Augmented Reality – sounds like a movie title?
Right? Not quite. Let’s unpack some of the facts about Augmented Reality.
Augmented Reality (AR) along with Wearable Technology was rated significantly among the technologies on the Horizon Report 2013 as most likely to be implemented in education within four to five years.
Here at Brightcookie, we provide consultation services to organisations who are interested in gaining a better understanding of the advantages, applications and strategic deployment of Augmented Reality (AR) for their business.
AR is a fast developing, technologically facilitated, point-of-access to important information in real-time and provides an innovative approach to enhancing users’ experiences with real world objects. Various technologies are used in Augmented Reality rendering including optical projection systems, monitors, hand held devices, and display systems worn on one’s person.
But what can it really mean for the user?
According to Wikipedia:
Augmented reality (AR) is a live, copy, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. …. the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality.
AR digital manipulation of information occurs in a variety of forms such as text, graphics, video, audio as a virtual enhancement for real-world objects, locations and associated information management sources. AR builds upon existing information systems including the Internet to enhance user response times, decision making processes and engagement with work duties.
Implementing Augmented Reality Apps
The most common use of AR can be seen through mobile apps. And there is a growing batch of these available from your Mobile App Store. Popular Apps such as Aurasma, Fetch and Layar are now being implemented in educational and commercial settings.
Basically you point your device’s camera at something that the app recognises, and it will generate a 3D animation or video superimposed over whatever is on your camera’s screen. The effect makes the computer-generated item appear like it’s really there.
Perhaps you’ve already seen this television advertisement for IKEA that enables you to Place IKEA furniture in your home with augmented reality.
Currently the use of augmented reality in an enterprise context across government and non-government includes strategic defence, business process and logistics control.
AR can be integrated across a wide variety of employee roles particularly useful where simulation, training and skills development are required. Of particular interest is rapid take-up of mobile wearable technologies that complement or build upon information systems supporting augmented reality such as Google Glass.
Take a look at this short YouTube video which focusses on Google Glass and Augmented Reality’s Future.
AR is of interest in an enterprise and industrial context given the ability to connect a user or wearer with information to enhance:
- Instruction – character (OCR), image, object or location recognition combined with other triggers such as RFID or Beacon that prompt the system to provide the user with instructions to undertake tasks or provide alerts to the user about that object or location
Operations – hands-free information transmission while an operator is otherwise occupied undertaking tasks requiring hands on operations
- Engagement – provision of a range of feedback to the AR user enhancing that person’s engagement with a task such as a reward, result or other feedback
Enjoyment – an AR user will often report that they are better engaged with a process if information that is specific and useful is presented to them for consideration.
How can Augmented Reality benefit your business?
AR is of most benefit to an organisation that is seeking:
- an enhancement of business process to gain maximum efficiency and productivity
an engagement of employees directly with business information systems
- innovation to catalyse new processes and collaboration between business areas
optimisation of existing data for reuse in an effective manner
- simplification of otherwise process heavy current processes
new methods to approach existing systems and solutions.
How can Augmented Reality benefit education?
Examples of AR in education & training settings include:
- Industry specific applications across the oil and gas sector
Operations management in the mining sector
- Training and development in the aviation sector
Professional development and upskilling in the trades sector.
Augmented Reality Apps are already gaining in popularity among innovative school programs. Take a look at this YouTube video from the Shaw Wood Primary School, who are using the Aurasma App for Augmented Reality in Education.
Please contact Brightcookie if you would like more information about the advantages, applications and strategic deployment of Augmented Reality (AR) for your organisation.
Brightcookie would like to acknowledge Carole McCulloch and Alexander Hayes
for their contributions to this article.