer visuals onto an object or surface, allowing users to interact with them.
Yes, you read that correctly: holograms! The projection-based AR technique is used to build 3D objects with which the user can interact. It can be used to demonstrate a prototype or mockup of a new product and disassemble each component to reveal its inner workings better.
Outlining AR
When the human eye cannot identify borders and lines, Outlining AR can assist. To understand a user's immediate surroundings, augmented reality uses object recognition.
Consider driving in low-light settings or viewing a building's construction from the outside.
This example of outlining AR informs the driver of the exact location of the lane's center to keep them safe. You are parking your automobile, and having the limits outlined to see exactly where the parking place is an example of similar usage.
The Future is here, McFly.
A lot of people are utilizing augmented reality technology without even realizing it. AR is used to create altered photographs in popular Snapchat filters like the floral crown and puppy face. To improve our digital experiences in the actual world, augmented reality will continue to be used in our daily lives.
In this roundup of 2019 trends, learn more about the future of augmented reality and virtual reality.