9 AUGMENTED REALITY TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2020

The year 2020 has passed leaving some records of intensive growth in the field of augmented reality. This technology will surely continue its growth in the field of software development of many other projects and will emerge in large-scale productions. Many innovative projects have shown the world that augmented reality has very good business value and future potential. Large companies are seeing the growth of augmented reality and have plans to develop their next projects using AR.

Experts are trying to turn projects based on augmented reality into real-time customer applications. The augmented reality forecast for 2020 indicates that AR technology will continue to develop, accelerating its pace and making headlines.

Augmented Reality perspectives on the future to come:

1. AR's close relationship with artificial intelligence (AI): Artificial Intelligence is very essential for augmented reality operations. AR allows objects to be labelled and identified from the viewer's perspective. Many of the social media apps we use today are developed with a combination of augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Let’s say, for example, in Instagram and Snapchat there are various funny filters like dog filters, rabbit ears, pig filters, etc. which are based on consumer apps. These apps only work if and until AI and AR combine. We are sure to witness and use many other social media apps with features like picture enhancement in near future.

2. An innovative way of Shopping: According to a Gartner report, by 2020, at least 100 million consumers are expected to be using AR-enabled shopping technologies, which will become one of the closest retail trends this year. The rise of mobile devices using AR means that robust and sophisticated technologies now dominate the market. Now developers, retailers, and consumers easily use them in their daily lives.

Several companies have opted for AR purchases in response to customer demand. American Clothing, Uniqlo, and Lacoste have opened showrooms and dressing rooms that offer try-before-you-buy options. Smart mirror technologies that scan RFID tags also provide the ability to provide recommendations on the physical shopping experience. IKEA consumers have a way to access an app that allows them to point their phones at spaces and see what different items will look like in their own homes.

3. Utilizing AR for navigation: With more bandwidth and control over an indoor environment, the benefits of AR for indoor navigation are evident. There is a wide range of tools that can be used to enhance this experience at different scales, such as Bluetooth beacons, rooftop antennas, and QR codes. However, in cases where a robust Wi-Fi network already exists, Apple's iPhone AR is good enough to handle indoor positioning. Mobile’s inland navigation AR demonstration demonstrates the potential of the technology in practice. Applications based on ARKit and ARCore help consumers navigate airports, shopping malls, and elsewhere. In-store navigation can be greatly improved with advancements in AR technology. It can help customers find exactly what they're looking for when shopping in person.

4. XR takes off in healthcare: The potential uses of these technologies in healthcare are obvious, and in 2020 we can expect many of these use cases to pass testing and hence will come into general use. Virtual reality has already been adopted in therapy, where it is used to treat patients with phobias and anxiety disorders. In combination with biosensors that monitor physiological responses such as heart rate and sweating, therapists can better understand how patients respond to stressful situations in a safe and virtual environment. Virtual reality is also used to help people with autism develop social and communication skills, as well as to diagnose with visual or cognitive impairments by monitoring their eye movements.

The adoption of AR in healthcare is expected to grow even faster, with market value expected to increase by 38% per year through 2025. Surgeons can use AR, both in the operating room and in training, to alert them to risks or dangers while they work. An application that has been developed uses AR to guide users to defibrillators, in case they need them when in public. Another use will be for nurses to find patients’ veins and avoid accidentally sticking needles where they aren’t wanted. As these innovations and others like them lead to better patient outcomes and reduced treatment costs, they are likely to become mainstream throughout 2020.

5. AR surpasses the automotive industry: Self-driving cars can take a few more years to become a reality. Meanwhile, many car manufacturers are using augmented reality and artificial intelligence technologies to mark their presence in the market. The automotive industry is an advent of augmented reality. In 2020, we will see developments in terms of voice assistants like Siri, also there will be a tremendous growth of augmented reality in cars.

Auto companies are currently working on display graphics mounted on a vehicle's dashboard using camera images. This technology is likely to reduce the frequency of accidents because it can locate hazards and identify historical landmarks along the way. Seeing that the results are coming from companies based on AR technology, major auto companies such as Tesla, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo have signed contracts to work on this platform.

6. Remote assistance and virtual manuals: Although only 7% of the workforce in the United States has access to telecommuting options, 37% of jobs in the United States may be possible through telecommuting. Yet, according to the Brookings Institution, about half of employed American adults work from home. Despite these discrepancies, it is clear that teleworking has increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Brookings Institution also predicts that current trends in telecommuting will continue long after the pandemic is over.

With the rise of teleworking, new solutions are needed to maintain the efficiency of certain trades that were previously performed in person. Computer repair is a prime example. Augmented reality can allow IT technicians to guide customers through onscreen instructions. As the customer moves their smartphone camera closer to a computer for repair, the IT technician can draw on the screen to direct the customer to certain points of interest.

7. AR mobile- Apple ARKit 4, Google ARCore: Apple recently released ARKit 4, the latest version of its open-source augmented reality development tools. Google's competitor's ARCore technology is also making great strides to keep pace with the industry. Since their introduction in 2017, these tools have helped developers enter the AR market. Due to increased application compatibility, AR compatible devices and their users have increased significantly.

Since 2017, Apple has revealed additional ARKit updates such as ARKit 2.0 at WWDC 2018, ARKit 3.0 at WWDC 2019, and finally ARKit 4.0 at WWDC 2020. Some of the more recent advancements related to ARKit 4.0 include new Location anchors, a new depth API, and improved face tracking. This allows Apple's ARKit developers to harness the power of LiDAR hardware in the latest iPhones. Meanwhile, Google's ARCore is breaking new ground with the introduction of publicly taken Street View photos. As long as an Android user has an ARCore compatible smartphone, Google will accept Street View photo submissions. While these must meet certain quality guidelines, it shows that ARCore has improved enough that Google is confident that smartphones can take the photos needed to integrate with Google Maps and add those images along with the photos taken by more specialized equipment.

8. Smartphones are becoming even more powerful using augmented reality machines: The device we've been carrying with us for a decade is already capable of augmented reality, but this everyday device is getting new chips and sensors that will turn it into a smartphone machine. This year, we'll see advanced space sensors like ToF (time of flight), radar, and ultra-wideband become a staple for smartphones. These sensors will enable next-level augmented reality experiences, new 3D scanning content creation capabilities, and new ways for your phone to interact with the world around it.

The 2020 smartphones will also feature powerful chips and processors designed to power immersive experiences. And we'll also see more phones with folding screens that will dramatically improve the field of view of augmented reality smartphone experiences while keeping these devices small enough to fit in our pocket.

9. Enterprise AR Solutions: AR has been very busy at work. Over the past few years, we've heard many hard-hitting stories from various organizations that have tested AR solutions to improve the skills of their workforce, resulting in efficiencies of over 40%. The ROI of augmented reality in the business is substantial and justifies the cost of used devices. But going from pilot to full deployment is a challenge and requires a different set of ingredients to be successful. This year, organizations across various industries will seek to implement comprehensive solutions that consider security, protection, integration with existing systems and processes, and scalability. Suppliers capable of solving all of the above will be in a good position to be successful.

10. AR market paves the way for innovative and modernized solutions: If you have a meaningful idea that increases product performance and sales, augmented reality technology is quite ready to lead you to success with its modernized and innovative capabilities. With the rapid advancements in AR, your idea will prevail and you will triumph, excluding your cutting edge structure or dominance. Many ideas that were sidelined from the market are now reappearing simply due to the use of superior augmented reality technologies and trends. For example, problems encountered in the inland navigation design such as stage positioning, start and end points, markings, etc. now are coming back at high speed to be solved and brought to market.

These technologies will be improved and perfected over time using augmented reality. The market is always open to those who use augmented reality in their ideas.

Moving Forward

AR is considered by many tech experts because it is considered a success in almost every field in which it is used. Almost any problem can be easily solved with the help of augmented reality solutions. When it comes to developing apps using augmented reality, it is so clear that you offer such great opportunities to take advantage of user experiences. By including the use of augmented reality, we can generate new advancements in several areas, especially considering the future of augmented application development.

UX designers have already started working to improve their designs using trends in augmented reality technology. Without a doubt, this AR technology will offer many benefits to UX experts. User experience professionals are trying to improve the capabilities of devices to use their advancements in the computing world.

Therefore, this year is full of many surprises waiting to appear with an increase in the current quality, efficiency, and productivity of any object through the use of AR technology. So let’s prepare yourself to witness the growth of AR technology alone or in combination with virtual reality and artificial intelligence.