Gimmie AR

You’re moving to a new place and are concerned that your furniture won’t fit.  That king size sleigh bed that you purchased and just can’t live without now seems to eclipse the space of your bedroom that reminds you more of a dorm minus the smell of stale pizza.

Instead of going for your measuring tape while crying inside over leaving behind a bed the size of your first car, you whip out your phone confident that if it’s physically possible, you’ll bring all your items.

With a simple scan of your mobile device around your room you’re able to take accurate measurements, place furniture, and get a 3D rendering of what your room will look like with all of your actual furniture.

In the nutshell, this illustrates what augmented reality is.

[caption id="attachment_297" align="alignright" width="150"] An example of Augmented Reality[/caption]

For the analytical mind, it can be defined as a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.

The abridged version - a view of reality (what you see) modified (augmented) by computer generation.

Augmented Reality “AR” has been around for years although many aren’t acquainted with its application.  Hollywood has been using the technology in the creation of countless movies.  What use to take millions of dollars and months of work can now be done with a computer and just a few minutes!

You may not be familiar with augmented reality but you’ve probably heard of its counterpart, virtual reality.  Difference being virtual reality replaces what you actually see, while augmented reality enhances it.  This technology will change how we view the entire world. 

Envision a world where a surgeon has at their disposal their patient’s vital signs and full medical records.

Or a navigation system that goes beyond providing just directions but gives information on weather, terrain and even traffic patterns all on your windshield.

No longer will your business card only encompass your contact information, but now can include a 3D reproduction of your product or even a video of services offered.

AR is not some gimmicky technology like “flying cars of the future” but is already being implemented by some of the top companies in the world.

Phones with the Android and IOS operating systems already contain applications that feature AR in a more embryonic version.

We have truly only scratched the surface of what may be the next revolution in technology.