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Why Is Augmented Reality a Good Choice for Businesses?

Augmented reality (AR) and AR driven technologies have been making a buzz in the market. Some industries such as furniture, fashion, interior decor, real estate, etc. are capturing many business opportunities by using augmented reality applications. All different industries can take advantage of augmented reality and AR-driven apps. But, some businesses are still figuring out whether it is worth using it for their business or not. In this blog post, we will answer this question.

In one line the answer is, you must use an augmented reality app for your business. It is indeed good and can bestow several benefits to your business. Now, let us share in detail how and why AR apps for businesses are beneficial.

1. It magnifies the effect of marketing

Marketing, especially digital marketing has become the need of time. If you want to be in the race and compete, then investing in digital marketing and other marketing campaigns is inevitable. The augmented reality app for businesses can magnify the effect of marketing campaigns. The reason is instead of showing plain graphics to the users it can show a 3D representation of the product in the real world environment. This can impress any customer or potential customer. Regardless of the fact, the customer buys from you or not, your business will get word of mouth promotions.

2. It enhances the buying process

One more reason to use AR app for your business is it enhances the buying process. Instead of guessing the dimensions, size, appearance, and other characteristics of a product, the AR app for businesses will show the actual product in a 3D representation. This will give more clarity about the product to the customer. This is how it enhances the buying process and it ultimately results in higher lead generation and lead conversion rates.

3. It increases customer satisfaction

One of the major issues faced by customers is getting a product other than what was shown in the product graphics or description. This makes customers unhappy about their purchase, which may lead to an increased number of return and refund requests and / or an increased number of unhappy customers. The augmented reality app for your business can make sure that your customers can visualize the product before actually buying it so they can assure what they will receive. For example, if you are a furniture store owner and you use an augmented reality app for furniture stores, then your customers will be able to see the piece of furniture in their bedroom with augmented reality technology and an AR app for furniture that they are using. This will assure that the customers know what they are buying and how would it look. All this helps in increasing customer satisfaction and customer loyalty for your business.

Conclusion

There are many advantages of using an augmented reality app for your business. Many businesses have in fact started using the industry specific AR app.

AR Studio Pro is one of the best augmented reality apps. Book a free demo to explore if it is good for your business or not.

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AR Studio Pro Augmenting Real Estate Industry

AR Studio Pro is an augmented reality driven tool. This tool has built an amazing range of features by unleashing the power of AR (Augmented Reality). This augmented reality tool has been benefiting different industry verticals and the furniture industry is one of them.

In this blog post, we will share how this AR app for the real estate industry has been augmenting it.

1. Let customers explore the complete area

Usually, realtors or real estate companies create a sample house and show it to customers. However, these can limit the visualization power of customers. They may find it way too simple or too messy. The furniture may make rooms smaller in size than they actually are. Here comes the AR app for the real estate industry as a saviour. AR Studio Pro lets real estate companies and realtors show the sample houses with even the finest details. They can place the furniture using augmented reality, but without reducing the size of the rooms.

2. Visualize amenities for customers

Each housing or commercial skims will have some major amenities. That is available to show only once the whole construction is completed. However, real estate companies don’t need to show it in brochures or presentations. By using augmented reality for real estate companies, the real estate agents will be able to show a visual representation of each amenity. This will help you represent a bigger and better picture of what your real estate property will look like once completed.

3. Impress your customers

Everyone likes to buy from companies or businesses that are driven by the latest technologies. As you all know, augmented reality is one of the most trending technologies. When you use an AR app, AR Studio Pro, to showcase your real estate property to your prospective buyers, you are likely to impress them. You will also impress them by showing how your building, house, or office would look like the end result.

4. Increase sales

The AR Studio Pro will help you to augment the experience of your buyers. Your real estate agents will be able to show them homes with different interior options. They can also show them different wall colours, lamps, furniture setups, etc. This will engage your buyers in the buying process. They will be able to visualize their dream homes if you use an augmented reality app for your real estate business. This will help you generate more inquiries and sales.

5. Take advantage of word of mouth promotions

There is nothing better than word of mouth promotions. When you use the AR Studio Pro for your real estate business, you will impress your buyers. This will help you increase word of mouth marketing as people will talk about your unique and technology driven style. This can help you leverage all advantages of word of mouth promotions.

This is how AR Studio Pro augments the real estate industry in the Netherlands and across the globe. If you are interested in knowing more about it, contact us.

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How AR Apps for Furniture Stores Transforms Buyer’s Journey?

Traditionally, people used to reach to the furniture retail outlet to explore the furniture options to buy one. They had to choose from the limited options available in the furniture store. Once the piece of furniture such as a chair is purchased and brought home, people may find that it does not fit in the decided place or it does not match with the interior of the room. In this case, replacement or refund can become indeed a painful process. In some cases, buyers need to do back and forth from home to the furniture retail store and vice versa to get a perfect piece of furniture for their homes or offices. The traditional process of furniture purchase was quite tiresome. Another issue with a traditional approach is that the customers need to buy from the available options in the retail store. Alternatively, they need to give an order for custom furniture development, which would take a way longer time than it should ideally take.

Online shopping for furniture removed the pain of visiting furniture stores as one can buy furniture from the comfort of his or her home. The pain of selecting furniture from a limited number of options is also removed by the online furniture shopping portals. Different materials, colours, dimensions, etc. are available for each piece of furniture online. Moreover, the online furniture shopping portals also show similar items. It means the online buyers get a whole range of options. Now, buyers can choose their favourite furniture from a plethora of options. The challenge that buyers face is that they can only see a photo of the furniture. Often, this goes wrong with the dimensions of the furniture and it does not fit in the house.

The revolutionary shift happened with the emergence of augmented reality. Augmented reality blended with online shopping portals gives a perfect buying treat to the customers. They can now not only see the pictures of furniture products, but they can also visualize them in the real world environment. This is the big thing in the market and this has shifted the buying journey completely. The buyers do not need to play a guessing game anymore similar to the other two stages of buying furniture. This makes sure that customers can visualize furniture in their houses or offices to see how it would actually look once purchased. This has been possible because of the AR app for furniture stores.

Concluding notes

The buyer’s journey for furniture stores has transformed completely because of augmented reality applications like AR Studio Pro for furniture stores. The buyers don’t need to visit multiple furniture retail stores. They also do not need to assume that the furniture would look like this or that. They can literally place the furniture in their living room or office cabin virtually by taking advantage of augmented reality apps for furniture stores. This helps them choose the best furniture for their homes or offices.

Let us explain more in detail in a free demo of the most powerful AR app for furniture stores that transforms buyer’s journey. Book a free demo now!

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AR Studio Pro Increased In-store Purchases for a Netherland Based Furniture Retailer

AR Studio Pro is a leading augmented reality app for businesses. This augmented reality app enables different businesses to let their customers visualize different products in the form of 3D objects. This helps customers to get a better idea of how a particular item would appear on them or in their houses or offices. This helps them to make a better and well-informed buying decision. This augmented reality app for business is popular in the Netherlands and all across the globe. AR Studio Pro has been benefiting different industry verticals in the Netherlands and worldwide with its amazing features. One of the industries that majorly use this AR app is the furniture industry. Many furniture retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers use this augmented reality app for their businesses, called AR Studio Pro in the Netherlands and worldwide.

In this blog post, we will talk about one of the furniture retailers that has been using AR Studio for a long and is very happy with this app. We will share how a furniture retailer could succeed in increasing online sales, as well as, footfalls in the store and increase in-store purchase, too.

Optimaalzitcomfort is one of the known retail furniture stores based out of Dronten in the Netherlands. This furniture retailer has been selling furniture to people in Dronten, the Netherlands for more than a decade now. This retail store buys the furniture from the top furniture manufactures and sells them. Optimaalzitcomfort has a physical store, as well as, an online store to let its customers and potential customers explore and buy the piece of furniture as per their choices. 70% of the client base of this retail furniture store in the Netherlands is commercial users. It means the store receives more purchases for office furniture such as office chairs, stand up chairs, relax chairs, etc.

This retail furniture store has been looking for ways to uplift its sales via physical stores and online portals, both. AR Studio Pro, the best AR app for furniture retailers, provided a mobile app for its customers. The AR Studio Pro also provided a backend to Optimaalzitcomfort, so it can add more furniture items to its online store.

The customers of this retail furniture store now use the AR Studio Pro app to explore a well-organized and categorized collection of furniture items. This helps them get a larger view of the offerings of Optimaalzitcomfort. This increases in-store visits of potential buyers. Moreover, AR Studio Pro shows even those furniture items, which are not available in the physical store. All furniture items can be visualized as 3D objects in the real world environment that helps buyers to explore the furniture collection of Optimaalzitcomfort in a more personalized manner. This has not only increased online sales, but has also added up to the brand positioning of this retail furniture store. This has also contributed to increasing in-store purchases along with increasing online sales.

We have published the complete success story of Optimaalzitcomfort that gives more details about how the AR Studio Pro increased in-store sales for Optimaalzitcomfort. Read the complete success store, here.

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Top Tips to Choose the Right AR App for Furniture Store

The furniture retailers invest in the best staff, error-free online shopping portals, and much more to make sure the buyers receive the best furniture as well as the best buying experience. As the new technology paves the way into different industries, adopting those technology tools early can help in increasing the returns and of course, gaining a competitive edge.

The augmented reality technology is in a mature and stable state and that is why the augmented reality app development companies in the Netherlands have started unleashing the power of augmented reality (AR) by developing the most effective and in-demand AR apps for businesses.

The AR apps for furniture industries have been in great demand because of their amazing features and influence in the sales and marketing processes. If you are thinking to buy the best augmented reality app for your furniture business, then here are some tips that you must keep in mind.

1. Explore the feature list

The first and foremost thing is exploring the list of features it offers to the furniture stores and manufacturers. The furniture stores often focus on selling individual items, therefore they must look for an AR app for a furniture store that can increase sales and marketing returns.

Some of the key features that are a must have in an augmented reality app for furniture store are listed below:

  • Ability to create 3D objects for each piece of furniture
  • Let customers visualize furniture objects in their homes and offices without any need of downloading an AR app for the furniture store
  • Let customers customize the furniture as per their requirements to review different options

These are the top 3 and must have features. Take a look at the list of features to make sure the augmented reality app for furniture stores has these features.

2. Take a free demo

When you confirm the features, the next step has to be taking a look at the functional efficiency of the AR app for a furniture store. In many cases, the AR apps in the furniture industry are available in the Play Stores that can be downloaded for free. However, those apps are for customers. The furniture store owners often need to take a look at the web app that will allow them to create QR codes for the furniture’s augmented model to be visualized. For this, it is necessary to book a demo and take a look at how it works and how it can benefit your business.

3. Explore success stories

Once you find features and functionalities of an augmented reality app for business up to the mark, the next step would be to explore success stories, customer testimonials and client ratings. It can give an idea of the reliability of the AR app for furniture stores. You must buy only if it has positive success stories in your industry.

These are the top three tips that you must keep in mind to buy the right AR app for your furniture store.

AR Studio Pro is a leading AR app for your furniture industry and has already proven its worth. Book a free demo to explore how it works to benefit furniture stores in the Netherlands and worldwide.

 

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How AR Studio Pro Reduces Sales Expenses of a Furniture Retailer?

Furniture retailers in the Netherlands and across the globe have been spending on increasing sales. For this, the furniture retailers need to get an online shopping portal along with a physical furniture showroom. Moreover, furniture retailers need to invest in traditional and digital marketing to increase leads from online stores and footfalls to their physical stores. Not only this, but they also need to add a team of salespeople who can handle customers that are visiting the physical showroom.

All of this includes heavy investment and because of increasing competition, it has become a necessity for furniture retailers in the Netherlands. Technology tools have been paving the way in different industries and retail furniture is not an exception here. AR Studio Pro is one of the technology tools that are developed to empower one or more industries. Along with many other industries, AR Studio Pro has been benefiting the furniture industry in the Netherlands and other European countries.

Read this blog post to learn more about the major features of AR Studio Pro developed to benefit the Furniture industry.

Along with several advantages, this augmented reality app for furniture retailers bestows, reducing sales expenses is one of the major advantages of this app. Let us explain how.

This AR app for furniture retailers let furniture retailers add QR codes of the products to their online furniture stores and other marketing collaterals. One QR Code for each piece of furniture needs to be created. This reduces the cost of sales models of furniture that otherwise need to be manufactured and placed in the showroom. These QR codes can be scanned by the default camera app of any smartphone or using the AR Studio Pro mobile app, which is available for both, Android and Apple devices.

Scanning a QR code will make sure that the person can see that piece of furniture as a 3D object in the real world environment. If a prospective customer has visited the furniture store and is interested in exploring options of size or fabric then the individual models or just pictures are not needed. The AR Studio Pro can let the salesperson customize the size and fabric of the furniture to show a 3D object of the requested size and fabric. This way without increasing the number of furniture models, customers can see the furniture as per their preferences and buy them. This increases sales, too, with minimum investment as customers can visualize the exact product before buying it.

On the other hand, it can increase online conversions as the customers can visualize the furniture products in their living room, bedroom, etc. They can also customize the furniture to see how it appears. This can give a clear idea to the customers about how would a furniture product appear in their houses. This enhances the buyer’s experience as well as boosts sales. This reduces footfalls in the showroom in some cases or even if increases foot falls, it will reduce the sales efforts. So with minimum expenses, more sales can be achieved.

All in all, AR Studio Pro assures the boosted sales with reduced expenses for furniture retailers. Want to get more details about AR Studio Pro and its role in the furniture industry? Contact us.

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How Does AR Studio Pro Work?

The AR Studio Pro is a leading augmented reality app that is developed to benefit different industry verticals. This augmented reality app for businesses is built to simplify and enhance the buyer’s journey, plus, enhance the buyer’s experience. This is the reason it is getting a lot of popularity. It can help businesses let their customers visualize the products. For example, this AR app for furniture retailers allows furniture buyers to visualize their favourite piece of furniture in their offices or homes to see how it would appear.

Does it sound like magic?

This is not magic, it is technology.

AR Studio Pro unleashes the power of augmented reality technology and helps businesses do the magic to impress buyers.

Let us share how AR Studio Pro works:

Business side

The businesses are the users that are going to use this augmented reality app for business, so they can impress more customers. Businesses can create 3D objects of their products using the AR Studio Pro, so their customers can visualize these objects.

Let us share how AR Studio Pro works on the business side.

  • Once a business subscribes to use this augmented reality app for business, he or she will receive the credentials of the backend system of the AR Studio Pro.
  • The admin user of AR Studio Pro can add products to this augmented reality web app. For example, the furniture store can add its furniture products in this augmented reality app for the furniture industry. The AR Studio Pro also supports importing multiple products using its import feature.
  • For each product that an admin user has added, the AR Studio Pro will generate a QR code.
  • This QR code can be used for marketing and any other campaigns to increase engagement and sales. This QR code for each product can be placed on the online shopping portal or it can be shared on social media platforms, via WhatsApp, etc.

Client side

  • Clients can scan the QR code of the product they would like to try or visualize in a real world scenario.
  • To scan the QR code, the customers can either use an AR Studio Pro app or they can also use the default camera app available on their Android or Apple devices
  • On scanning the QR code, the customers will be able to visualize the product in their room or office. For example, if a furniture store is using the AR Studio Pro, the customers of the furniture store can simply put different furniture items like 3D objects in their rooms or offices using this AR app for the furniture industry.
  • The customers can also increase or reduce the size of the product or they can also customize the products depending on the available options such as changing colour, changing fabric, etc.

Conclusion

This is how the AR Studio Pro works for businesses and customers. You can book a free demo. In the free demo, a representative of AR Studio Pro will show how this whole platform works to benefit your business.

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AR Studio Pro Major Use Cases

Technologies have been benefiting different industry verticals with their amazing features. In every few decades, some new technologies emerge and bring revolutionary changes. In the 21st century, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality are few revolutionary technologies that have brought a revolution in many industry verticals. Many advanced and never seen before products are built by using these trending technologies. AR Studio Pro is one of the popular products that have been built using one of the trending technologies, which is augmented reality.

AR Studio Pro is an augmented reality product, which is built to empower businesses. Businesses can use AR Studio Pro to simplify and enhance sales and marketing processes. In this blog post, we will share some of the popular use cases of AR Studio Pro.

Major use cases of AR Studio Pro:

1. Furniture manufacturers and retailers

AR Studio Pro is used in many industries. One of the industries that gain several business advantages using this augmented reality app for business is the furniture industry. Both retailers and manufacturers can use AR Studio Pro to augment the buyer’s experience. This app shows a piece of furniture in the real world environment by unleashing the powers of augmented reality technology. The furniture manufacturers and retailers can use the features of AR Studio Pro in the showroom and in their online stores. Customers can use the AR Studio Pro mobile app or the camera application of their smartphone to visualize a piece of furniture in their home or office. Within the showroom as well they can see customized options of the furniture by taking the help of augmented reality apps for the furniture industry.

To explore more about the AR Studio Pro for the furniture industry and its advantages, please read this blog on the topic of How AR Studio Pro Bestows Several Benefits to Furniture Manufacturers?

2. Fashion stores

The fashion industry is one of the booming industries. The craze of online shopping is as high as the craze of shopping in fashion outlets and stores. AR Studio Pro can empower the fashion industry, too. AR Studio Pro can add value to online shoppers as well as in-store buyers with its unique features. A fashion store can let a user see the 3D object of the cloth in the real world environment with the help of this augmented reality app for the fashion industry. They can use the AR Studio Pro mobile app or their smartphone camera. The AR Studio Pro can also add functionality to let users see a 3D version of a model and the clothes around that 3D model object. This can give a feel of wearing that cloth and select the one that matches the most. Now, people don’t need to physically try clothes. It can be done virtually.

Conclusion

These are the two major and most popular use cases of AR Studio Pro. Other than these two, it has several use cases in industries like interior designing, architectural display, real estate, etc. If you want to explore how can it fit in your industry and benefit you, book a free demo.

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How AR Studio Pro Can Help in Boosting Online Sales?

AR Studio Pro is in use by several retailers, manufacturers, and independent professionals. In the Netherlands and many other geographical regions, the augmented reality features offered by AR Studio Pro are appreciated. This augmented reality app for businesses not only augment user experience, but also helps in increasing sales.

The AR Studio Pro can help in increasing sales, online and in-store. In this blog post, we will share how this augmented reality app for businesses can increase online sales.

What is AR Studio Pro?

Before we jump into the details of how AR Studio Pro can help you or any business to increase online sales, let us give a quick brief on what an AR Studio Pro is.

It is an augmented reality solution that helps businesses, manufacturers and retailers simplify and empower the customer onboard process. It has many utilities and benefits and one of the major advantages of using this augmented reality app for businesses is to increase online sales.

How AR Studio Pro increases online sales?

Now, as you have an idea of what this augmented reality app for furniture and other industries is. Let us share the major ways it contributes to increasing online sales for businesses.

1. It shows online products into the real world environment

What if we say that, when one of your customers is exploring a dining table on your online shopping portal, he can actually, see that table in his dining room! Sounds impossible? Well, this has made possible by the AR Studio Pro, which is the best AR solution for furniture, eCommerce, and many other industry verticals.

The AR Studio Pro can let customers see more than just a few pictures and written specifications on your product page displayed on your shopping portal. Instead of that, they can use the AR Studio Pro app or the camera of their smartphone to visualize that product in the real world environment. This can indeed help in increasing online sales as your customers can have an experience of physical shopping from the comfort of home and added advantage of checking everything before they buy.

2. It lets customers check all available options in the real world

People are often confused about what to buy and what not! This problem is bigger in the world of online shopping because customers cannot try anything. However, with the AR Studio Pro app, they can try all products before they buy. Moreover, they can actually check all options with the customization feature. For example, you are using this AR app for your retail furniture store then your customers can change fabric, colour, etc. to make sure they get exactly what they like. Trying all options in the real world gives a better idea and aid the shopping decision. Therefore, the AR Studio Pro evidently increases online sales because it has the capabilities to transform the whole online shopping experience.

These are the two major reasons that play a vital role in increasing online sales for any business that uses the AR Studio Pro. If you want to know more about AR Studio Pro, simply book a free demo.

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What Are Must Have Features in the AR App for Furniture Retailers?

Similar to all other industry verticals, the furniture industry is also adopting technology tools. The retail furniture business owners have been letting their customers buy from online shopping portals and mobile apps from the comfort of their houses. The brand new trend in a remote shopping of retail furniture business is augmented reality driven shopping.

The AR apps for furniture businesses provide an augmented buying experience for users. That is why online shoppers have shown more interest in using this kind of apps to aid their buying decisions. The furniture retailers that succeed in adding augmented reality in online shopping or physical store based shopping also succeeded in increasing sales.

If you are thinking to get an AR app for your retail furniture business, then read this blog post further. In this blog post, we will share major features that your AR app for retail furniture stores must have.

In the market, there are hundreds of augmented reality applications available. Not all of them have the key features that can indeed help in improving customer experience and ultimately sales. Thus, exploring the list of key features before buying an app is necessary.

Here are the key features, which are the must have features, in the AR app for furniture retailers:

1. Furniture overlay

This is the beauty of augmented reality. It can use the real world environment and show other objects in an augmented manner with 3D or 2D objects. The AR application for a furniture retailer must have a furniture overlay feature.

This feature lets the online buyers overlay the preferred or selected piece of furniture in any room of the house or office. This can let buyers visualize how the furniture would appear after purchase. This can make sure the customers can make an informed and well thought decision. This not only makes the customers feel fulfilled with their buying decision, but also helps furniture retailers increase their businesses.

Already, some furniture retailers and manufacturers use one of the best augmented reality applications for the furniture industry, namely, AR Studio Pro. Read case studies here.

2. Furniture customization options

The augmented reality app for the furniture industry can come up with an amazing feature and one of them is the customization of furniture. The customers can overlay the furniture in any room and can also customize it to see the different options to match with the interior and needs. The best augmented reality application can provide features to customize the colour of the furniture, change the fabric, change the size, etc. All these features are necessary to give enough options to buyers to buy the best furniture and try as many options as they want. This helps in improving the buying experience and sales, both. Thus, it is a must have feature.

These are the must have features in the augmented reality application for furniture retailers. AR Studio Pro is the best and trusted AR app for the furniture industry. It has all mentioned and many other features empower sales of the retail furniture business. Book a free demo to explore more.

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How AR Studio Pro Bestows Several Benefits to Furniture Manufacturers?

AR Studio Pro is one of the best tools that can be used by any industry vertical to enhance customer experience and improve buyer’s journey. In this article, we will share how this tool can help a furniture manufacturer.

What is AR Studio Pro?

It is a comprehensive solution. It lets furniture manufacturers simplify and enhance onboard and sales processes. Furniture manufacturers take advantage of augmented reality to show their furniture items in 3D form. This helps in augmenting buyer’s experience.

AR Studio Pro has a web app and a native mobile app. However, customers are not abiding to use the native mobile app to take advantage of this best augmented reality solution for furniture manufacturers. Customers can even use the native camera app of their smartphones.

How AR Studio Pro Bestows Several Benefits to Furniture Manufacturers?

1. Create 3D objects for each piece of furniture for effective marketing

The AR Studio Pro offers an easy to use backend to furniture manufacturers. Any furniture manufacture can use this backend to add as many furniture products as he wants. On addition of each piece of furniture, the AR Studio Pro will create a 3D object of that piece of furniture. Moreover, this AR solution for furniture manufacturers will generate a unique QR code. Whenever someone scans this QR code, he or she can place that piece of furniture in their home, office, or store.

Using these QR codes in marketing and sales campaigns can help furniture manufacturers entice more customers and furniture retailers. The same QR codes can also be used by furniture retailers to further entice their customers with an effective marketing strategy.

2. Let customers visualize the furniture in the real world scenario

Whether your customers are the end users who will use the furniture or if they are retailers who further sell the furniture to the end users, using AR Studio Pro is beneficial. Your customers will not only be able to check the specifications of the furniture, but they will also be able to virtually check the furniture and its look and feel. This will help them make a well thought decision as they can check what they are buying. This will also help in increasing sales and reducing post sales support requirements.

3. Let customers choose the right furniture in a hassle free and secure manner

The AR Studio Pro is one of the most advanced and feature rich augmented reality applications available for furniture manufacturers. It not only lets buyers check the furniture in the real world scenario, but also lets them customize the piece of furniture. It means furniture retailers and direct customers will be able to change and check the size, colour, fabric, and other properties of the furniture to buy the best one. This helps in reducing refund or replacement requirements as well as post sales support requests.

In a nutshell, the AR Studio Pro is the best AR app for furniture manufacturers, which lets them grow faster and increase sales rapidly. Interested in knowing more? Book a free demo.

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What Is AR Studio Pro? How Does It Work?

AR Studio Pro is one of the top rated technology apps with 4.8+ star ratings in Android and Apple app stores. Still, if you are unaware of the power of this augmented reality app or interested in knowing more about it, then this article is for you.

This article will share complete detail about what the AR Studio Pro is and how it works to benefit businesses.

What is AR Studio Pro?

It is an augmented reality application, which is built to enhance buyer’s journey. This app will let your customers visualize any product or item in a real world scenario. They can increase or decrease the size of the object they are willing to purchase. They can also make different customization to check how a product looks. This app is developed to augment customer experience by taking advantage of augmented reality technology.

How does the AR Studio Pro work?

This augmented reality app for businesses have two major users as briefed below:

  1. Business: A business will get access to the web app of AR Studio Pro. The admin of the business account can add as many products as he wants his customers to visualize with the AR Studio Pro native app or with another supported mechanism.
  2. Buyer: A buyer, a consumer, or a customer is the one that will buy from the business that uses the AR Studio Pro app. The buyer will be able to visualize any products in the real world environment to take advantage of well thought buying decisions supported by the augmented reality technology.

 

The AR Studio Pro working models for both business and buyer are different. Let us share both of them:

How Does AR Studio Pro Work for Businesses?

  • Businesses, regardless of their industry vertical, can create several products in the web app available for businesses.
  • AR Studio Pro will create QR codes for each product added in the web app of this augmented reality app for business.
  • This QR code can be distributed by all different marketing channels such as social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, WhatsApp marketing, SMS marketing, etc. The QR code will let buyers and interested consumers visualize the respective product in real world conditions.
  • A single line code will be provided to the business, which has to be placed on the website.
  • Once the code is placed on the website, the AR Studio Pro will be able to do the magic. The consumers will be able to visualize any product from your website in their houses or offices.

 

How Does AR Studio Pro Work for Buyers?

  • Buyers can use the native AR Studio Pro app or they can use the camera of their smartphone.
  • They need to scan the QR code of a product that they are interested in buying or exploring more.
  • Once they scan the QR code, they can visualize that object in 3D and explore how it matches their expectations before purchasing it.
  • Customers can also customize the colour, size and place of the product to explore all options and choose the best one.

 

Finding it interesting? Book a Free Demo NOW!

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How AR Is Ready To Level Up Marketing Efforts of Businesses?

Every technological innovation opens the door for marketers to try new ways to delight their customers. One of the trending innovations is augmented reality. AR has many applications in the real world and one of the areas AR is transforming is the relationship between the brand and the customer. 71% of customers said they would buy more frequently if retailers used AR solution for business.

When it comes to marketing, brands use immersive digital experiences to attract and retain customers. Companies that have incorporated AR solution for businesses into their marketing strategies have seen conversion rates up to 40% higher.

Benefits of using augmented reality in sales:

Kills the uncertainty before purchases

  • Brands can create interactive applications using augmented reality to give customers a real impression of a product.
  • For example, IKEA allows users to visualize what furniture would look like in their home before purchasing. AR Studio Pro lets users do the same.
  • Gucci even added an AR feature to its app that allows users to “try on” sneakers by pointing their smartphone camera down.
  • Therefore, augmented reality for business can be used to provide a visual representation of the product to customers and exponentially increase customer satisfaction.

 

Gives an edge in product service and support

  • Augmented reality for business transforms service and gives 360° support. Instead of contacting a support representative, users can integrate an interactive AR application that gives them the information they need.
  • This puts resources such as FAQ pages and helps documents readily available to customers.
  • Customers can instantly find answers to some of their common questions. It saves time for your team and the customer.

 

Increase Customer Engagement and Satisfaction

  • When customers interact with a product through AR, they become deeply involved and want to learn as much as possible, which can lead to a high level and frequency of customer satisfaction.
  • By using an AR solution for businesses in the sales process, one can get more satisfied customers who become loyal customers with less chance of having to return a product that they would otherwise have been misinformed about.

 

Increase revenues

  • Interactive 3D experiences with the help of an AR solution for businesses increase customer engagement. People like to buy what they understand.
  • This can translate into gaining a competitive advantage and, in turn, increased revenue.
  • Current buying trends indicate that a large percentage of buyers make buying decisions based on the ability to test a product with AR before buying.

 

Leave a lasting impression with augmented brand materials

  • Creating AR business cards offers several ways to improve your ability to make a lasting impression on new contacts.
  • An augmented version will not only remind the customer of your business, but it can also improve the perception of your organization as a state-of-the-art, customer-centric business.

 

AR Studio Pro is a complete solution to uplift the marketing efforts of any business. Book a free demo NOW.

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How Industries Are Using Augmented Reality for Reshaping Businesses?

Indeed, augmented reality is always linked to games like Pokémon Go and fun activities like using Snapchat filters. However, the potential benefits of augmented reality for the business world are not limited to these two areas of gaming and entertainment. AR technology has entered different industries and brought revolutionary transformations. It has proven to be a perfect weapon to relish success in today's competitive market.

We, AR Studio Pro, have been offering an excellent AR tool ad we will share insight on how AR reshapes different businesses.

Here are five fascinating augmented reality examples showing how technology is shaping the way businesses operate.

 

Manufacturing: 3D augmented reality saves time and money

  • In industries like manufacturing, one can't afford to make a single mistake in the development process.
  • A minor error can become the reason to rebuild or improve an existing product, which will be expensive and time consuming.
  • Augmented reality tools for businesses offer a great solution to easily detect manufacturing errors.
  • The technology, with its potential to digitize the product prototype in 3D, makes the prototype easy to access and understand.

 

Retail

  • With this blurring of the lines between physical and digital purchases, augmented reality allows businesses to bridge the gap and introduce new and improved ways for customers to shop.
  • For example, the use of AR Studio Pro in a retail furniture e-store lets users view the furniture in the 3D format in their houses before purchasing it.

 

Healthcare

  • The role of AR solutions for businesses like medical and healthcare applications is remarkable.
  • This technology offers a whole new set of opportunities and benefits to healthcare professionals, medical students, and others for a better experience.
  • Some of the ways AR is transforming this industry are through augmented diagnostics, augmented surgery, and augmented training and practice.

 

Real Estate

  • Since the internet is the primary place for buyers and tenants to search for new homes, AR solutions for businesses have a lot to offer in this area, too.
  • It can help users experience homes differently, filter out what they like and dislike, and save clients and real estate agents time. They can also use tools like AR Studio Pro to explore constructions before they get built.
  • Augmented Reality proves to be a great tool for construction workers. They bring floor plans and images to life for clients to see what their potential new home would look like.

 

Training and education

  • Introducing AR technology in the classroom can make education more engaging, interactive, and even convert boring subject matter into a fun learning experience.
  • By downloading and accessing the apps on their phones, students can gain more in-depth information or step-by-step instructions and, most importantly, a better understanding of the subject by visualizing objects using augmented reality.

These are just examples of some industries that can and are being revolutionized by augmented reality. Although the potential of augmented reality for business is not yet fully exploited, the technology is ushering in a new era in the business world. It improves the way brands interact with customers and acts as the right tool to drive customer engagement. Thus, using it in your business can be beneficial.

We have the best AR tool that has been augmenting customer experience in several industry verticals. Contact us to know more about it and to book a free demo.

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Augmented Reality: Restructuring the Real Estate Industry

Augmented reality (AR) is a potential game-changing technology. AR has made an impact in diverse industry verticals and will continue to grow in popularity in the future as well. This is evident from the prediction that AR and VR would be 80 billion USD market globally by 2025.

When we think about the different industries on which augmented reality has made an impact on, the real estate industry is not far behind. The use of augmented reality apps like AR Studio Pro in real estate offers a world of endless opportunities for real estate businesses and brands. Augmented reality in real estate is beneficial for the real estate agencies as well as buyers.

Most people around the world believe that augmented reality and virtual reality are similar. However, both of them are completely different from each other. Unlike virtual reality that completely blocks out the reality, AR augments the reality by overlaying digital content in the real-world environment.

The existing tools used in the real estate industry have their own set of constraints. This poses several roadblocks to real estate companies. Hence, the need for augmented reality in real estate arises and becomes even more important.

Here is how augmented reality transforms the real estate industry:

1) Superior product visualization

Visualization of an under-construction property is quite difficult for the potential buyer. This makes it difficult for real estate companies to sell houses, which still haven't been fully completed. The use of augmented reality in real estate can help real estate companies and agents solve this problem. Augmented reality offers an intuitive and clean experience to the home buyers in the form of 3D models. With an AR driven experience, buyers can actually get to see how the end product (house) would look like after it has been fully constructed. This makes the task of real estate agencies that much easier.

Users can also see how their existing furniture or home decor items would look like in the new house. Potential buyers are free to try various combinations to see which one fits the best.

2) Save valuable time and resources

Instead of travelling to different locations every time to check properties, the use of AR apps for real estate enables prospective property buyers to narrow down on the projects they would really be interested in. This would help eliminate unnecessary expenditure on travel to different places to view all properties. By using AR apps in real estate, buyers can get the look and feel of the property and make an informed decision whether they would like to physically visit the site or not. Thus, augmented reality in real estate helps buyers and real estate agencies save valuable time and resources.

3) Enhanced home buying experience

The innovation brought by augmented reality apps in real estate would allow real estate companies to offer a unique and personalized home buying experience to the buyers. The power of augmented reality would keep the buyers engaged. Most importantly, buyers who are looking to buy homes can explore everything from the comfort of their homes or even when they are travelling.

AR Studio Pro is an app that augments the real estate industry. Book a free demo.

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Smart Glasses: Redefining the Experience in E-commerce Industry

E-commerce is not merely about showcasing your products online. The present competitive retail market wants eCommerce businesses to come up with something unique and innovative. The use of augmented reality in shopping is something which serves the purpose. Moving further beyond, wearable devices like smart glasses are all set to provide a full-fledged immersive e-commerce experience. Smart glasses would be the next era of online shopping moving forward into the future.

Smart glasses are transformational wearable gadgets that have a potentially much bigger than smartphones. They provide contextual information to the wearer which he/ she can easily view and read in front of the eyes. According to a forecast by Statista, around 22.8 million smart AR glasses are expected to be sold across the globe by 2022.

Here is how the use of smart glasses in the eCommerce industry is all set to completely transform the industry.

1) Product recognition

A key benefit of using smart glasses in the eCommerce industry is product recognition. The use of an image recognition solution coupled with smart glasses can enable customers to recognize different products easily on the e-commerce portal. Product recognition gives important information about products, their pricing, and any special offers, if available.

2) Contact-free access to AR content

Smart glasses in the eCommerce industry will make contact-free access to AR content. Of course, handheld devices won't go away but their use will reduce significantly with the popularity of smart glasses. Also, customers won't need a mobile app to view any content because of the implementation of AR in shopping.

3) Virtual visualization of products

The use of smart glasses in the e-commerce industry and AR in shopping empowers customers to virtually see products in front of them from the comfort of their homes. All they need to do is put on those smart glasses and see how their bedroom or living room looks like with all the new furniture around. The use of AR in shopping makes the 'try before you buy' option possible virtually. With AR, the real-world environment around the individual appears to be augmented with a few virtual elements overlaid. The use of smart glasses and AR in shopping provides enhanced visualization of products compared to the physical items in brick and mortar stores.

4) Seamless buying experience

Cart abandonment bothers even the best retail businesses and brands. Smart glasses in the eCommerce industry provide a rich, interactive, and immersive experience to the customers. AR in shopping gives customers a new reason to visit an online store. It also makes the possibility of comparative shopping a reality. The powerful combination of smart glasses and AR brought by AR Studio Pro in the shopping industry provides a seamless and hassle-free buying experience to the shoppers.

5) Location-based marketing

Businesses in the eCommerce industry can use location-based marketing by means of push notifications. The notification would directly pop-up on the smart glasses of customers when they are in close proximity of a store. A notification that appears directly on the smart glass screen is very difficult to ignore and overlook. This entices the customer to visit the physical store which is nearby to get the discounts and offers as mentioned in the notification. However, businesses and brands use location-based marketing cautiously.

AR Studio Pro offers augmented reality app empowered with the use of smart glasses. Book a free demo.

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How Does Augmented Reality Benefit a Business?

Augmented reality technology that is creating all the buzz today is not the novel technology that most people consider it to be. Augmented reality first came into existence in the year 1968, more than 50 years ago. Since then, augmented reality has come a long way. This is mainly due to the advancement in technology, the popularity of smartphones, and the speed of the internet to go with it.

Although augmented reality has made an impact in different spheres of life, it is still in the infancy stage when it comes to being adopted by different businesses in diverse industry verticals. Most people think that the potential of augmented reality is only limited to gaming and entertainment. However, augmented reality, a technology that amalgamates the digital world and the real-world has unlimited potential.

If you are a business owner, here is how augmented reality can greatly impact your business as well, just the way it has impacted other businesses.

1) AR in shopping brings the in-store experience at home

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had restricted people from moving out freely, especially for shopping. With social distancing and minimal human interaction becoming the new normal, people across the world have resorted to shopping from home. Augmented reality in shopping has brought about a complete change in the way people shop. It provides an 'in-store' shopping experience to people in the comfort of their homes. Just like people try and buy in-store, AR in shopping allows them to try things virtually before they buy.

Examples

  • The Ikea AR app enables customers to see how the furniture fits into the real world.
  • The famous shoe company Nike has introduced an AR feature into its app Nike Fit. All a user needs to do is point the smartphone's camera towards the feet and the app will determine the shoe size that best fits the feet.

2) AR in providing an interactive learning experience for kids

Augmented reality is beneficial for kids and children as well. AR apps enable them to easily learn and grasp concepts like the human body, the solar system, working of the heart, etc. These concepts otherwise are quite tedious to understand from the books. The 3D visualization offered by AR is what makes a great difference.

Examples

  • EKID is an augmented reality app that allows children to explore the world around them using AR flashcards.
  • Narrator AR app teaches children how to write letters, words, and numbers using augmented reality technology.

3) AR offering an engaging travel experience

Whether you are looking for your favourite bakery or cafe nearby in a new location, augmented reality apps with GPS can get you there. Not just outdoor travel, augmented reality apps are beneficial for indoor navigation as well. If you have lost your way inside a mall or airport, an AR app is there at your convenience.

Examples

  • Google Maps AR overlays virtual directions in the real-world and helps people navigate to their desired location.
  • FlippAR Go app is an augmented reality app that creates interactive travel experiences for the travellers.

We, AR Studio Pro, are a leading augmented reality application. We offer the best in the industry augmented reality to the furniture industry and many similar industries. Book a free demo.

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How Can AR in Furniture Industry Help Business Skyrocketing?

In today's tech-savvy world, several product categories are being purchased online using e-commerce portals - books, apparel, music, games, electronics, smartphones, furniture, and many others. It is hard to imagine a product category that is not being purchased online. With the inception and growing popularity of augmented reality, online furniture shopping is also gaining significant momentum across the globe. Based on a study conducted by Centric Digital, it is found that more than 60% of individuals in the US want to do furniture shopping using augmented reality. This statistic is an eye-opener for all furniture businesses and brands to adopt AR in retail furniture shopping.

Are you a furniture retailer seeking to adopt new technologies?

Augmented reality is the one for you. The use of AR apps for the furniture store can really boost your sales in the online world and help take your furniture business to the next level of growth.

Here is how augmented reality is transforming the furniture retail industry around the world.

1) Augmented reality offers customers the option to virtually try out furniture before actually buying

Using AR apps for the furniture store, customers can view the furniture products in 3D on their smartphones. All they need to do is click a snap of the physical space in their home or office and insert the 3D digital model of the furniture that would like to look at in the real-world environment. This enables customers to actually see the specifications, dimensions, and fit of the furniture piece in the space around them. For example, if a customer wishes to augment a stylish and trendy couch in the living room area, AR in shopping can make this happen.

2) Comfort to visualize products at home

Buying new furniture is not an easy thing. The entire process of going to a brick and mortar store is quite tedious. AR apps for the furniture store provide an immersive shopping experience for the customers. Customers can easily explore various furniture products at home in their real-world environment. Augmented reality helps furniture businesses in delivering standout experiences to customers.

3) Saves valuable cost and time for furniture businesses

With AR in shopping, furniture businesses can easily save valuable cost and time for storage, warehousing as well as transportation and logistics. AR apps for the furniture store don't require retail businesses to stock up the furniture in showrooms. Also, they require less manpower as the entire buying journey is online. Furniture being a big-ticket item occupies a lot of space and transit charges as well. Augmented reality helps furniture businesses and brands save this cost which ultimately adds to their bottomline.

4) Improved customer satisfaction

Augmented reality helps retail furniture businesses improve customer satisfaction levels. AR in shopping brings the in-store furniture shopping experience to the homes of customers, enabling them to make the right choice. This boosts customer satisfaction levels due to which they come back for more purchases.

AR Studio Pro is a leading augmented reality app, which has been helping many furniture businesses to grow. Book a free demo for more details.

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How Is Augmented Reality Transforming the Furniture Industry?

In the past decade, there have been technological advancements worth talking about as they have significantly impacted different walks of life. One such technology that has created a lot of buzz and excitement around itself in different businesses is augmented reality (AR). The power of AR in retail is being realized by several businesses and brands across the globe. AR in retail serves as a powerful tool for retail businesses to display visually appealing products. Healthcare, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, e-learning - augmented reality has created an impact in nearly every industry. The furniture industry is no exception to this.

Imagine being able to place a bed in your bedroom or a dining table in the living room virtually without the need to visit any furniture store physically. AR in the furniture industry makes this possible. AR in the retail furniture industry overlays digital furniture objects in a user's real-world environment. This can be achieved either by using WebAR or AR smartphone apps. It is important to understand that AR in retail does not completely eliminate the real world for users. In fact, it augments reality with virtual content.

AR in the furniture industry has been a significant game-changer in the way customers shop. With AR in furniture, there is no need to visit various furniture markets. The size, design, shape, texture, and other striking features of any furniture can be viewed on the smartphone, just by merely tapping on the screen. With AR in the retail industry becoming popular, developers have developed powerful augmented reality apps. These enable people to just scan the dining room, living room, or kitchen and actually get recommendations of furniture that would best fit the physical space, which they are scanning.

Benefits of AR in the retail furniture industry for businesses

1) Personalized shopping experience

In the furniture industry, the one-size-fits-all approach does not work. This is because every interior space is different. A cupboard that may blend well in the bedroom of an individual may not be the best fit for another individual. With AR in the furniture industry, businesses can offer a personalized and customized shopping experience to the customers.

2) Try-before-you-buy option

Furniture is a high-priced item and not something which people buy every day. Hence, it is vital for businesses to offer the option to try and buy remotely. With AR in retail, customers can actually see how the furniture would fit into the real world in which they live. Just like people can try glasses and apparel virtually before buying them, augmented reality has made this possible for the furniture industry as well.

3) Customer engagement

AR in the furniture industry offers an immersive shopping experience to customers. Users have a wide range of options to choose from - colours, styles, sizes, varieties. By offering a captivating experience of furniture products, businesses can increase customer engagement and retention as well as sales with new purchases.

Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and even moving forward, social distancing and minimal human interaction and contact are likely to be the new normal. In view of this, it makes sense for businesses and brands in the furniture industry to invest in developing a WebAR or AR app for smartphones.

Contact us for a free demo and more details of the AR app for the furniture industry.

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Trends of Customer Experience in the Retail Industry 2021

In today's world of tough competition between businesses and brands across the globe, it is the customer experience that will determine the success or failure of any business in any industry vertical. Talking about the retail industry, small things matter a lot. Even a slight mistake and you could end up losing a prospective customer. This ultimately impacts the bottom-line of your business negatively.

Have you heard about augmented reality (AR); the technology that overlays digital content in the real-world environment?

The use of AR in retail has increased tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic. The retail industry was one of the most severely impacted due to COVID-19 pandemic. While all brick and mortar stores were closed due to the pandemic, many retail businesses and brands tried their hands on an augmented reality app.

With AR in retail, customers don't need to physically visit stores. They can make purchases through the augmented reality app by sitting on the couch at home. Even if they are travelling, they can select the products of their choice. The 'try before you buy' option is the perfect icing on the cake with AR in retail. If a customer wants to buy sunglasses, he/she can physically try them on their face using their smartphones. The same is true for apparels. An augmented reality app provides customers with an experience resembling in-store buying. Moving ahead, AR in retail is likely to gather even more momentum. The reason behind this is that even after the pandemic is over, social distancing and minimal human contact are likely to be the new normal in the future.

If you own a business or a brand, here are some trends that can be potential game-changers for your business and brand.

1) Deliver experiences and not just products

Take the example of any successful retail brand or business around the world. It is the experience that is delivered to customers that matters. For your brand to grow and for people to stay connected, it is imperative for you to give them an out-of-the-box and captivating experience that they will cherish for a lifetime.

2) Personalization is the key

In the world of retail, there are multiple businesses and brands offering the same products. Hence, it is essential to provide a personalized buying experience to the shoppers. This may be done by displaying only the products that a customer is looking for based on previous searches. A personalized message carrying the name can also be sent offering special discounts.

3) Rewards and loyalty programs

If you want customers to keep coming to your brand frequently, having a rewards and loyalty program is essential. These programs are vital to retail customers.

4) Giving customers their own space

Customers like to make purchases alone and not be disturbed by the staff. In order to be a successful brand, it is necessary to respect the privacy of customers and let them be alone unless of course, they ask for help.

5) Customer feedback

Customer feedback is essential to get to know the positives and the negatives too. Working towards eliminating the negatives is what will get your brand the success that it is looking for.

AR Studio Pro is one of the apps, which have empowered the retail industry across the globe. It lets customers check the products before buying them. Contact us to have a detailed call and a complete product demo.

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Diving into the Future of Augmented Reality Technology

Is the future set to be augmented?

How would it feel if you could communicate with all the objects around you and they could communicate with you?

Sounds unreal, right? However, this is reality.

We are moving forward into an AUGMENTED future of the real world. This all began in the year 2016 when the Pokémon Go game made people experience the true power of augmented reality. It proved to the entire world that reality is going to be augmented in the future.

In the modern world that we are living in, there is hardly any industry where augmented reality hasn't made its mark. In the world of augmented reality, the virtual and real worlds overlap with each other creating a captivating and immersive experience. By using augmented reality apps, you can see how goggles or glasses would appear on your face or how a new bed would appear in your bedroom.

Even though the use of augmented reality can be witnessed in several industries like healthcare, learning, real estate, and many others, AR still has a long way to go. The future of AR is extremely bright and the results that can be achieved are limitless.

Here are some of the ways in which augmented reality is all set to transform our future.

1) AR-powered shopping apps

The retail industry is perhaps the most preferred for the application of augmented reality. Shopping apps based on augmented reality are the future of AR in the shopping world. Using AR shopping apps, customers can actually see how a particular product would fit into the real world. By adopting augmented reality into their plan, businesses can enhance the shopping experience of customers. It enables customers to make the right choice before choosing a product. AR-powered shopping apps make the 'try before you buy' concept a reality even when one is not physically visiting the brick and mortar stores.

2) AR-powered navigation and mapping

We have already witnessed the true power of augmented reality through the use of Google Maps AR for outdoor navigation. Augmented reality is set to change the way we navigate - both indoors and outdoors. For outdoors, the display of real-time maps with proper directions would make it easier to find restaurants, hospitals, coffee shops, grocery outlets, etc. around you. There is ample scope for augmented reality to create a powerful presence in the world of indoor navigation. Yes, whenever you visit large malls, shopping complexes, hospitals, or even universities, it is quite a task to find out where exactly your destination is located. Augmented reality has the potential to make indoor navigation easy and convenient through the use of real-time directions.

3) AR-enabled manufacturing

Augmented reality has the capability to streamline the manufacturing process, thereby resulting in enhanced productivity and lowered downtime. The future of AR in manufacturing would also involve training of several new employees, both within the country and overseas as well. AR-based training materials would enable the workforce to learn how to handle the new machinery and equipment safely. This would ensure complete safety in the manufacturing process.

Are you someone who is planning to leverage the potential of augmented reality for your business? The future of AR is positive and full of promise. This is the perfect time for you to invest in augmented reality for the future of your business.

We, AR Studio Pro, offer a premium app for retail stores to let their customers see how the offered products look in the real world. For more details, contact us.

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How AR Boosted Online Sales during the COVID Pandemic?

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the exponentially rising Coronavirus cases have impacted the lives and livelihoods of many around the world. This pandemic has left most business verticals in the doldrums. Out of all the sectors, the retail industry is the worst hit and affected by the pandemic. It has suffered tremendous losses this year and with the rising cases in some countries, the upcoming months seem like a huge challenge for the retail businesses, especially those who have physical stores.

The decline in sales, manifold revenue losses, unsold products and merchandise, debts, overhead expenses, and disrupted supply chain are some of the major challenges faced by the retail industry. To overcome these challenges, many retailers and businesses have adopted advanced technologies. These include Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and others. Amongst all these, AR has served as a blessing and a saviour for the retail industry.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AR in the retail industry has helped businesses to:

  • Create more interest amongst customers
  • Provide an engaging and interactive experience to customers
  • Achieve seamless day-to-day operations
  • Maintain social distancing

Here is how augmented reality has helped retail businesses boost their sales during the pandemic and is all set to be the future of the retail industry.

1) In-store virtual walkthrough

Technologies like AR and VR enable customers to walk-through and experience how the products would actually look like in the real world. Virtual walkthroughs mean customers can make purchases without actually having to physically visit the stores. This provides an immersive experience to customers giving them the freedom to purchase products sitting at home just by merely tapping on the app. For example, if during the pandemic an individual needs to purchase spectacles urgently, he/she can easily do so through a virtual online store empowered by augmented reality. He/ She can actually try out different sizes and styles of frames on the face using the smartphone.

2) Transforming the way customers shop

AR in retail is all set to bring a drastic change in the way customers shop. The power of augmented reality has made 'try before you buy' a reality in the digital world. Before buying any products or merchandise, customers can actually see how it would appear. With AR in retail, shopping is all set to happen in an augmented version of the real world around us. Customers need to pay and buy only once they are completely satisfied.

3) Contactless shopping

With the majority of the malls, brand stores, and retail stores being closed or having restricted timings due to the pandemic, AR in retail is slowly but surely making everything contactless. It has been found that Coronavirus stays on surfaces for a few hours to many days. This means that to prevent transmission and break the chain, human intervention and physical contact with products needs to be minimized. Hence, contactless is the new normal moving forward. Since many people are sceptical about in-store safety protocols, a contactless world made possible by augmented reality would reduce people density in stores, while they can make purchases hassle-free by sitting at home.

Even augmented reality has been embraced by the retail industry; there is still a lot of scopes and potentials left. AR apps have given a tremendous boost to the retail industry and will continue to do so even in the post COVID world.

If you have not yet taken a look at this aspect of technology, contact us. We can help you with real-time facts and demo

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How Augmented Reality Revolutionized the Furniture Industry?

The biggest challenge when shopping for furniture online is the lack of customers' imagination. People might fall in love with a particular sofa but cannot imagine what it would look like in their living room or whether the solid real wooden table will fit into the dining room. The furniture industry is increasingly turning to Augmented Reality — in short, AR to address this problem.

This innovative technology involves the expansion of the real world through virtual aspects. All that is needed is a smartphone or tablet. This AR solution is accessible and usable for everyone through apps, which are easily installed on any mobile device.

The customer then looks through his device's camera in the room in which the desired piece of furniture will be placed. The software now enriches this scene with the virtual preferred element — the Virtual Twin. The AR software enables customers to view their home photo-realistically, true to scale, and from all perspectives before buying it.

Reduce post-purchase discrepancies and return rates in e-commerce through AR for furniture

The virtual product presentation makes it possible, especially in e-commerce, to place products of any type and size virtually and true to scale in your own living space — be it the sofa, the dining table, or an entire wall unit. In this way, the customer can see whether the selected piece of furniture fits into the room, move it around, and view it from all perspectives. With AR for furniture, different furnishings elements are presented authentically and emotionally, stimulating the customer's imagination. This process enables the customer to make better purchasing decisions, which reduces post-purchase dissonances and the return rate to a minimum even before the purchase. AR for furniture in one sentence: What you see is what you get!

Use of AR in stationary trade

AR is also gaining ground in the stationary trade as a supplement to customer consulting. Virtual product catalogs offer retailers an innovative way to support customers' purchasing decisions and reduce complexity. With the Web AR, traders and manufacturers no longer need to have all products available on-site because the virtual representation of AR furniture simply and easily expands the limited sales area.

With a 3D Configurator's help, the furniture of choice can be individually designed, and the appropriate dimensions selected. Should the Recamier stand on the left or right side of the sofa? Should the sofa cover be velveteen or have structure? Once the customer has decided on his piece of furniture, he can virtually "take it home" on his smartphone before buying it and "try it out" again in his own four walls. If the customer still needs more input before the actual purchase, he can send the new sofa via a Web AR link to family and friends for their opinion.

Integrated order processing due to continuous processes

The combination of a 3D Configurator and Organizer results in an optimized data flow. Order data can be transferred directly from the point of sale to production. The AR software brings many advantages to the furniture industry, from the individual 3D furniture configuration to simplifying order processes right through to uncomplicating data entry and administration.

Optimizing internal business processes with Augmented Reality

Not only e-commerce and stationary traders can benefit from virtual technologies. Augmented Reality is an excellent intermediate medium within companies, for example, to combine product photography and visualization.

The photo-realistic representation of the furniture in AR or three-dimensional space presents marketing with fewer challenges. Using real-time rendering, high-resolution 3D furniture cut-outs are quickly and affordably produced.

This means it is no longer necessary to photograph each piece of furniture individually. These photos can then be used flexibly for marketing in the product catalog, on flyers and posters, or via social media — and quickly adapted if you dislike it. 

Until now, the significant disadvantage of augmented Reality was its complexity. Service providers had to be hired to build time-consuming and costly apps. Large furniture stores like IKEA have invested large sums of money over several years to present their product portfolio digitally and virtually.

In the meantime, however, solutions such as the 3D Web Configurator enable every company to create virtual product catalogs easily, securely, and most of all, cost-effectively. Corporate design can already be created in the lower five-digit range — in-house and without service providers. The only requirement is the possession of 3D or CAD data of the furniture pieces. Alternatively, 3D scans can be used, for example, with antiques.

With a web-based 3D Configurator, the data can be easily uploaded and translated into the Virtual Twin. The products are then displayed in a single view in 3D, augmented and virtual reality and can be quickly sent by the dealer or customer via a link.

Advantages of AR for furniture at one glance

  • Graphic order entry for the requirements of the furniture industry
  • Quick and safe configuration of individual furniture
  • Automated generation of worktops, skirting boards
  • Single-Data-System: Direct transfer of planning into the order processing
  • Fast creation of order documents
  • Parts lists and production data at the click of a mouse.

Conclusion

The furniture industry is experiencing a rapid wave of digitalization and change, intending to increase sales, reducing returns, and improving customer satisfaction.

Furniture retailers and e-commerce market leaders such as Ikea, Wayfair, and Houzz have already invested in Augmented Reality technology and solutions to stay ahead of the competition and attract more customers to their websites and online stores.

According to a study, customers are 11 times more likely to buy a product if they have visualized it using AR for furniture and can sample it in their own homes before buying.

Augmented Reality is undoubtedly one of the key revenue drivers for many retail industries in 2020, helping customers visualize products in their home environment and build a strong emotional connection with the product and brand.

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Role of AR in the Retail Industry

Augmented Reality has created an impact in every field - healthcare, pharmaceuticals, digital marketing, entertainment, education, tourism, and many others. AR in the retail industry is booming rapidly. It is predicted that the value of the Augmented Reality market will reach nearly 62 billion USD by the year 2023.

Augmented Reality is the superimposition of digital content over the real-world environment. The retail industry is quick to adopt any new technology that comes into the market. Augmented Reality is one such technology. One of the main reasons why many businesses and brands in the retail industry have embraced AR is because it enhances the customer experience.

In today's world where online shopping is on the rise, some people are still sceptical about adopting online shopping. This is because they are unable to see and feel the product in real-time like they would get to do in physical stores. Augmented Reality in the retail industry helps overcome this challenge.

Here is a look at how Augmented Reality is transforming the retail industry:

1) Personalized content

AR in retail helps businesses and brands deliver personalized and filtered content to the customers. Augmented Reality helps retail stores filter out irrelevant products and display only those that are appropriate depending on the search results and previous purchases. AR enables customers to explore a wide range of choices before actually making a purchase.

2) Enhanced shopping experience

AR in retail offers a highly interactive and engaging shopping experience to the buyers. By using Augmented Reality technology, shoppers can try a product before they actually buy it. Augmented Reality empowers customers to view the products as 3D models and actually place them in a real-world environment. For example, if a customer wants to purchase a hat, he/she can actually try how the hat would look on the face. All this is possible comfortably by sitting on the couch at home. AR in retail offers a better look and feel of the products to customers.

3) Combines traditional retail with modern online retail

AR makes shopping fun and happening experience for customers. With a huge footfall experienced by brick and mortar stores, it becomes quite difficult to shop and get the desired products or your choice. The COVID-19 has further caused safety concerns in physical store shopping. Augmented Reality products like AR Studio have the potential to create an exact replica of traditional retail shopping while saving inventory and space for businesses.

4) Complete control in the hands of customers

AR in retail offers full control to customers. With Augmented Reality, customers can try out how a dress appears on them or place a new cupboard in their living room to see how it looks in reality. Customers can choose, try different combinations, and experiment with different things before making the actual purchase. Complete control in shopping enables customers to make informed decisions. This ultimately translates to higher conversions for businesses.

5) Understanding customer behaviour

Augmented Reality helps businesses and brands to understand customers better and also collect valuable information about them. This helps in delivering customized rewards and offers to customers.

Considering the benefits offered, AR-based shopping will be the new normal moving forward. If you want to experience how AR in retain works, book an appointment with us.

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QR Code Scanning Feature of ARStudio Pro

If you are looking out for an Augmented Reality app that offers a single touch view of various products, ARStudio Pro is the best solution.

QR codes are an effective means for businesses and brands to share valuable information with customers instantly. AR Studio Pro, the AR app has recently introduced the QR code scan feature along with many other features.

How does the QR code scan feature function?

Click and follow the below-mentioned link.

https://arstudiopro.com/demo-product

  • On opening the above link on your desktop or smartphone, a button labelled “View in Your Space”, will be displayed to view the 3D object in the real world space around you.
  • On opening the above link through a web browser on your desktop or smartphone, a webpage showing detailed information and a 3D model of the product will open. You are free to modify the size and colour of the product and see how it will look in your house or office.

Want to experience the power of QR codes? Click the button at the bottom of the object. An image of a QR code will be popped up. You can use your Smartphone's camera to scan the QR code and look at the object on your smartphone screen and how it would appear in the physical space around you.

Another alternative to this is the physical printing of QR codes on different marketing collaterals. This would help captivate the attention of your target audience. The camera on a smartphone is enough to scan the physical QR code.

AR Studio Pro is an augmented reality app, which is constantly being upgraded. Out-of-the-box features are being added in each new version of this app.

Below is a link of video tutorial that gives information about the various capabilities of AR Studio Pro.

https://youtu.be/yRGeSQo0ORg

Do you feel that an augmented reality solution like an AR Studio Pro would be helpful for your business?

Visit the link given below to schedule a free online 30 minute trial with us at a time and date convenient to you.

https://meetings.hubspot.com/info7003

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The ARStudio Pro Variations Feature

Want to know about an AR app that offers visualization of products at a single click?

AR Studio Pro app has the power to do this. With ARStudio Pro, users can actually see how different combinations of virtual products appear in the real world. ARStudio Pro is jointly working with its users to gather reviews and feedback on the existing features in the app. ARStudio Pro introduces new features in the app frequently. One such new feature that has been integrated is the “Variation” feature. This feature is easy and convenient to use. It allows users to view their products in different colours and sizes.

Product variation is a key aspect of any e-commerce app. Variations in terms of types, colours, sizes, shapes, etc. offer plenty of choices to the customers.

Functioning of the variation feature:

  • Choose your product
  • Tap 'Select your variations' button
  • Select the colour of your choice
  • Pick any size
  • Tap the 'View in your room' button

The ARStudio Pro app provides key insights to businesses about how users interact with different products and services. On the other hand, it offers users an immersive experience for a wide range of products. With variations in colour and size, customers can get a completely new look and feel about the products on display.

ARStudio Pro is an Augmented Reality app that undergoes frequent updates and new features are being introduced all the time.

Here is a link to a video which gives information about the various potentials of ARStudio Pro app: https://youtu.be/yRGeSQo0ORg

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The ARStudio Pro Resize Feature

ARStudio Pro, an Augmented Reality app, is specifically designed and developed for individuals who would like to experience how products would actually look in the real world around them. It can show how a dining table would appear in the dining room or for that matter, how a new wooden bed would look like in the bedroom.

AR Studio Pro is always looking to add new features depending on the feedback received from the users. One such feature that has been integrated into the app is the Resize feature. It allows users to easily control and manage the size of products as they would like to see it.

How does the resize feature function?

Are you looking to resize any product like a bed to fit into your room or a table to fit into your office cabin? You can easily do it with the resize feature in the ARStudio Pro app.

  • Choose a product and see how it looks in the space around you (home/ office)
  • Once the product is placed in the desired real-world environment, tap the icon showing 'Resize'
  • After you tap the icon of 'Resize', two options will be displayed.
  1. Metric - Measures height, width, and depth in centimetres.
  2. Imperial - Inches and feet are used for measurement.

AR Studio Pro is an AR app in which frequent upgrades and improvements are carried out. Novel features are being introduced in every update.

Given below is a link to a video that provides information about the different potentials and capabilities of ARStudio Pro.

https://youtu.be/yRGeSQo0ORg

Do you feel that an Augmented Reality solution like ARStudio Pro would be beneficial for your business? Visit the link given below to schedule a demo with expert of AR Studio.

https://meetings.hubspot.com/info7003

 

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Augmented Reality Statistics

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are two powerful technologies that have the capability to transform the way people look at things in the world. Many people are confused and think that both of these technologies are one and the same. However, both of them are completely different.

It is crucial to understand the difference between AR and VR as both of them are used quite frequently in diverse business verticals.

While VR has made all the headlines due to the immersive experience of the virtual world it provides to the users, AR offers a much more realistic and practical approach to the digital world.

VR creates a completely virtual world for the users. It makes use of computerized technology to create simulated reality. The world of virtual reality is completely different from the actual reality. VR generates huge volume of information and blocks the actual world completely. In VR, it is extremely difficult to differentiate between something which is real and something which is not.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a blend of the virtual world and the practical world. It provides a more powerful and sophisticated view of reality by adding some key elements of the digital world. A digital layer, which might be in the form of text, information, graphics, or other rich media, is superimposed over the real world. AR makes it possible for individuals to interact and distinguish between both digital and real worlds.

Augmented reality is used quite frequently in today's world. However, it is essential to see what the primary statistics indicate. Here are some key statistics about Augmented Reality which you must know moving forward into 2021.

Statistic # 1: 70-75 percent of individuals belonging to the age group of 16-44 years have awareness about AR

One major obstacle in the path of AR is the lack of customer awareness. In the US and UK, nearly 90 percent of consumers are acquainted with VR. However, this rate drops down significantly to only 65 percent in the case of AR. When all age groups are considered, awareness exceeds actual engagement and participation. Amongst people belonging to the age group of 16-34 years, only about 35 percent were making use of AR technology. Amongst individuals belonging to the age group of 55-64 years, the number comes to merely 3 percent.

Statistic # 2: Availability of numerous AR apps in the market

In 2017, ARKit Tool was launched by Apple. This made it possible for iOS app development companies and developers to create robust and novel experiences in the form of AR apps for iOS devices. Nearly after a year, in 2018, ARCore, Google's SDK was launched. This made it possible for Android app developers to craft top-notch AR apps. At present, there are 2000+ AR apps and this number is fast increasing. Greater number of app developers is becoming aware of the use of AR tools. This would translate to more innovative and exceptional AR experiences for users in the coming years.

Statistic # 3: Pokémon Go has surpassed the one billion downloads mark

A captivating example of AR is the world-famous game Pokémon Go. After it was launched in the year 2016, it generated sales worth 207 million USD and reached the pinnacle of 45 million users on a daily basis globally. Right from its inception, this mind-blowing game has received more than one billion downloads. For many people, Pokémon Go was the first time when they experienced the true potential and power of AR.

Statistic # 4: The AR Market is all set to hit the USD 70-75 billion revenue mark by 2023

Several driving factors such as smartphones, AR devices, powerful mobile networks, and AR wearables are likely to propel the AR market even further. By the year 2023, it is expected that mobile AR devices and smart glasses would become an indispensable part of people's lives.

Statistic # 5: AR is being used by 88 percent of medium-sized businesses in one way or the other presently

By leveraging on the power of AR, businesses want to create a robust marketing strategy and top-notch customer experience. According to a report by Deloitte in 2018 on technology trends for medium-sized companies, most of them were analyzing and examining AR in different ways to fuel their business growth.

Statistic # 6: The AngelList has 3000+ AR-focused businesses listed on it

The AngelList that collates data about entrepreneurs and startup for effective fundraising, recruitment, and capital investment has witnessed a gradual increase in the total businesses in the Augmented Reality market.

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So, how large and realistic is augmented reality?

The success of the two powerful technologies - Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality - has grabbed the attention of businesses and consumer goods industries as well. VR, plus, AR provide an immersive experience for the users and empower them to interact and visualize the virtual world in front of their eyes, both digitally as well as physically.

VR focuses only on the virtual world, while AR adds a digital layer of elements to the existing (real) world. Statistics indicate that both AR and MR (Mixed Reality) are growing at an accelerated pace in the business world and gaining an edge over VR.

Augmented Reality demand is making headway across the globe

Powerful technologies like augmented reality and VR have still not been accepted completely in comparison to other high-tech devices. Considering this, leading tech companies around the world have identified the true potential of AR/VR and allocated a major portion of their budget to research and development. This is an indicator that the interest of businesses, technology firms, as well as investors in augmented reality and virtual reality is increasing day-by-day.

Unleashing the real value of AR for the industry

The launch of ARKit by Apple and ARCore of Google has resulted in a tremendous demand for smartphones based AR apps. Both of these frameworks have created unmatched AR experiences for users. In India, diverse industry verticals are making use of these tools. They are also being used for extensive study, training, design, and research purposes.

Overpowering the challenges

Embracing AR technology is dependent on delivering a seamless and top-notch experience to the end-users. At present, the AR apps developed for smartphones require compatible hardware configurations to function smoothly. On the other hand, AR headsets and high-resolution smart glasses are quite expensive.

Another challenge involved in adopting AR is the use of three dimensional (3D) models of objects. Interactive 3D model development is a task in itself and requires huge capital investment and skilled expertise.

Much still remains to be done before businesses as well as users adopt these technologies and innovations.

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How does augmented reality work on mobile?

There are two key types of Augmented Reality (AR) that can be made use of mobile applications for smartphones. Both differ on the basis of the technology and sensors used. However, the fundamental underlying notion is the same, which is to overlay virtual three-dimensional (3D) objects over the image of the camera.

We will explore both types of AR in this blog post.

1) Marker-based AR

In this type of Augmented Reality, a marker is used. Markers are nothing but physical (target) images that are clicked using the camera. Marker-based AR apps look for the specific pattern of the marker, i.e. the target image.

On the basis of the marker, the virtual 3D objects are superimposed on top of the physical image. Marker-based AR apps function on image recognition. The conformation of the virtual 3D object depends on the geometry and position of the marker. Any change in the marker position will result in a change in the virtual object, too.

In today's world of advanced technology, marker-based AR apps can identify almost anything - texts, images, and even faces.

Face Filters

One of the most popular use cases of AR is face recognition and filters. Face filters grabbed the headlines after their use by Snapchat on their app in the year 2015. After this, face filters are being used by numerous people across the globe in different apps, who just love them.

For face filters, the camera detects the face of an individual on a real-time basis, while the AR app overlays digital 3D objects and animation. In technical terms, AR-driven face recognition and filters are implemented through the use of face recognition and tracking algorithms. These algorithms perfectly map and locate the position of the face, while a type of 3D technology is responsible for displaying the different AR filters that we see on the face.

2) Marker-less AR

While marker-based AR made use of the geometry and position of markers for overlying the 3D objects, a marker-less AR functions without markers. Marker-less AR apps make use of hardware sensors instead of image markers. These sensors are either geo-based or location-based. A marker-less AR app leverages the power of sensors to identify a device's alignment and position.

Three main AR sensor Types are:

  • Gyroscope: Senses and measures the angular velocity of an object
  • Accelerometer: Measures acceleration of a moving object
  • Magnetometer: Detects the direction and strength of a magnetic field

These sensors along with GPS technology help the marker-less AR app to determine the precise position and rotation of objects in a 3D space.

Google Maps Augmented Reality (AR)

You must have used Google Maps at some point in your life for finding out directions while driving or walking.

Google Maps AR places digital directions on top of the real world roads and streets to show you exactly where you have to go. All you need to do is enter the destination where you want to go and tap on the Start button in Google Maps. Lift your smartphone up and you will see virtual directions that guide you to your destination.

Handful of challenges with AR on smartphones

Battery: For an AR app to function, the light, camera, GPS, sensors, and image recognition on the smartphone have to be turned on. This means the battery gets drained significantly while using AR for just a short time duration.

Sensors: The sensors that are essential for an AR app function differently on different smartphones. They work better and more accurately on the latest phones compared to older ones.

Compatibility: Google's ARCore, a platform launched for augmented reality application development in the year 2018, is supported only by a limited number of devices at present.

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Pros and Cons of Native AR App Development

The success of Augmented Reality (AR) can be attributed to digital gaming coupled with the development of the latest gadgets and technologies such as Gear VR, Google Cardboards, and Oculus Rift. While Virtual Reality (VR) takes users to a completely immersive virtual world, Augmented Reality (AR) augments the real-world by overlaying digital 3D elements over it. Microsoft HoloLens is a perfect example that makes use of Augmented Reality to take learning and productivity to a new level altogether. AR apps developed for smartphones provide the same visually appealing experience as Microsoft HoloLens. There are a variety of AR apps on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Meaning of Native AR app development

Native AR app development involves developing an AR app specifically for a single platform - Android, iOS, or Windows. Native AR apps are built using a native language specific to that particular platform.

For Android: Kotlin, Java

For iOS: Objective-C, Swift

Pros

Highly intuitive and interactive

Native AR apps have native appearance and feel about them. Since native AR apps are developed using a native programming language, they offer a top-notch and seamless experience to the users.

Highly secure

Native AR apps ensure that the users are getting high-end data security.

Access to complete features of devices

A native AR app can directly access the different hardware features of smartphones like GPS, camera, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, etc. This translates to greater speed which ultimately enhances the UX.

Fewer bugs

With native augmented reality app development, one has to tackle fewer bugs since a single codebase is used for a particular platform.

Cons

Expensive to develop

A native AR app is costly and quite expensive to develop compared to a cross-platform app. The reason is you need to invest in developing one for each platform.

More time required

A native AR app requires more time for development and deployment because of the use of a separate codebase for different platforms. Alternatively, multiple developers need to work in parallel.

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How Augmented Reality is Impacting Online Shopping?

Augmented Reality (AR) is rightly said to be the future of online shopping. AR makes online shopping extremely convenient and easy for shoppers. An AR app helps businesses and brands to learn about a customer's shopping history and preferences, thereby providing relevant suggestions during searches.

While many buyers love shopping online, there are many who are still sceptical and give it a second thought. Augmented Reality helps to overcome this challenge by transforming the products that buyers see on their screens into reality.

AR - Delivering exceptional shopping experiences

AR is being widely used in the world of online selling. Augmented Reality enables shoppers to try a product before actually buying it. For example, if someone is planning to buy spectacles, they can actually try and check how the frame would look on their face.

Why AR is for buyers?

  • Compare products simultaneously
  • Check the appearance of products in the real world
  • See the visual difference between products
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Impact of ARCore on AR Landscape

ARCore is an Augmented Reality platform launched by Google in 2018. This SDK allows AR apps to be built by mobile app developers for Android platform.

ARCore has the potential to transform Google's hopes about Augmented Reality into the truth, which otherwise wouldn't have been possible by working with OEM.

Google's ARCore mainly functions by utilizing the Android Smartphone’s camera, motion sensors, and processors to offer immersive experience to the users.

How does Google's ARCore function?

ARCore comprises of three elements. These include:

1. Motion tracking

It identifies the relative position of a smartphone on the basis of built-in sensors and videos. It enables the users to pin objects and move around them.

Environmental understanding

It makes use of a Smartphone’s camera to detect even surfaces of the physical world and overlay digital images.

Light estimation

It provides accurate shadows to the virtual objects in the AR world so that they blend effectively with the real world environment.

Here is how the AR Landscape has been impacted by ARCore.

1) Innovative application designs

The augmented reality framework fits in perfectly into the gaming world. With such a remarkable entry from the two technology giants, the potentials and possibilities just appear to be limitless.

Are you someone who is planning to develop an AR app for your business or brand?

No matter the type of Augmented Reality app, which you are trying to develop, having a powerful and experienced team of AR app developers is vital. Having an expert team ensures that they can make the best use of Augmented Reality based on their experience and expertise to craft a robust and innovative AR app.

2) Marketing potential

In the world of marketing, Augmented Reality occupies a great position. The reason behind this is that AR was previously used in so many world famous games such Pokémon Go, Angry Birds, and many more. A great example of the power of augmented reality is the Porsche AR visualizer app. This app lets users make 3D (three-dimensional) configuration of their vehicles for the real physical environment. By using this app, users can place their photo-realistic Porsche cars in their own parking lot, see it in their own living room, and even show it to their friends and relatives.

For promoting ARCore, Google worked jointly with Snap by touring the popular Nou Soccer stadium located in Barcelona which was accessed virtually.

3) Scope for improvement

Android has a huge network of smartphones. In an official statement in 2019, Google announced that there are 2.5 billion active Android devices globally. On the other hand, there were only about 700 million iPhone till last year. Out of the 2.5 billion+ Android phones, only about 100 million having the latest sensors and cameras would be compatible for augmented reality. However, this number is going to increase rapidly moving into the future.

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Choosing the Right AR SDK: Mobile AR App Development Toolkit for 2020

One of the things, which is increasingly popular across the globe with each passing day, us augmented reality. Augmented reality and AR apps are all set to become even more powerful in the future.

The applications of Augmented Reality can be seen in diverse industry verticals such as medical, healthcare, travel and tourism, education, gaming, retail, architecture, and the list could go on and on.

AR apps Categories:

Marker-based AR

As the name suggests, marker-based AR apps are based on distinct patterns (markers), which the smartphone camera can detect easily. In this type, the digital content is overlaid in the real world environment depending on the position of the markers.

Marker-less AR

In this category of AR app, there are no markers involved. Instead, positional information is collected on the basis of location (position) detectors present in smartphones. E.g. Accelerometer, GPS, digital compass, etc. Marker-less AR apps are more flexible than Marker-based AR apps.

Marker-less and Marker-based AR apps are the two main categories of AR apps. Besides these two, there are some other types of AR as well.

Superimposition-based AR

As the name indicates, this category of augmented reality is based on the superimposition of objects in the real world. The real view of an object is superimposed by the augmented view. Replacement of the original appearance of an object is either done partially or completely.

Projection-based AR

This type of AR functions on the basis of light projected on a surface. This type of AR does not require a smartphone. The digital graphics are projected on a real world surface or object by light, thus creating a visually appealing experience for the users.

Selecting the correct Augmented Reality SDK

Are you planning to develop a robust AR app for your business or brand?

Choosing the correct AR SDK that best suits your requirements is vital.

Here are some things that you should take into consideration before going for AR app development by choosing any type of it.

1) Type of license

There are some licenses that enable you to use AR SDKs for free, while there are others that cost money. Opting for a free AR SDK makes sense as it would cost less. However, they have limited capabilities. If you are looking to develop a powerful AR app with advanced features, a licensed version of AR SDK would be advisable.

2) Supported platforms

When building an AR app, it is essential to select an AR SDK that supports multiple platforms. This means that you can reach out to a wide range of target audience on different platforms. Most AR SDKs support Android and iOS platforms, while a few support Windows too.

3) Unity compatibility

Unity is a sophisticated gaming engine that is also used to develop AR apps having astounding graphics. Thus, the AR SDK selected by you must be compatible with Unity.

4) 3D object tracking

A powerful AR app is the one which would be able to track 3D objects and images such as markers, balls, circles, and other objects of different shapes and sizes. Having 3D tracking in your AR app translates to superior performance.

5) Smart glasses support

Smart glasses are one of the latest wearable devices that offer an immersive experience of augmented reality to users hands-free. All the information is displayed on the lenses of smart glasses. Because of this, it is a wise decision to select an AR SDK that supports smart glass technology.

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Categories of AR Apps and Examples of their Usage

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that amplifies the real world around us by overlaying digital objects. AR is a blend of the real and digital world, unlike Virtual Reality (VR) that eliminates the real-world environment completely and just focuses on the virtual world. Augmented reality provides an immersive experience to the audience. The popularity of smartphones has led to the AR app development of different types worldwide.

Here are the various categories of AR apps and some examples.

Category # 1: AR games

AR gaming app category is arguably the most popular one of all. Augmented reality gaming creates a captivating and enthralling gaming experience for the audience in the real-world environment.

Examples of popular AR app games:

1) Pokémon Go

People all across the globe experienced the true power of augmented reality with the game Pokémon Go. This is the reason why even today it remains the most admired game by people around the world. The main objective behind this game is to trace and find the virtual Pokémon hidden at different locations on the map of the real world. By playing this game, users can search for different Pokémon species, more than a hundred of them while moving around in their real-world surroundings. The Pokémon Go app functions on both the iOS and Android platforms.

Some key facts about the Pokémon Go AR game:

  • 650 million+ downloads till now
  • Around 5 million active users play this game globally
  • Total lifetime revenue generated by this game exceeds 4 billion USD
  • 80 percent of iOS users make in-app purchases for this game
  • Ranks 4.2 stars on Google Play Store and 3 stars on Apple's App Store

2) Real Strike

It is a widely played AR shooting game available only on the iOS platform. By playing this game, users experience real-world shooting. Players can capture their own fights and make videos as well. A pool of water has been completely contaminated by toxic radioactive nuclear material and a collection of pests waiting to infect the entire world. The task of the player is to prevent these pests from poisoning the entire globe. Players also get to wear night vision and thermal goggles which give them clarity after sunset and in the dark at night to shoot whatever they see in front of their camera lens.

Some key facts about the Real Strike AR game:

  • Maiden first-person AR shooting game in the world
  • Ranking of more than 3 stars on Apple's App Store
  • Ranked number 1 in China and the USA during the early free trial
  • One amongst the top 10 games in Germany and Japan
  • Best ranked amongst the top 50 games in the USA
  • Offers ultramodern and precise models of guns having an average of 800 vertices to the users to play with

Category # 2: Augmented reality in 3D (three-dimensional) viewers

This type enables users to place full-scale 3D models in the real-world environment around them. This can be done either by using trackers or without using them. Trackers are nothing but specific patterns or images using which digital 3D objects can be placed precisely in the real world.

1) Sun-seeker

It is an AR app that functions on both the Android and iOS platforms. It allows the users to see the sun position, solar path, its hourly intervals, equinox, summer (estival) and winter (hiemal) solstice, time of sunrise and sunset, twilight times, and much more. This app offers a flat compass view and a 3D view as well. This app has got more than 3-star ratings from users.

The Sun-seeker AR app is best suited for:

  • Vehicle drivers - To know for how long the vehicle will remain in the shade at a particular parking site
  • Real estate property purchasers - To purchase properties depending on sun exposure and sun position
  • Gardeners and horticulturists - To find the most optimal planting locations and positions depending on the sunlight exposure
  • Photographers - Scheduling shoots depending on the perfect light exposure, timing of sunrise and sunset, and golden hour and magic hour
  • Cinematographers - To find the perfect solar position, solar path, sunrise, and sunset for any location
  • Campers - To locate the perfect camping site depending on the position of the sun and sunlight exposure
  • Architects - To visualize the spatial variation of sunlight all year round

2) Augment

It enables users to view 3D objects in the real world around them through the use of smartphones and tablets. It boosts sales and enhances customer engagement. This app is developed for both Apple and Android platforms. It is best suited for retail, m-commerce, e-commerce, and others too. Using this app, businesses can provide a captivating and enthralling shopping experience to the users comfortably sitting on their couch at home. This app eliminates the need for customers to visit physical stores in-person. This AR app enables users to try-before-they-buy a product. Users can actually rotate and see the 3D images of products and be completely satisfied prior to make a purchase.

Category # 3: AR in browsers

AR browsers optimize the camera display of the users' smartphone with context-specific details. For example, when a user points his/her smartphone at any structure or building, the approximate value or history of the property can be found out.

1) AR Browser SDK

This browser was developed by ARLab. It enables users to add AR geo-location views to any iOS or Android application in a time duration of less than 5 minutes. It can be completely customized using user-friendly APIs. All the intricate functions of the AR browser can be handled by this framework.

Major characteristic and features:

  • It can function on any device
  • Capable of adding and removing single POIs in real-time
  • Offers video support
  • Shows precise and accurate movements
  • Provides superior performance
  • Offers call, SMS, social networks, email, videos, and other such custom features

2) Argon 4

It is a feature-rich web browser. It has the potential to display the AR content developed using argon.js. AR content can be easily added to web apps using argon.js without the need to depend on any specific platform or technology.

Argon.js also supports the real-time AR potential of the Argon 4 browser. This browser can be downloaded from Google Play Store and iTunes App Store. Argon 4 enables the augmentation of reality in 3D view.

Developers can make their own customized view of reality. Anything that displays a real-life view can be transformed into a reality for Argon.

Argon 4 resembles a regular web browser. It facilitates loading multiple pages in different tabs simultaneously. It handles multiple augmented reality objects in a unique way.

Category # 4: AR GPS

Generally, AR apps for smartphones have a GPS (Global Positioning System) to detect the location of a user and its compass to identify the orientation of the device.

1) AR GPS compass map 3D

This AR app shows a 3D compass integrated with the camera image and displays the existing location of a user on a separate adjustable split-screen map based on GPS positioning. This app makes locating landmarks extremely easy and convenient. This app only functions on the Android app.

2) AR GPS walk/ drive navigation

This AR-powered app uses the Smartphone's camera and GPS to develop a seamless car navigation system. Using this AR charged navigation system, drivers can easily reach their destination without any hassles. This is because they get to see the virtual path, which guides them.

Augmented reality has brought about a significant transformation in the world of smartphone apps and games. AR apps provide an amplified version of the real world by adding digital elements. It enables the audience to learn more about the real world around them. AR apps for both Android and iOS platforms are growing in popularity. Augmented reality apps are helping businesses and brands connect effectively with their target audience by providing an enriched user experience.

Are you planning to take advantage of an AR app for your business? Contact us and experience the tangible difference in your business through a robust AR app, called AR Studio Pro.

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Immersion Features of ARKit

There are two key attributes of ARKit.

1. Position of a camera in 3D (three-dimensional) space

2. Horizontal plane tracking

In order to accomplish the first one, ARKit considers your smartphone to be a camera in motion in the real world 3D space. This means that any virtual three-dimensional object when placed at any position in the real world environment will be attached to that particular position only.

For the second feature, ARKit considers horizontal planes to be like tables, where any objects can be placed.

 Immersive features of augmented reality in ARKit function through a technique known as Visual-Inertial-Odometry (VIO).

The methodology of VIO blends the camera frames and the motion sensors together to keep track of the Smartphone's location in the 3D space. Keeping a watch over the motion using frames of the camera is carried out by spotting the characteristics. For example, consider the sharp contrast edge points and corners in an image of a red showpiece kept on a white bench. By identifying how many edge points moved in correlation to one another, an approximation of the unit's location in the 3D space can be made. Hence, ARKit lacks effective functioning when pointing towards a plain featureless empty wall or in case the motion too rapid, resulting in the formation of distorted images.

With the rapid addition of augmented reality friendly hardware and gadgets, it is possible to observe more objects in 3D in the world that we live in through the use of AR apps.

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A New Wave of AR Realism with the ARCore Depth API

ARCore is a developer platform meant to create astounding Augmented Reality (AR) adventures for the users. Right from its inception, the emphasis had been to provide powerful APIs to developers, who would help them, create AR apps that combine the real and digital world together perfectly.

Google showcased a preliminary view of the ARCore Depth API last year. This API helps developers in the depth map creation using an RGB camera. ARCore Depth API is able to create depth images and depth maps by making use of a depth-from-motion algorithm. Since then, Google has been working closely with specified collaborators to examine how data provided by depth maps can make virtual objects appear precisely, either in front or behind real world objects. This would provide a more enriched and immersive real-life experience for AR apps.

Occlusion is a key feature of Depth API. It refers to the accurate appearance of digitized objects behind the real objects in the actual world we live in. For example, if a small digital cup has to be hidden behind a table, depth API would come in handy. Using Depth API, the cup can be effectively occluded behind the table. Without Depth API, the cup would overlap with the edge of the table and appear unrealistic. Thus, virtual objects carry a real look and feel when placed behind real objects.

Five Nights at Freddy’s AR: Special Delivery is a first person horror game. In this game, players are confronted with animatronic creatures (monsters) and they have to survive. Illumix, the developer of this AR app leverages the occlusion technology to provide a realistic experience while playing the game. Using occlusion, some animatronic monsters are hidden behind real world objects such as doors, tables, etc. giving a more terrifying experience to the players.

At Snap Inc., the team of developers and designers has amalgamated many such concepts into a group of Snapchat lenses such as the Dancing Hotdog and the Undersea World Lens, a latest Android exclusive.

In addition to the feature of occlusion, ARCore Depth API unleashes novel ways of how depth maps and images can be utilized. Some of these ways include:

  • Surface interactions
  • Environmental traversal
  • Realistic physics
  • And many others

The openly accessible GitHub project allows AR app developers to utilize these ideas for creating splendid realistic experiences for the audience.

Another AR app that combines the power of occlusion and depth is Lines of Play. This game by Google Creative Lab enables users to design domino art lines and place these in the real world environment around them.

Depth can be applied for other usage scenarios and not merely self-expression and gaming alone. A great example of this is the TeamViewer Pilot app. It utilizes depth to identify and solve real world problems more efficiently.

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ViewAR USDZ and GLB Converter: The Easiest First Step for Your Company towards WebAR

Web AR, GLB, and USDZ are the next three buzzwords and topics of discussion in the world of Augmented Reality. The likelihood of incorporating augmented reality in the websites that exist today and the possibility to use augmented reality without requiring any additional apps are gathering momentum.

For viewing augmented reality 3D models on smartphones, both Google and Apple have their own indigenous ways.

  • GLB (For devices functioning on Android)
  • USDZ (For iOS devices)

There are plenty of websites where conversion from one format to another can be easily done. At present, both GLB and USDZ are by no means perfect. They effectively manage reflection of geometry, but are unable to convert materials which appear to be fragmented in most cases. This flaw was aptly taken care of by ViewAR by developing a powerful model converter for GLB and USDZ. Customization of after conversation materials were made possible by this robust model converter.

ViewAR - Advanced GLB and USDZ converter

Since the converter functions with the web browser, download and installation of any software are not required. For making sure all converted 3D models fit accurately in the physical world, one can make use of the integrated material editor for alignment, set up, and use of Physically Based Rendering (PBR) materials. OBJ and FBX are the file types supported by it.

ViewAR - GLB and USDZ plug-in

ViewAR also has a plugin which enables the addition of GLB and USDZ to virtual stores and websites using just one JavaScript line.

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How Do Retailers Construct Buzz and Brand Awareness Using AR Technology?

In today's world of tough competition, it is essential for upcoming brands to emphasize on the USP of their products or services. This can be achieved using augmented reality that offers an immersive shopping experience to the customers. Using AR apps, brands can transform the way customers see their products, thus resulting in more positive buying decisions. The use of augmented reality (AR) technology creates a world of innovation and magic for the customers. Using AR apps, businesses can keep users engaged and hooked to their brand.

Here are different innovative ways in which augmented reality technology is being used in the retail business.

Cup Magic, an AR app launched by Starbucks enables customers to bring their coffee mug to life by animating it using their smartphones. Using this app, customers can find different characters that dance, sing, play, etc., and place them on their cups to experience the magic of AR.

Lego, a Denmark based company and manufacturer of the famous bricks and blocks set game that kids love to play with making use of augmented reality to make models come to life. By using an interactive AR kiosk, children can actually get to see how the fully assembled model would appear when the Lego building box is raised. They allow kids to actually visualize how the end product looks like. This enhances the buying experience of kids by adding an element of interest and excitement in their minds.

Hyundai, the popular car brand also leverages the power of augmented reality. Hyundai transforms its user manual experience for customers from the traditional paper-based one to a virtual one. By using an augmented reality app, Hyundai car buyers can place their cameras on different car parts such as the engine, gearbox, etc., and get all the support and assistance they need directly on the smartphones.

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Google Maps Augmented Reality: An Innovation that Will Transform Navigation

In today's world that we are living in, progress and technological advancements have become a part and parcel of our daily lives. The rise of new technology has brought about a significant transformation in the way we do different things such as:

  • Reading
  • Listening to music
  • Shopping
  • Dining and
  •  Even moving around different places

AR (Augmented Reality) brings to us a world of endless possibilities. AR connects the digital world with the natural world by overlaying digital content (images, videos, animations, audio, etc.) in the existing scenario objects around us. The next big change that we can see around us is the integration of augmented reality with Google Maps.

Augmented reality in Google Maps leverages the power of augmented reality to place digital directions in the form of large arrows in the real world around us. Using Google Maps AR, an individual can find directions to the place that he/ she wishes to go to directly on the smartphone screen. This AR app is really a blessing for travellers and is all set to make navigation seamless.

Next time you want to locate your favourite coffee shop or bakery, try the Google Maps AR to make your path finding easier.

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AR and Multilingual Content Can Solve Your Manufacturing Challenges

In today's world of globalization, businesses are creating a local presence in foreign nations by going global. The main purpose behind this is to identify new markets, reach out to the target audience located across different nations, and also identify a new employee pool overseas. One major challenge in global expansion is the use of language.

Businesses face various challenges in manufacturing. Augmented reality coupled with multilingual content can aid in overcome these challenges. AR apps having multilingual content assist businesses to have agile and lean manufacturing methodologies, which help boost productivity and efficiency.

Agile manufacturing refers to the modern day approach adopted by the manufacturing industry to quickly handle the ever changing needs and demands of customers and the market without compromising on the quality aspect.

Lean production involves the use of certain tools and techniques by manufacturers to streamline the production process in their organization by minimizing wastage to achieve maximum productivity.

Challenges confronting manufacturing

It is not surprising that every business belonging to the same industry faces the same issues, challenges, and competition. For example, two businesses in the manufacturing industry face the common challenges of training employees, enhancing productivity, streamlining operations, safety, and compliance. Effectively training a global workforce by developing training manuals and aids in the constantly transforming environment is a barrier towards achieving higher efficiency.

What makes the development of training materials more intricate and challenging is that they are used by employees all over the globe who speak various languages depending on the country or location they belong to.

Use of augmented reality with content supporting multiple languages to solve the problem

Regardless of your existing training methodology, your international workforce requires training materials in the native language which they are best comfortable with. Inability to provide them with precisely translated content means increased costs, inefficiencies, noncompliance, and risking their safety along with others.

It is not just about translating training modules from one language to another. It is vital to communicate the meaning and purpose of the original content in an effective manner that can be understood by everyone.

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Build Augmented Reality Applications with React Native

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are interchanged many times, but are quite contrasting in the way they function. Augmented reality augments the real world by placing digital objects in a realistic environment. On the other hand, virtual reality completely blocks the real world and offers a completely virtual immersive world to the users.

Developing AR apps powered by React Native

ViroReact is an open source platform for developing robust VR and AR apps. It makes use of two APIs, which are quite popular in the mobile AR world - ARCore for Android and ARKit for iOS.

At present, the largest augmented reality app development platform across the globe is ARKit. It empowers developers to create captivating and unparalleled AR experiences for the users of iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad.

ARCore is quite similar to ARKit except for the fact that it is meant for Android devices. Also, its APIs are supported only by a limited number of devices at present.

At present, the main limitation of the APIs is that there are only a handful of devices that support them. However, with the advancement of technology, more smartphones are likely to support these APIs moving forward.

Viro - The free AR/ VR app development platform

Viro is an openly accessible developer platform for rapidly progressing AR and VR apps. It supports cross-platform app development by enabling developers to write a single code base and use it anywhere. It supports diverse APIs and platforms such as Daydream, GearVR, Cardboard, ARKit, ARCore, and several others.

Viro supports both Reactive Native and Full Native AR app development. ViroReact and ViroCore are two different packages offered by Viro.

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4 Ways AR Is Transforming the Workplace

Augmented reality (AR) is a powerful technology that provides an interactive real-world environment experience. It overlays virtual objects into the real world objects, so offering a combination of both, the real and virtual worlds.

AR-powered gadgets and devices are bringing about a significant change in the way employees perform their day-to-day jobs. Whether it is health care centres or tourism, AR apps are everywhere.

AR-powered navigation system

More often people find it quite difficult to search for places that they wish to visit when they are in a new or unacquainted place. This may happen outdoors when going for a vacation or even indoors when visiting a new shopping mall or even at various airports.

At present, users have to constantly keep looking at their smartphones while driving in order to find the correct route to the destination. Constantly looking at the smartphone screen and driving simultaneously is quite tedious and straining to the eye. AR-powered glasses enable people to navigate seamlessly by viewing the path directly in front of their eyes.

The application of augmented reality can also be seen in the healthcare industry. In hospitals, nurses are required to find out the exact position of the veins on the hands of patients. Trainee nurses quite often find this difficult.

Data visualisation

One of the key benefits offered by augmented reality is the visualization of information and data by means of an AR-powered gadget, anytime anywhere. Using this technique, people can solve different challenges using virtual data in front of them. In the construction industry, engineers and architects can see everything virtually real-time in front of them, from complete structures to raw materials required.

Prior to the inception of augmented reality technology, Boeing's employees were required to stay connected via the laptop all the time. This was needed to ensure that the different wires were connected properly. This entire process was strenuous for the employees and consumed a lot of time too. Using AR-powered headsets helped the Boeing workforce to tackle this problem. AR headsets presented all data in front of their eyes. This made the wire assembly process convenient, faster and hassle-free.

Training and knowledge transfer

AR apps enable companies to present a real-world immersive experience to trainee employees and test them. These testing and training sessions are possible without the employees having to leave the premises. Using AR, organizations can replicate the actual situation in front of the employee to check how they would behave. A team leader can conduct training sessions for new marketing executives even when he/she is not in the office or even when on the field.

Medical practitioners around the world have already started using AR power headsets and eyewear to show junior doctors how a particular procedure or surgery is performed without having to physically involve any patient.

Remote assistance

Augmented reality helps employees receive valuable feedback on successfully completing any tasks. While working on a project, co-workers can assist and guide each other. An employee located remotely can seek assistance and support from a co-worker who is actually present in office by means of live streaming.

Not long ago, a tractor production unit observed that the use of AR glasses in training employees give better results. This included enhanced productivity, minimised mistakes, and lowered the downtime significantly. This system implemented by the production unit enabled the workmen to leave important notes in the AR gadgets to help each other understand the exact technical glitches at present and previous issues as well.

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New APIs in ARKit 3.5

 

ARKit 3.5 has been launched with the novel LiDAR scanner for the new iPad Pro. This scanner facilitates precise detection of surfaces and to create a model of the environment.

Key variations - ARKit 3.5 vs. 3.0

  • In-depth knowledge of the actual world makes the occlusion of the object and physics of the real-world environment objects possible.
  • It also provides you with more data to charge up your augmented reality workflow.
  • It allows faster level surface identification using which quick positioning of augmented reality objects is possible.
  • Estimation of height in motion capture and estimation of depth in people occlusion is also possible.

API additions in ARKit 3.5

Given below are the various API modifications and changes.

Scene geometry

  • It offers you a triangular model of the environment (topographical map)
  • It also provides you with a distinct categorization of irregular surfaces. For example walls, ceiling, window, table, floor, and many others.
  • All the key data and information in front of you makes object occlusion, interactions of physics, and the illumination of the real-world objects possible.

Superior motion detection and people occlusion

AR apps for the new iPad pro make the following reality:

  • Pin-point estimation of people scale in mo-cap
  • Precision depth for people occlusion
  • Exclusion of people from the restructured model is possible by ARKit. (For a much effective environment model generation, you can allow both scene generation and people occlusion)
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9 Augmented Reality Facts

The decade from the year 2000 to 2010 was a really fantastic one for augmented reality (AR). In this decade, hardware became smaller, while software became extremely fast and speedy. Mobile technology brought about a drastic change in diverse industry verticals. AR was also one of them.

Here is a glance at some of the facts about augmented reality.

ARQuake

In the year 2000, the first AR game was developed by Bruce Thomas. This AR-based game was created on the lines of the popular game show series Quake. People back then would get quite animated and thrilled at the sight of those terrifying monsters that came on the screen even after being killed by them. This experience was quite fascinating. However, people had to carry plenty of accessories on their backs to play it. However, it paved the way and showed the world what AR games would look like in the future.

Wikitude

It was the first smartphone-based augmented reality travel guide launched in 2008. Using this app, people could obtain general information about popular places around the world through a cam view. They could just place their smartphone camera over the location and key information and details about the place would just pop-up on their screen.

FLARToolKit

Adobe Flash, a browser-based multimedia platform was created using ARToolKit, a non-proprietary software for developing AR apps. FLARToolKit is an augmented reality library for Adobe Flash. Multimedia that we see in the browser works because of Adobe Flash. FLARToolKit has made it possible for us to witness augmented reality on the browser. Using this, an individual can easily view or place any AR objects on the screen.

LyteShot

In 2012, LyteShot developed a laser tag-like action game using the combination of AR and IoT. It took laser tag to an entirely new level by including a lot of AR-enabled weapons. Using Bluetooth on their smartphones, users could connect to other players over the cloud and play with them. In this game, players could spot other players using the map and get rid of them using the weapons that they had. They could also build customized weapons for themselves.

Meta headset

The Meta headset was first launched in the year 2013. This was the initial transparent headset for augmented reality. An SDK was exclusively released to AR app developers so that they could develop virtual objects and see them through the Meta headset. This transparent AR headset by Meta was putting significant pressure on the big names in the business as hardware was fast developing during those years.

Google Glass

The year 2013 was also the year of Google Glass. It was a speech and motion-controlled Android gadget that allowed users to see information and data directly on the glass in their field of vision. Google Glass resembled the eyeglasses, except for the fact that they were smart.

Users could connect Google Glass online using Bluetooth on their smartphones. Glass empowered people to know about everything that they saw around them.

Mahei

It was in the year 2014 that Mahei showed the world a new domain in augmented reality, i.e. educational toys. It is said that pictures speak a lot more than the world. Forget pictures, Mahei showed visuals to the kids. How cool must that have been 6 years back? Mahei toys brought digital objects to the smartphone screen for the kids.

HoloLens

The launch of Microsoft's HoloLens took the entire world by surprise. The HoloLens headset enables the wearer to see virtual objects overlaid in the real-world environment. It casts HD holograms into the actual world.

Pokémon Go

It was the year 2016 when the entire world came to know about the power of AR apps through the game Pokémon Go. It is still the most popular AR game where players are required to catch their favourite Pokémon at different locations.

Mixed Reality (MR)

In 2017, the term ‘mixed reality’ started replacing the augmented reality. Mixed reality is one step ahead of AR. It just doesn’t augment the real world; it enables users to interact with it too.

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How is WebAR Going to Change Advertising?

Although the term 'Augmented Reality' first came into existence in 1990, it still remains in the budding stage. Being in the year 2020, a lot of businesses have embraced augmented reality, however, its true potential is still to be unleashed. Augmented reality adds real value to the world of technology. It is predicted that moving into the future, nine out of ten brands are planning to use AR apps for their marketing campaigns.

When it comes to augmented reality for the web, skilled technology experts are constantly exploring new ways of implementing augmented reality. WebAR is a novel technology to add value to the present websites and web pages. WebAR has the potential to transform the viewpoint of buyers and completely revamp the current websites and webpages.

Meaning of WebAR

WebAR, also known as web-based augmented reality is a powerful digital technology that enables individuals to generate an AR experience on a webpage. Using WebAR technology, people can experience the real power of augmented reality without the need for any AR apps or wearables. This can be done by just viewing a webpage in a browser.

Purpose served by WebAR

Before WebAR came into existence, an AR app was required for experiencing augmented reality. With WebAR, the need to download an AR app has been eliminated. An image can be opened on the web browser and using the smartphone camera, the power of augmented reality can be witnessed.

WebAR is compatible with web browsers for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows systems. Cross-platform without apps can be implemented easily with WebAR. URLs are mainly used to share WebAR.

WebAR - Transforming the way website visitors look at things

With the emergence of WebAR, children can learn more efficiently on educational websites. Also, while purchasing any product, customers can open the website and actually see how the product would fit and appear in the real world environment around them. All this is possible without downloading any apps. This offers content developers the opportunity to create a versatile and flexible content.

Things are changing for WebAR

The increasing popularity of smartphones and the availability of augmented reality on smartphones is an indicator that this technology has a great future. The year 2017 was a potential game-changer for augmented reality. In 2017, Google launched the ARCore SDK, while Apple launched the ARKit SDK. The introduction of both these SDKs has powered augmented reality, even further instilling more confidence in this robust technology. Several businesses, brands, and organizations across the globe have already got involved in WebAR development or planning to do so in the future.

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Developers Can Embed Unity Features in Native iOS and Android Apps

Unity features can be incorporated by both Android as well as iOS app developers in apps and games. It will be possible for them to combine the components of Unity runtime and the content (real-time graphics, 2D mini games, augmented reality, 2D/3D real-time, and other) into the project of native app development.

How does it function?

The overall mobile app development process does not change. Xcode (for iOS) and Gradle projects (for Android) is generated by Unity. However, in order to permit this feature, Team Unity has altered the Xcode and Grade project structure as given below:

1) Library part

Android Archive (AAR) file + iOS framework

It comprises of all plug-ins and source files.

2) Thin launcher part

It consists of data representing the app and makes the library part operate correctly.

The Unity Team has also given sequential instructions and guidelines on how Unity can be merged as a library on Android and iOS, even in pilot projects.

At present, only whole-screen rendering is supported by Unity as a library.

Unity does not support the following:

  • Rendering on a certain screen portion or part
  • Loading Unity runtime more than once

For these to function correctly, developers need to make use of 3rd party plug-ins.

The option of integrating Unity features into AR apps will give more power to businesses and brands. Using augmented reality in the apps, marketing campaigns can be more captivating and enthralling for the target audience.

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Image Detection and Tracking ARKit vs. ARCore

Both ARKit ARReferenceImage and ARCore Augmented Images are capable of identifying and superimposing real-time virtual 2D images over the actual images. This offers an application-based scenario to AR app developers.

One business use-case is by making use of marker-based augmented reality for indoor movements. ARCore or ARKit helps to detect and recognize an ocular marker located on a surface such as a wall or a floor. The AR app then creates a virtual pathway which assists a visitor to find the right way inside the shopping complexes or airports.

ARKit vs ARCore: Which one holds the edge?

The success of any technology in the world depends on how the ultimate user perceives it. In the year 2019, ARKit was used in nearly 650 million devices, while the number of ARCore devices that existed were approximately 400 million.

Even in 2020, ARCore app development still lingers behind. This can be confirmed from GitHub. Search for ARKit gives 4000+ results, while that for ARCore gives only 1400+ results.

ARCore and ARKit– The differences

There are striking resemblances between both these tools.

  • Both are compatible with the Unity framework
  • Both are capable of detecting changes in lighting
  • Both can access movement sensors

Considering the above, both these tools are equally balanced in the case of physical environments.

However, in case of mapping, ARCore surges ahead of ARKit. This is because ARCore has a larger mapping dataset that boosts speed and accuracy of mapping which can be accomplished by collecting and storing 3D world information.

On the contrary, ARKit is unable to collect the same volume of information about the physical environment. Instead, it makes use of a method called ‘sliding window’ that stores only the recently viewed data. However, the introduction of a novel feature named 'ARWorldMap' in ARKit 2 has evened this difference.

When talking about the speed and precision of overlaying of images, the final users are still restricted because of the device limitations. The presence of a TrueDepth camera in iOS devices make them far superior to Android devices.

When it comes to augmentation and recognition, ARKit overtakes ARCore.

ARKit delivers an exceptional user experience to the end user in comparison to ARCore. The image that an ARKit user sees is far superior in terms of clarity and close resemblance to the original image. Real-time imaging has improved drastically. This can be witnessed when users move their smartphones.

 

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Introduction to Unity for AEC and Real Time 3D Experiences

3D real-time empowers businesses and organizations to actually experience an environment even before it actually exists. It also facilitates training of employees with no physical challenges and reiterates with the team before laying the concrete.

3D real-time rendering technology is not merely about games. It delivers a lot more. 3D real-time remodels products and creates product lifecycle across diverse industry verticals, like architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Forrester Consulting performed a study for Unity. This study revealed that at present, 3D real-time has been embraced by 19 percent AEC and production companies. The remaining businesses who have still not adopted 3D real-time are of the opinion that making use of this technology is likely to bring about a tremendous boost in the production process and workflow.

The true potential of 3D real-time is being witnessed by the AEC industry, right from the designing stage, to construction, to the building site and even further.

For exhibiting the true power and potential of 3D real-time, we have launched a web series titled 'Digital AEC Series'. This webinar series conducted by experts throws light on creating 3D experiences real-time in Unity Reflect and Unity Pro.

Take a look at the Digital AEC Series and find out how Unity can make a difference to your company's workflow.

Using Digital AEC Series, become skilled at developing:

  • Simple UI in Unity
  • Models in Unity Pro by importing metadata with the help of Unity Reflect
  • On-site 1:1 scale using augmented reality
  • Custom viewers for Unity Reflect
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Augmented Reality: You Can't Ignore a Game-Changer

In comparison to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) is more feasible for app developers, businesses, and advertisers. The key reason behind this is VR demands users to buy costly headgears to engage themselves completely in the virtual world. Unlike VR, augmented reality does not block the real world; it merges the real world with the virtual one. For augmented reality, users just need a smartphone with a camera and no other expensive gadgets. This is one of the major reasons why businesses and brands prefer to go with AR apps.

Augmented reality as a technology does not eliminate the world which people live it. In fact, it provides them with immersive experiences of virtual elements in the environment they live it. The principle behind augmented reality is to overlay digital objects in the real world. A major drawback of websites is that they have not been able to provide this kind of experience to the customers due to lack of interactivity.

Let us take the example of e-commerce websites. We all know people love shopping online in today's world of technology. Even then, plenty of buyers and shoppers flock the physical sales outlets and stores, especially during the festive season. Any guesses, why? The reason behind this is they get to visualize and feel the quality of the product by actually touching it. They can interact with the sales personnel and even explore other products. E-commerce websites are not able to provide this experience. Even today, many buyers feel that purchasing online is a throw of the dice.

An AR app is all set to be the potential game-changer for online shopping. Augmented reality in smartphones has the potential to create interactive and engaging shopping experiences for buyers. In addition, the geolocation feature that augmented reality connects to could make buying convenient and safer as well. Shopping through AR apps would be more fun and a joyful experience for customers.

Do you have a mobile app for your brand but struggling to attract the target audience? Are you confronted with the challenge of customer retention? Embracing augmented reality can work wonders for your brand.

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Unity Plugins for Application Development of Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) is the driving force behind experiencing the magic on our smartphones. Augmented reality overlays digital information in the real-world environment! The true potential and power of AR have already been witnessed by people across the globe with the Pokémon Go game. After the success of Pokémon Go, Unity, a major player in the gaming industry, has launched powerful tools for AR app developers.

One must remember, Unity is not specifically crafted for AR alone. Hence, developers can make use of extensions to access added functionalities. Such extensions also offer pre-built game elements like props or characters.

Here are the three vital tools (extensions) that Unity offers for AR app development.

ARCore by Google

Google’s ARCore for Unity helps users experience AR technology on their Android-powered mobile devices. All this is possible without the need for any extra hardware. ARCore 1.0, the latest and powerful version empowers an AR app to keep a close watch on the motion of a smartphone in the real-world environment. In addition, it is also possible to recognize camera scene lighting and plane detection in the environment as well.

A unique feature of ARCore 1.0 is feature-oriented points. These points enable a more detailed and effective understanding of the environment. Thus, ARCore is not just confined to vertical and horizontal planes. Using ARCore, developers can create AR apps for any type of surface.

ARKit Unity Plugin

The ARKit Unity Plugin makes use of the ARKit functions in Unity projects. In September 2017, this plugin was also extended as ARKit iOS plugin for iOS applications.

Using the ARKit plugin, Unity developers can gain access to functionalities such as:

  • Ambient estimation of light
  • Motion capture
  • Horizontal and vertical plane detection
  • Raw point cloud data
  • Live video streaming
  • Hit testing
  • And many more

AR apps developers can make use of the ARKit plugin to incorporate augmented reality into the present Unity projects.

ARKit Unity Remote is a novel extension. It enables app developers to make instant scene changes and rectify scripts real-time in the Unity Editor.

Integration of Vuforia with Unity

Vuforia makes it possible for developers to develop cross-platform AR apps from the Unity Editor directly. It offers AR support for iOS, Android, and UWP platforms by means of one API. It links digital content to various types of environments and objects across a wide range of platforms and devices using Ground Plane and Model Targets.

Ground Plane places digital content on horizontal surfaces. On the other hand, Model Targets helps in the recognition of objects.

A device tracking feature for hand and the rotary head is also a part of Vuforia. It also provides APIs to create captivating experiences by conversions between VR and AR.

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Seven Easiest Tools to Use When Creating AR Content

Here are the top 7 simple and hassle-free tools for creating augmented reality content for AR apps.

1) Facial AR remote

This tool helps developers to capture facial motions and expressions real-time from the iOS device directly into the Unity 3D editor. In addition to being useful for creating animations, facial AR remote can also be used by AR app developers to create their own personalized animojis and memojis for an iOS device.

2) Spark 3D particles

The spark 3D particle systems enable developers to create add several objects like particles to replicate the environment as seen in space. Various types of visual experiences can be created using 3D particles, that can be easily scattered and moved anywhere in the space.

3) Unity ARKit Remote

It is a handy tool for AR app developers. It enables fast testing of AR apps. Using ARKit remote, an app can be directly launched in the Unity Editor.

4) Unity Timeline

This tool enables developers to create captivating cut scenes, especially in case of games to keep the players hooked. It offers complete control over the animation keyframes and objects too, without any intricate coding.

5) Vuforia AR Toolkit

After the Unity 2017.2 update for Vuforia, AR app developers can develop Unity powered AR apps and create the best possible augmented reality experiences for users. Vuforia app developers can embed more digital content over real-world objects.

6) Text Mesh Pro

This is a powerful tool that allows Unity AR app developers to provide eye-catching 3D effects such as glow, shadow, fluorescence, etc. to the text in AR apps.

7) Unity Analytics

This tool helps AR app developers gain valuable insights on how users are interacting with their gaming app. It is an effective tool to gauge the user experience and performance of the AR app in the market.

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Building Effective Augmented Reality Experiences in Unity

For any brand to receive the kind of response it is anticipating from the market, the brand needs to draw attention and captivate the target audience. For the purpose of keeping the customers engrossed and fascinated, business goes on a spending spree and invests valuable time as well. This helps businesses in delivering the message that they want to communicate with potential customers. Augmented reality is an effective tool to capture the attention of the target audience. AR apps improve user engagement and experience and help customers build an emotional connect with the brand.

If you own a business or brand, it makes sense for you to invest in a powerful technology such as augmented reality. Emotional connectivity that the target audience develop with a brand will influence the decisions they make. It also positively impacts consumer buying behaviour. Augmented reality empowers your business and brand to create that important first and long-lasting impression on the minds of your target audience. An effective outcome of investing in augmented reality is that your products would be widely popular in the market and at the same time keep your customers hooked to your brand. Brand loyalty is something that you can easily achieve through augmented reality.

Augmented reality is an effective means for businesses to create an immersive and mesmerizing experience for users. With AR apps, brands and businesses like yours can effectively connect and reach out to a wider target audience base, not just within the country but across the globe. With the advancement in technology, AR is going to get much better in the coming years. Augmented reality is all set to be a part of our day-to-day life.

 

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Unity Inches Forward with AR Development Tools

Unity's new update launch is a major breakthrough in having the capability to take augmented reality content creation to the next level. This is because Unity is one amongst the top popular three dimensional engines for AR development.

Version 2019.1 of Unity was launched just about a month after the 2018 version was released. Unity's 2019.1 takes baby steps ahead in the direction of AR development. In this version, both the Lightweight Render Pipeline (LWRP) and Scriptable Render Pipeline (SRP) are no longer in preview.

SRP: It facilitates AR app optimization on the basis of hardware

LWRP: It is a preset of SRP to run superior and exceptional 3D augmented reality and virtual reality content on smartphones.

AR Foundation is Unity's cross-platform mobile app development framework for augmented reality. Using AR Foundation can begin their AR app development projects really quickly. With AR Foundation developers can select the features that they want to incorporate in the AR experience only once and the same can be deployed for both ARCore (for Android phones) and ARKit (for iOS phones). It combines the low-level programming interface of ARCore and ARKit into a close-knit framework. AR Foundation has additional features too that helps developers overcome the major challenges in augmented reality development.

Unity Version 2019.1 also brings a new feature for AR app developers named 'AR Remote'. This feature empowers AR app developers to view the outcome of their hard work directly on a device like a computer as a better alternative to exporting the complete build of the entire AR app.

Another significant upgrade in Unity version 2019.1 is that it supports Magic Leap One development, while earlier needed an intricate preview build.

Unity's toolkit Project MARS (Mixed and Augmented Reality Studio) that made augmented reality development easy for developers absent in Unity version 2019.1. In the year 2019, Unity MARS was launched with specialized tools for advanced augmented reality workflow.

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The Do’s and Don'ts of Augmented Reality

 

If you are planning to launch a digital marketing campaign, augmented reality has the power to make it or break it. Hence, it is important to be spot on with augmented reality. Mentioned below are the do’s and don’ts for augmented reality that you must keep in mind.

Do’s for AR

Establish the rules of the game

With augmented reality, gamification is a part of the project that you are working on. The learners would be learning by playing games. Hence, it is essential for you to set clear rules of the game for the learners to achieve victory for their efforts. The immersive experience provided by AR apps would indeed by rewarding for them.

Enrich the courses you offer by creating the top quality content

Conduct in-depth analysis and create sessions that involve a lot of practice for the learners. By using AR solutions, you can augment and visualize the crucial parts.

Testing is essential

Quality assurance is an indispensable part of AR app development. Testing is not just confined to software or hardware. The user experience needs to be tested thoroughly to ensure that the learners do not have to face any side-effects while using augmented reality.

Make the style element a part of your story or narrative

While developing courses, it is essential to keep all the elements easy, simple, and natural. Augmented reality is not like a video. It must have a user-friendly interface and crystal-clear controls.

Don’ts for AR

Do not rely too much on the design

In the case of an online course, it is the quality of the content that matters the most. Design is secondary.

Not depending on a single plan of action

When technology is concerned, relying on just augmented reality has been like skating on thin ice. Overloading your online course content with too much AR can be detrimental. With excessive AR, your online course may appear like a game and not academic learning.

Deploying the AR app only after proper feedback from the target groups

Before launching the AR app for use, you must collect relevant feedback as to what the target audience group feels about the content offered by you. All constructive feedback must be implemented immediately for the betterment of your app before deploying it.

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Augmented Reality Apps for Real Life Practical Skills

Augmented reality has come a long way from being used in the classrooms for learning to being used in day-to-day life. AR apps are an effective tool for people to learn real-world practical skills. These skills can be implemented in daily life or at the workplace too.

AR apps for real-world practical skills

With augmented reality gadgets and devices being reasonably priced, even the common people can purchase them. Hence, the popularity of augmented reality is growing by leaps and bounds not just with businesses but amongst the masses as well.

Mentioned below are some of the commonly used AR apps which were created for the people to learn some day-to-day practical skills. Many of these AR apps can be downloaded, while a few have still not crossed the nascent stage of funding.

1) SketchAR

This AR app enables people to learn drawing and tracing virtual images on paper sheets using augmented reality on their smartphones. Whether it is drawing anime or portraits, SketchAR has the power to teach users to draw virtually anything.

2) i-Mechanic

The i-Mechanic app allows any person to learn what a car mechanic does. It enables the users to learn basic vehicle maintenance like tyre change, checking engine oil levels, refilling of coolant, and many others.

3) X Drum 3D and AR

Using this AR app, a user can learn to play the drums on the smartphone and turn into a drummer in the shortest possible time duration. This app places virtual drums in the real-world environment of the user using which he/she can play different beats.

4) Pattarina

Pattarina makes sewing tasks extremely easy for the beginners too. The patterns and lines on the smartphone can easily be transferred by the users on the cloth.

With the advancement in technology, augmented reality is being used in many day-to-day activities. The time when AR will become an indispensable part of our everyday life for all activities is not far away.

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How Augmented Reality Is Used to Educate People on Pollution?

Pollution has become a serious threat to the environment. Augmented reality (AR) serves as an effective means to educate the people, especially the youngsters about the hazardous effects of pollution on the environment. This makes environment conservation the need of the hour.

AR is a technology that is immersive and impactful as well. Here is how AR can help create alertness amongst the masses regarding the conservation of the environment.

1) Spreading awareness and educating the people

The pollutants that cause pollution come in different forms - solids, liquids, gases. The majority of these pollutants enter the ecosystem and end up in the water bodies like oceans and seas or landfill sites. This leads to land, soil, and water pollution.

Pollution is something that has become almost unavoidable. From the tonnes of plastic found deep in the oceans to space debris, we are surrounded by pollution everywhere.

In order to save the planet, it is time for people, especially the young generation to step up and take care of their environment. AR is a great technology that can assist this cause of making people aware of the need for conserving the natural environment. Although AR is not the primary choice, it certainly has the capability to do it.

2) The pollution control using augmented reality

While AR is still in the budding stage when it comes to being embraced fully by diverse industry verticals, there are some AR apps that focus on protection of the environment.

These include:

Agents of Discovery

This is a free AR app game for youngsters, which lets them explore the beauty of nature and get engaged with it. This educational game is all about solving challenges and missions. It exposes children to the world of forests and wildlife right from a young age and fosters the spirit of environmentalism in them. It is an effective tool to make the youngsters aware of the need for protecting the forests and water resources around them from pollutants.

Our ocean life

This augmented reality app takes you to an underwater journey. It provides an immersive underwater experience and highlights the ill-effects of plastic pollution on aquatic life. This AR app created by Warrior9 VR is an eye opener for the youngsters to take the right steps in preventing water pollution.

AR apps can augment the real problem of pollution that exists in today's world and make the youngsters aware that it is time for a change in attitude and thought towards the environment.

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Using Augmented Reality For Writing Prompts

AR (Augmented Reality), with the help of computer-based data and images, improves the environment of the real world surrounded by us. By developing the hybrid situation, AR technology gives you entertained experiences apart from learning.

You might have witnessed a great evolution when it comes to the world of education and tutoring. Technology has played a huge role- right from the classrooms to the methods of learning. Be it communicating with their experts or publishing their projects with the world- there exist many tools today for students. Such technical tools even encourage the writers by giving them some exclusive and appealing experiences.

AR incorporation for Classrooms

Applications based on Augmented Reality have achieved immense popularity amongst teaching professionals. It helps teachers collaborate with students in a more effective way. Such apps help students enhance their writing, learning, and vocabulary skills. Apps such as Quiver provide colouring pages for the students, which becomes a mere ‘fun while learning’ kind of experience. Over Android and iOS devices, this app can be operated by students to colour in these pages- no matter whether they’re in the classrooms or at home.

In addition, one may also use AR in combination with the skill-based instructions. Integrate AR-based writing prompts with lengthy language lessons and you may also instruct the students to collect the adjectives from an AR-inspired image.

Unlimited opportunities for Classrooms

AR has got a lot of new opportunities for the classrooms; however, it has to be applied in the proper way. It is highly advised to use AR technology in integration with skill-based instructions and furthermore, it needs to be students’ alone imagination which can be enhanced through such AR apps.

In a nutshell, AR is useful for prompting the ability to write apart from helping with other educational essentials in which Augmented Reality can be integrated with the activity of learning. Thus, a lot of miracles can happen in the world of education if AR is implemented in the right manner.

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Use Cases of Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) adds virtual intelligent experience in real-world objects. It utilizes computer-generated perceptual data to improve clients' sensory experience with a Dimensional Digital World. Although virtual reality may even now gather big headlines and keep a more grounded hold on the creative mind, augmented reality is really ending up being a substantially more useful and practical method for presenting the digital world. From schooling to distant work, here are the absolute best use-cases for AR innovation: 

 IoT Data Power with Augmented Reality 

Augmented reality (AR)— an innovation with a tremendous guarantee—is arising as the key that will unlock the maximum capacity of the Internet of Things (IoT).  The myriad sorts of information created by IoT gadgets use by AR applications to assist employees with being productive. In simple words, IoT devices catch information from the actual world so it can very well analyse, and AR gadgets take that digital information and render it back in the actual world for individuals to see and interact with. 

AR with classroom Education

Augmented reality (AR) has been gradually following its predecessor augmented reality in changing the education area — digitizing classroom learning, and making the training process more different and intelligent. For instance Zoom App, it's being utilized by each student and educator with the goal that understudies can go to their classes online through a cell phone for a rich learning experience. Students finding out about space science with AR may see a full guide of the nearby planetary group, could recover such data in a 3D organization, and fulfil their preference for visual learning. 

Covergirl 

Hoping to try before you purchase? COVERGIRL has you covered with their new Try It Tool that allows you to take a look at their most recent looks and items without spending a penny. Using a phone camera, or tablet, or PC, with AR technology use, it applies lipstick, redden, eyeliner, and other products over your live picture. What's more, it permits you to attempt many combinations until you get happy with your item. These instruments give purchasers a superior experience with the brand, which just improves the probability that they will become esteemed long haul clients. 

Augmented Reality & 3D Modelling

From engineering to Construction to Interior planning, AR is being utilized. With creative thinking, it encourages experts to picture the final outcome. The design & architecture utilizing the headset can imagine the space and perceive how their plan may look. Metropolitan designers can even picture the whole city layout. Any jobs related to design & modelling include spatial connections are an ideal AR tech use case. 

Augmented Reality Will Change the way adults see kids playing onscreen

Virtual reality and its nearby partner enlarged reality, used to be the stuff of science- fiction. However, since the two advances have gotten more functional and available, they're changing the manner in which we handle our own relationships, professional lives, and habits. It's almost difficult to get away from the discussion of kids using screens. Onscreen time for kids is a big concern for the parents at the present time and "this present reality" cannot be left behind.  AR is finding better approaches for this. This way AR will change our mindset about how we see mobiles differently- in grasp to the activity and the mentality of two adults and kids to play area-based games.

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Augmented Reality: 5 Facts You Should Know

Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive experience of information like text, graphics, audio, and other virtual enhancements embedded in real-world objects. And it is a technology that lays computer-generated images over a user’s view of the real world. The trade for Augmented Reality has continued to grow stronger as a consumer technology in the past few years. Augmented reality is pushing its horizons with apps like SketchAR, Mondly, Pokémon Go, and the AR-enabled Google Maps update into some new strong and dynamic ventures.

Major Interesting Facts about Augmented Reality:

One-step ahead on mobile than VR

Being similar technologies, both augmented reality and virtual reality, provide a very different interface to users. Both technologies can alter the gaming and entertainment experiences unimaginably that earlier seems almost next to impossible. Since, AR has its unlimited potential on mobile devices which even does not require any difficulty in handling expensive hardware or configuration, considered far better than Virtual Reality.       

Unbelievable boom

In 2017, AR applications have brought about $9.1 billion in revenues, whereas it was about $6.1 billion only in 2016. AR is looking forward to generating approximately $18.8 billion in revenue by 2020.

Early bloomer

Augmented reality had its roots in 1968 when the first head-mounted display system was created by an American computer scientist, Ivan Sutherland at Harvard University. It showed simple line drawings and computer-generated graphics. As a result of the aforementioned studies, many companies are investing in their workforce development with budgets increasing by more than 15% each year.

Mobile AR steals the show

No wonder that a significant number of Android smartphones having integrated AR have grown from 100 to 250 million users. ‘Pokémon Go’ being the perfect example of an AR application, has caused quite a stir recently. AR in such different ways is bound to surprise us even more in the upcoming years.

Excellent for NASA

As it can augment the efficiency of navigation gadgets, surprisingly, it was much more applicable than for commercialized objectives. The NASA x-38 flew using a unique AR chart for finding routes in 1999.

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Apple’s USDZ – AR Quicklook

The AR Quick Look is a viewer, which means that it enables users to view AR content in the real world. It was built into iOS 12 so that users of these devices can view AR files when visiting online store.

AR Quick Look is revolutionizing the way we share AR models.

When iOS 12 was launched, users all around the world could get their hands on AR Quick Look – a feature permitting 3D models in an usdz format to be previewed in AR directly from Safari. Apple already disrupted the AR industry with the release of ARKit – their initial augmented reality software development kit. Giving several users access to such technology was a big step forward in introducing AR in our daily life. However, the drawback was that ARKit might only be run in an app.

And this is where USDZ comes into play. 3D models in such a format will be viewed directly in AR within safari without a requirement of downloading any further application. Moreover, because of their lightweight size, they're perfectly suited to be sent over Whatsapp chats or emails. All the user has to do is to click a button on a website and the item is prepared to be placed within AR.

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ARKit vs. ARCore: The Key Differences

There is a huge confrontation going on between Apple and Google to overcome one another in the area of mobile app development. Both tech giants have launched their various OS platforms in the hope of overtaking the market what could become a very lucrative market. Apple and Google are poised to bet on high adoption after recently investing heavily in AR developer tools. With all of these tech giants involved, it's clear that augmented reality is evolving into practical use. Apple and Google take augmented reality very seriously. Any developer looking to build AR apps or add AR elements to existing software should use SDKs released by Apple or Google, which makes ARCore vs ARKit is worth it. Apple launched its ARKit SDK in 2017, right before Google, in Apple's annual WWDC.

ARCore:

ARCore is a development kit for Android applications. When Apple released its ARKit, Google already had some experience with AR technology. Tango, Google's so-called AR platform, ran for almost 4 years from summer 2014 to spring 2018, but it didn't appreciate the hype ARKit made. Finally, Google has finished Tango and released a brand new AR SDK. On March 1, 2018, ARCore was officially released and Tango was officially buried. However, the first stable version was only released in December 2018.

ARCore offers points, plane detection, light estimation, image tracking, face tracking, etc. Using ARCore's motion tracking capabilities, developers can track the phone's position with the environment. Other important capabilities of ARCore are understanding the environment to include sensing area size and location and estimating light, including actual lighting conditions.

Fundamental features of ARCore:

Motion Tracking: It is essential not only to place virtual objects in the real world, but also to ensure that they are realistic from all angles. ARCore guarantees this by aligning the virtual 3D camera that renders your 3D content with the device's camera.

Environmental Understanding: ARCore detects planes and feature points so you can correctly position virtual objects on real and flat surfaces. For example, objects on your table or your walls.

Light Estimation: Using a phone's camera, ARCore can detect current light positions in the physical world. ARCore, then illuminates virtual objects in the same way as real objects, thus increasing the feeling of realism.

ARKit:

The ARKit is a development kit for iOS applications. Apple introduced ARKit at WWDC'17, and almost immediately it was available to developers around the world. As Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering at Apple said, ARKit is "the world's largest AR platform". The advanced features of ARKit 3 are limited to devices with A12 Bionic chip variants or higher. Apple ARKit is a set of tools (framework and SDK) that help developers build AR apps for the iOS platform to include iPhone 6 and above models and iPad models Pro. The offerings offered by ARKit are points, plane detection, AR world map, light estimation, anchors, face tracking, motion capture, person’s occlusion, and collaboration sessions. ARKit supports image detection and image tracking and helps to integrate virtual objects into AR experiences or on surfaces.

How ARKit works?

It's like creating visual effects for movies, but with a big difference. It's all done on a mobile device in real-time, and it's awesome. The augmentation process consists of 3 steps: tracking, understanding the scene and rendering. Input data come from the camera, accelerometer, and gyroscope. It is then processed to calculate the movement of the camera in the physical world. This allows 3D content to be drawn on the image.

The correct ARKit work requires a well-textured and lit environment, a flat surface for visual odometry, and a static scene for motion odometry. If the environment does not meet these requirements, ARKit provides the user with tracking status information. There are three states as followed: not available, normal, and limited. Typically, we can place a virtual object on or near a surface in the real world. Since version 1.5, ARKit can recognize images and vertical surfaces.

ARCore vs. ARKit:

ARKit and ARCore are popular AR development toolkits. ARKit is only compatible with the iOS platform, while ARCore is compatible with iOS and Android. Statistics show that 78% of the global mobile game market are Android gamers. The limitation of the iOS platform leaves ARKit with a major drawback compared to the other two.

Comparing further, ARKit and ARCore offer equivalent results and capabilities in lighting estimation, but the approach is different. While ARKit provides developers with colour temperature and intensity, ARCore provides a shader or pixel intensity value with the Unity API and Android Studio API, respectively.

For simultaneous locate and mapping, ARKit performs better in reliable tracking and ARCore leads in reliable mapping and recovery. Since ARCore handles larger cards, if the user's device loses tracking, ARCore will recover the card more reliably. In terms of hardware requirements, ARCore performs better because it supports many existing devices, eliminating the need for specific hardware, for example, a specialized camera or sensor.

Wrapping Up

Augmented reality has innovated in application development for its ability to provide a compelling user experience. For developers, integrating AR into applications has become easy with AR development toolkits like ARKit and ARCore.

All of these toolkits are great in terms of the overall capabilities and functionality they provide in developing AR applications. For general AR development, developers can choose between these depending on the platform to use and the price. For unique and complex features, it is important to know the minimum points of difference between these tools.

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ARCore Works on ’Save Button’ for Location-Based AR Artworks and Improves Cross-Device Interactions

The elementary SDK still bears its old naming convention and also still alive even when the Android app for ARCore users has been renamed the AR Play Services. Some reforms have been announced by Google in its APIs for Cloud presenters and Augmented Faces just a couple of days before its second anniversary to further demonstrate the company's commitment. The enhancements to augmented faces aren't too great for users of the Android platform, but iOS users will presently build more precise, Snapchat on their gadgets like AR snapshots. This change is bringing major changes.

Cloud Anchors have got more fascinating alterations from both and became more vigorous, genuine, and structured. The API allows the assembler to design several AR online games that come across various Android gadgets along with the iOS devices, allowing users to undergo facilities of AR gaming concepts altogether. Developers will now be able to use many anchors while providing a trial in more coordination.

An important piece of information is also shared by Google about a demonstration attribute that is cloud anchors being persistent. Besides this, assemblers will allow users to view AR content in the same location even if they visit it at entirely different time zones. Illustrations were offered by Google like redesigning the house, quitting AR notes, or taking AR devices to be found in the physical space by others.

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Google Search AR Starts Rolling Out Depth-Based Object Blending/Occlusion

In Dec, 2019 Google AR & VR announced that ARCore phones might detect depth using just a single lens.

The ARCore Depth API makes use of a so-called depth-from-motion algorithm. With the help of this algorithm, you only need a single RGB camera to create a depth map. To do this, it uses multiple images from several different angles and it then compares those images with each other while you move your phone. The result: it can now create a better depth map because it has a better way to estimate distances to the individual spots in those images.

Image

As a result, ARCore is now able to place objects accurately in front of or behind real-world objects. The object that is placed will now not be hovering anymore or halfway placed into other objects. Object occlusion has recently been introduced into Google Search AR.

In AR “having a 3D understanding of the world,” experiences can become far more realistic, immersive, and fewer reality-breaking.

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Google Measure Updated With Smarter AR Tools, Material Theme UI

The Measure app was previously only available in Tango, which was Google's previous AR development kit. Google has updated the Measure app last year so it is now compatible with ARCore as well. The application utilizes AR to measure distances. This is all done in version 2.2, in which they have changed the user interface and introduced smarter tools.

Google delivered significant improvements to interface and user experience with the update of Measure app. You no longer need to choose tools between ‘Distance’ or ‘Elevation’ just tap the 'plus’ button in the bottom center.

To measure length or height just move the second indicator to that point.  When you are switching to a new axis, Measure 2.2 take advantage of vibrations as a form of feedback. In case you don’t like this option you can always disable it.

This update allow users to take multiple measurements in the same scene that makes screenshots simpler and richer. You can press the + button again, once you are done.

The overflow button which is at the top-right corner of the screen which just opens another pair of sheets. The display unit can be changed between imperial and metric or the other option is to ‘clear all’. The app also have the option to open your image gallery client. This allows you to send pictures which has been taken in measure to your image gallery. You can also switch the vibration on/off.

The Material theme update makes Google measure smarter and easier to use.

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ARCore's New Depth API Will Bring The Next Generation Of Hide-and-Seek To Phones

AR apps on Android have always struggled to properly sense depth and distinguish between front-end and back-end in the physical world. Each time an AR object is added, it will simply be placed on top of the entire scene in front of your viewer, whether something is to realistically block your view or not. After an in-depth preview phase introduced last year, Google released its new API Depth for ARCore for all developers using Android and Unity.

The new interface helps to differentiate the foreground and real-world background, so digital objects are properly occluded while at the same time, a depth-from-motion algorithm has been used by the API similar to Google's Camera bokeh Portrait mode for creating the depth map. The other great feature enabled by depth sensing is the ability to simulate physics, like the ability to throw a virtual object down real stairs and bounce it realistically.

In addition to Google Search, ARCore Depth Lab, and a domino app specifically designed to highlight the new API, the first product to receive an update that takes advantage of occlusion is Houzz, an application that allows you to equip your home with AR furniture. There's also the TeamViewer Pilot app, which helps you take advantage of AR to remotely help those who aren't computer savvy. Five Nights at Freddy's is the first game to take advantage of the API, allowing certain characters to hide behind real-world objects to become more frightened. Additionally, Snapchat has updated its Dancing Hotdog and Undersea World lenses to take advantage of the occlusion.

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5 Innovations Shaping the Future of Augmented Reality

A Peak in Potential increased Reality Future:

1. Breaking the Boundaries:
We ar currently habituated to seeing content in a very boxed interface. whether or not it's a desktop, mobile or pill, there's continually a limitation obligatory on the content space. increased reality may be a thanks to bust the notion of limiting the interface of content giving thanks to a a lot of interactive, participating and out of the box (quite literally) expertise. currently your entire surroundings will act because the holder for content, therefore giving a recent expertise to its consumption.

2. Interactive Marketing:
Augmented reality showcases a possible thanks to stand out from a crowd and deliver a client expertise that differentiates a whole from its competitors. Starbucks the ever-revolutionary whole leveraged increased reality back in 2011 with its Valentine Day Campaign. shoppers ar already full with content. thence there's no space for an additional “me too” company causation promoting blasts. increased and video game have given the simplest way out of this overcrowded mess to a a lot of participating and recent medium.

3. Empower the play Industry:
The play trade is that the biggest beneficiary of increased reality. we've already seen PokemonGo as an interesting example of victimization increased reality in play. There ar several alternative forthcoming games that ar designed on increased reality platforms just like the one supported standard tv series ‘The Walking Dead’ by AMC. Mobile play may be a growing market and increased reality has additional a scope for high-end games to interact mobile users.

4. E-commerce are going to be Redefined:
Up as yet, we tend to might solely see a product image on-line which was alleged to be the idea for creating purchase choices. With increased reality, we are able to currently mix the convenience of on-line looking with the responsibility of buying from physical stores. Tools like Memomi’s high-end digital mirror have enabled individuals to undertake new outfits while not longing the effort of fixing garments. IKEA is additionally a decent example of sanctioning individuals to grasp however a piece of furniture can inspect home therefore, sanctioning individuals to create higher purchase choices.

5. Power to the Utility Apps:
While utility apps haven’t created important advancements in AR, there ar Brobdingnagian potential ways that of victimization it. Google translate, for instance, permits you to use your camera to translate text on billboards and street signs. increased reality can even be used for navigation once combined with helmets. this can enable the user to visualize a pointer indicating direction, eliminating the requirement to appear at the transportable.

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Features of ARKit 3 for Augmented Reality App Development

ARKit 3
ARKit is an innovative Augmented Reality application for iOS that evolves the way people relate to their environment.

People Occlusion

The main advantage of ARkit3 in AR content is to pass realistically behind and in-front of people in the real world. This makes AR interactions more immersive and definitely more realistic that enables green screen-style effects in any environment. There are almost infinite possibilities for this feature.

Motion Capture

Usually, motion capture is done in big studio spaces. This is done with the help of lots of cameras and wearing weird looking motion tracking suits around the particular subjects. That’s how the motion of a person in real time with a single camera is captured. One of the main improvement there is that you can capture the picture of person with single camera.

In order to understand the AR experience, you can use motions and poses. This may also help in recognizing the location and movement of the body.

Simultaneous Front and Back Camera

This sounds like small thing, but when you really do think about it is quite big. It doesn’t feel natural to just tap or swipe a screen. This is how AR lacks the way to interact with it.

Now, the front and back cameras can be used for face and world tracking. This builds new opportunities. For instance, this can really convenient to apply makeup or to project glasses on your face.

Multiple Face Tracking

Correctly you can place Animoji or Memoji on face, you can say new tech can place three faces at once. This techonology can be used for many other activities too. Yeah, you and other two friends can have a photo with cat ears at the same time.

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Updates to ARCore Help You Build More Interactive & Realistic AR Experiences

Over a year ago, ARCore was introduced: a platform for building increased reality (AR) experiences. Developers are mistreatment it to make thousands of ARCore apps that facilitate folks with everything from fixing their dishwashers, to buying specs, to mapping the night sky. Since last I/O, it had been quadrupled the quantity of ARCore enabled devices to associate calculable four hundred million.

So now, at I/O they introduced updates to increased pictures and light-weight Estimation - options that allow you build a lot of interactive, and realistic experiences. And to create it easier for folks to expertise AR, they introduced Scene Viewer, a brand new tool that lets users read 3D objects in AR right from your web site.

Augmented pictures
To make experiences seem realistic, they have to account for the actual fact that things within the world don’t continuously keep still. That’s why they're change increased pictures — their API that lets folks purpose their camera at 2nd pictures, like posters or packaging, to bring them to life. The updates alter you to trace moving pictures and multiple pictures at the same time. This unlocks the flexibility to make dynamic and interactive experiences like animated enjoying cards wherever multiple pictures move at an equivalent time.

Light Estimation
Previously, they introduced the idea of sunshine estimation, that provides one close candlepower to increase world lighting into a digital scene. so as to supply even a lot of realistic lighting, they need added a brand new mode, Environmental HDR, to light-weight Estimation API.

Environmental HDR uses machine learning with one camera frame to grasp high dynamic vary illumination in 360°. It takes in on the market light-weight knowledge, and extends the sunshine into a scene with correct shadows, highlights, reflections and a lot of. once Environmental HDR is activated, digital objects area unit lit similar to physical objects, that the 2 mix seamlessly, even once light-weight sources area unit moving.

Environmental HDR provides developers with 3 Apis to duplicate world lighting:

  • Main Directional Light: helps with putting shadows within the right direction
  • Ambient Spherical Harmonics: helps model close illumination from all directions
  • HDR Cubemap: provides reflective highlights and reflections

Scene Viewer
They want to create it easier for folks to leap into AR, in order that they area unit introducing Scene Viewer, in order that AR expertise are often launched right from your web site while not having to transfer a separate app.

To make your assets accessible via Scene Viewer, 1st add a glTF 3D plus to your web site with the internet part, then add the “ar” attribute to the markup. Later this year, experiences in Scene Viewer can begin to surface in your Search results. These area unit a couple of ways in which rising world understanding in ARCore will build AR experiences a lot of interactive, realistic, and easier to access.

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AR’s Success Depends on Perfecting Input Methods

The user experience will be significant since we are discussing a change for an interface between a machine and a human being. As of recently, interaction has been among people and computers, laptops, cell phones, and tablets. 

With regards to wearables, augmented reality will acknowledge something new to trigger a huge buyer reaction. What will lead to the advancement of these gadgets? The information will come down to choices with respect to the info. Those choices will direct what the UX and UI design will turn into. This is rather the inverse; the UX/UI directing the input sources. 

For instance, Input a cell phone implies the capacity to swipe, to utilize finger pinching, and the utilization of voice. These are largely valuable credits in our present interaction with PCs. A portion of these will live on for AR wearables. For instance, a voice might be joined with motion acknowledgement. 

It is basic to understand the significance of not exaggerating the measure of computerized content you toss at a client in a considerate setting, and even more so while the person in question is driving. It is a situation that must be addressed no matter what. Numerous individuals accept an application like in Waze, it will be the first eyeglasses for AR. It makes sense and individuals ought to be excited about this. In any case, it will take a lightweight variant of that sort of utilization. 

Yet, it is possible. You can have an extremely, clear and realistic interface, similar to a blue line, that follows the street. And afterwards, toward the glass edges, it can show your speed or perhaps the time until you show up in your area. Yet, nothing else. No little animation characters. No focuses. Very moderate.

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Best Furniture Industry Web Augmented Reality Use Case in 2020

Today, many innovative and fascinating technological trends are now an integral part of different industries. Emerging technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality have completely changed customer interaction techniques. Market leaders have accepted the concept of technology and augmented reality (AR) solutions to face up the competition and gain more traffic on their online stores and websites.

Retailers are also starting to use AR technology to reinvent the digital shopping experience with virtual storefronts. Kohl's retailer has collaborated with Snapchat to create Kohl's AR virtual closet recently in May. Levi's is a brand that complements its augmented reality retail strategy with digital tools like Squad, an online co-viewing video app where friends can shop together. The app launched in April to recreate some of the social experiences people miss and long for amid the pandemic.

VR furniture applications are also making a mark in this industry. People can use a virtual reality headset to take a fully immersive tour of an apartment they want to buy. Developing an augmented reality furniture application can seem like a very expensive affair. But this does not seem to be. The prices are quite genuine compared to the huge benefits it offers. It's just a one-time investment by the retailer. The augmented reality approach has given the customer experience a boost by augmenting the digital model in his own space and helping him personalize the item as many times as he wants.

Being essentially immersive, augmented reality represents a new facet for the online furniture industry. Upgrading a piece of furniture in real environments benefits from impeccable design in the minds of consumers. This dynamic on the consumer side generate better sales that trigger the overall growth and development of the business. Therefore, Augmented Reality is a unique solution for any business to witness tremendous business expansion on the rise.

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Real World Awareness in AR

The imposition of digitally generated activities on a viewer's real environment is called augmented reality (AR). AR applications are written using 3D programs that allow developers to impose animations on the computer program. Currently, almost all adventures use AR to create 3D renderings of products such as the interior of buildings. Also, virtual reality (VR) is also slowly gaining momentum and is often used interchangeably with AR.

AR and VR are expected to make their mark in 2021, but AR trends are ahead of the curve and have become one of the most important digital strategies for businesses. Some brands are already using AR. A growing number of brands are expected to adopt this technology this year. The advent of AR has improved the customer experience. The ability to understand and visualize a brand or its products in a real-world context has enabled people to better interact with brands. AR integration is a great way to grab the attention of consumers and set yourself apart from the competition. Since consumers are very likely to interact with AR tools, AR tools can help businesses increase their brand reach.

Well-known brands like IKEA and Sephora have already taken advantage of AR tools. IKEA used AR to allow users to visualize the position of furniture in their homes or offices. This has increased the relationship with the content displayed by brands. Therefore, the specifications are well understood and the customers also clearly know what they want. AR is useful for developing translation applications that can interpret a text in other languages ??for you. Location-based AR applications are the primary forms of AR applications. Users can access location information and choose based on user opinions.

It is estimated that 2.5 billion AR applications will be downloaded each year and generate revenues of over $ 1.5 billion in 2021. Indeed, AR applications will not be limited to conventional mobile applications. There will be new markets like Google Glass which will open up more avenues for development and use.

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How Ready Is WebAR?

Most people have heard of augmented reality (AR). AR, not to be confused with virtual reality, allows users to experience interactive virtual objects that display above the real environment. A large number of brands and companies have already used augmented reality in their marketing and as a tool in the workplace; however, for most people, the launch of Pokémon GO in 2016 was the first time they had experienced this technology. One of the big issues with using augmented reality for business or consumer experiences is that, until recently, it depended on users downloading and installing an app and running it. Being confined to apps creates a barrier between the AR and the user, as this is just one more step they need to go through before accessing an experience.

So what is WebAR and how is it going to make a difference?

Simply put, WebAR has augmented reality that takes place in your browser. Eliminates the need to download specific apps - users can access AR-compatible websites and enjoy the same features and functionality. This technological advancement will dramatically increase the potential reach of the consumer experience, as using augmented reality apps will be as easy as clicking on a link sent to you by a brand, friend, or employer.

WebAR started by allowing users to place static objects in their real world and interact with them. This in itself was a breakthrough in browser technology and gave a real insight into the possibilities of creating web-based AR content. Since then, there have been great strides in the capabilities of WebAR, with some really interesting experiences that have been made public.

More recently, Sony Pictures launched a WebAR experience for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which allowed users to interact with a 3D character, take photos, and share their images on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social channels. The entire experience is accessible in the browser, without having to download a separate app. But Web AR is more than just fun and games - it will completely revolutionize the retail industry. Consumers will be able to view a product in 3D from the comfort of their home, without having to install a dedicated application and create an account.

Why consider WebAR?

Studies show that by adding interactivity to content, messaging can be up to 80% more efficient. That's right that information can be up to 80% stickier in the user's mind. Plus, you can now share AR content right from your website. You don't need to send users to a third-party site like Facebook, Snapchat, or TikTok. You can start WebAR experiences from any URL you want. Similar to static websites, there are also many tracking and analysis tools available when using WebAR.

What are the benefits?

As already mentioned, the main advantage of WebAR is the fact that you don't have to download an app directly to your device. With the app, size, data allocation for download and device type, etc. can be a barrier for people to use AR, but WebAR makes it more easily accessible and doesn't consume people's data through large downloads, which in turn helps AR campaigns and experiences to be more relevant and useful. WebAR can work to some extent in most browsers, so you don't need a specific device specification to support RA, which further increases the reach of a particular experience.

A common hurdle for enterprise AR applications is the often complex process of moving applications to employee smartphones. Most businesses have a centrally managed organizational app store that pushes apps to every user device, meaning any update to an experience or tool shouldn't just be integrated with the app, but must also go through different stages of publication to reach employees.

Web AR will effectively simplify this process, as approved updates can be deployed to a website, so there will be no apps to update. Users can simply access the online experience and automatically see the latest updates that have been sent to the site. There will be no need to worry about memory space on working devices; there is nothing to download, as the experiences will take place in the user's browser.

The technology and format of the object:

You can choose almost any software to create your 3D models and animations. Be careful which one you choose - it should work with whatever technology you'll use to create the experience. Not all programs support all formats. It is almost impossible to resolve this issue in the later steps because conversions are unreliable.

Accessibility and user-friendliness:

Aircards creates WebAR experiences for mass consumption with over 2.9 billion WebAR-enabled smartphones that can display AR Aircards experiences. 5 years ago I would have struggled to launch a WebAR campaign and have no issues, but in 2020/21 everything changed. Any WebAR experience developed by our team is focused on user experience with fast load times, aesthetic HUD design, and cleverly placed call-to-action buttons to increase clicks.

Deployment speed:

Previously, the development of dedicated AR applications could take anywhere from 6 to 12 months, or even more, to market. Combine that with App Store approval and all the other frustrating tasks to get them enabled- apps aren't built for speed of deployment. As an example, Jackson Hogg contacted us to create this WebAR brochure to promote his business at a trade show. They had a tight deadline, but our team accelerated the development and delivered it on time for their salon.

What will WebAR be like in the future?

At the moment, it's hard to say. As mentioned, WebAR is currently primarily browser limited, so the development of technology depends on what the big players like Google and Apple develop. What seems certain is that Apple relies heavily on AR, so it would be beneficial and logical for them to build their AR capabilities right into their operating system, and a web browser. AR experiences that, while simple, can make a real impact, so we'll likely only see more of that capability in the future.

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5 Innovative Examples of Augmented Reality in Action

For now, augmented reality (AR) remains largely new - the novelty of AR alone contributes to its ability to outperform print, online, and TV ads in terms of impact factor. The Drum reports, AR can grab people's attention for over 85 seconds, increase engagement rates by 20%, and improve click-to-buy rates by 33%. Apple CEO Tim Cook said AR will one day be as important in our daily lives as "eating three meals a day".

Here are seven of the best examples of augmented reality technology we've seen so far.

1. Home deposit:

In 2015, Home Depot released its Project Color app, which uses proprietary technology to show users what a paint colour will look like in their home. AR technology takes into account the lighting, objects, and shadows in the room, so you can see how the shade will look like in actuality. Home Depot isn't the only home furnishings store using AR to create value for its customers: Lowe's and Ikea are incorporating similar AR technology into their applications.

2. Timberland:

Timberland created a virtual dressing room at the Moktow Gallery in 2014 for comfort and convenience. Using Kinect motion-sensing technology, Timberland's virtual dressing room allowed buyers to see a photo of her face and body of a similar size model, in outfits. If you are considering using augmented reality, you'll need to think of some unique ways to help your customers to avoid an otherwise tedious process. While dressing rooms may not be the end of the world, Timberland stands out as a useful brand by providing customers with a fun and useful alternative.

3. Sephora:

There is a reason so many women do not buy makeup products online – it is impossible to tell if the lipstick or foundation suits you if you buy it without trying. Sephora understands this struggle and has created an augmented reality experience, Virtual Artist App, with ModiFace to ensure users of the Sephora app can see what makeup products will look like on their face through their phone's camera. Users can also know about the tools or products they will need to apply certain products through the app.

4. AMC Theaters:

Sending a message when and where your audience wants to receive it is an essential part of a successful marketing strategy. AMC Theaters realized that their audiences are more interested in upcoming movie trailers when they are in the theatres, have incorporated AR technology into their AMC application. When a user views a movie poster in a movie theatre, they can open the AMC app on their phone, scan the poster, and receive relevant information including a cast list and trailer.

5. IKEA mobile app:

Along with the funny-named furniture that you have to put together yourself and the inexpensive Swedish meatballs, IKEA is also known in the tech world as one of the first companies to make good use of augmented reality. The retailer started experimenting with augmented reality in 2012 when buyers could use the app to see what tables and shelves would look like in various places in their homes. IKEA takes it a step further with its IKEA Place app, which now lets you select anything from the store catalogue and see what it will look like to grow anywhere in your home.

Wrapping Up

While various brands still cannot access augmented reality, marketers can still take note of how these brands have creatively implemented new technology into their content marketing strategies. Ultimately, as the media landscape changes and technology becomes more advanced, marketers at companies of different sizes may have more opportunities to implement the technology. And when marketers and leaders invest, they'll need to think creatively and innovatively about how they invest in it.

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Important UX Design Factors For Augmented Reality Apps

The future may not be predictable, but we can at least guess what lies ahead. Technological innovations have renewed and revolutionized many sectors. Needless to say, it will continue to do so for years to come. As of now, three crucial ideas and concepts seem to rule the field of design. User experience, augmented reality and virtual reality have become the three pillars of innovative designs.

The last couple of years seem to be the year that augmented reality (AR) is firmly moving into the mainstream. As the next big technological trend, it has a broader effect on user experience and user experience design. The good news is that augmented reality can solve user problems that have challenged UX designers for years, such as high interactive cost and low engagement.

Although it has been around in some form since the early 1990s, the word "augmented reality" can still cause some confusion. In essence, augmented reality is the technology that combines input from the real world with programmed components or is a set of computer-generated information that can be displayed in wearable devices and mobile devices over products/ items in the real world. While virtual reality (VR) excludes users from the real world and places them into a completely hypothetical environment, augmented reality (AR) adds a programmed layer to reality to create the dynamic level of augmented experience. The implications of augmented reality for user experience are huge. AR in almost every business has brought a new breath of change with a more sophisticated design, can speed up work processes and has even established itself as a valuable learning tool in business.

Augmented reality is already changing the user experience of brands and digital platforms. At first glance, the two best known examples, Pokémon Go and Snapchat use AR lightly. Regardless of everything, snapping selfies of Pokémon Go do not look much like the revolutionary UX. But look at the numbers: Within a week when it was released in 2016, 65 million people around the world were playing Pokémon Go, and Snapchat's price tag was $ 24 billion when it was released in March. The success of Snapchat and Pokémon Go is because they use AR to provide users with a unique and customizable experience that keeps them inclined. AR lowers the cost of the conversation, reduces user cognitive load, connects many sources of information, and reduces the shift from meditation on the Sacred Coalition to roughly UX.

So there is no wonder that we are taking control of AR beyond social media and gambling. The technology is already being exploited by marketing departments in the future as a great branding opportunity.

Pepsi is one example: In 2014, the Soft Drink Company launched a bus stop campaign in London, where it used AR technology to turn a boring, normal bus stand into an asteroid or a screen filled with tigers. There has been a powerful movement in the context of the brand. UX designers will work alongside marketing teams to test and refine enhanced experiences that strengthen branding and engagement.

3 Examples of Augmented Reality User Interface Design

At the end of 2021, we will see designers overwhelmed by the possibility of designing an AR user interface. On this consequence, there are also some successful examples.

Take for example the Pokemon Go, Snapchat, and Tada Time apps.

1. AR UI in Pokemon Go

We are sure what you have heard and probably got to play the popular Pokémon Go. You can use a camera on your phone and place a picture of Pokémon in the user's environment. Then the GPS, accelerometer, and compass show the direction the phone is pointing. Finally, users go on a mission to find the right location and the right Pokémon.

Augmented reality technology is increasingly accepted around the world. Its speed of development is irrevocably high, as more and more benefits and returns on investment are observed and expected.

AR is not only successful in games and entertainment applications, but, in other applications as well. AR applications are useful for increasing the productivity of workforces, also for assisting technological advancements, and for producing more efficiency and convenience in the implementation of other aspects of the technology.

Like any other technology is known for main user experience or user experience is just as important in the development of augmented reality applications.

2. AR UI on Snapchat

The use of AR UI on Snapchat can be best described through the real-time filters it offers. The social media platform had done a groundbreaking job of real-time face filters right on smartphones of users.

3. AR UI in the Tada Time app

One leading IT company designed the Tada Time app and it is a perfect example of an augmented reality user interface. It allows you to create an AR avatar that can look and speak exactly like you. Besides, it can also let you create real-time animations based on user interactions with the app. Also, the application allows you to communicate through your mailbox anywhere in the world.

In the field of technology, augmented reality applications are already present and appear to be booming. The digital experience has been completely transformed from digital communication to interactive interfaces and intelligent problem-solving applications, all thanks to the implementation of augmented reality. Thanks to the development of augmented reality applications beyond the so-called 2D or 3D type overlays, we now have more contextual and personalized user experience designs for us.

Bottom line

Technology is supposed to make our lives vibrant and much more advanced. To solve our problems in real-time, save our hard-earned money, and make the best decisions about the events of our lives, AR-based technologies are the next big thing. And the gateway to this technology is the design of an attractive user interface.

We all hope that instead of complicating our lives, modern technology will make our lives more dynamic and fluid. In this sense, the reality that redefines technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, or mixed reality will remain irreplaceable. When it comes to adding convenience to users’ lives, AR will continue to be a key part of the user experience going forward.

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ARKit and ARCore: All You Need To Know How AR Will Impact The Mobile App World

Augmented reality technology has seen unprecedented growth in 2020. Commercial use of technology has exploded due to the use of market leaders such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon. According to MarketsandMarkets, the AR technology market is worth $ 15.3 billion. The different avenues and trends driving the growing augmented reality market are worth exploring. By the end of 2021, active AR devices are estimated to grow to 598 million and are expected to reach 1.73 billion by 2024.

ARCore by Android and ARKit by Apple are the platforms that allow developers to create and access AR experiences on mobile devices. They require access to your device's software and hardware, including camera and location information.

Apple recently released ARKit 4, the latest version of its open source augmented reality development tools. Google's competitor 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 updates for ARKit, 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 location anchors, a new depth API, and better face tracking. This allows Apple's ARKit developers to harness the power of LiDAR hardware in the latest iPhones. As long as an Android user has an ARCore compatible smartphone, Google will accept Street View photo submissions. While these must adhere to certain quality rules, it shows that ARCore has improved enough that Google feels confident that smartphones can take the necessary photos to integrate with Google Maps and add those images along with the photos taken by more specialized teams.

ARCore falls short of ARKit in terms of motion capture, simultaneous use of front and rear cameras, and multi face tracking. Apple's App Store also has many AR compatible apps than the Google play store, with over 2,000 apps available to users. However, ARCore is more accessible given the largest global market share of Android over iOS. However, this varies by region.

According to Artificial Intelligence, there are significantly more ARKit devices than ARCore devices. In 2020, there were 1,185 ARKit devices and ARCore had only 633 million devices. In terms of active users, the numbers are very different. The ARKit has 950 million active users, while ARCore has only 122 million.

What happens next?

Predicting the future is always a dangerous business, so let's dig deep! Over the next year or so, expect to see a big wave of apps trying to incorporate AR into one of their core functionality. Also expect a lot of these apps to be terrible. Because? Because Apple and Google continue to insist that their SDK makes it easier to develop an AR application, and many companies will decide to “save money” by going it alone and developing an in-house solution.

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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.

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Apple reveals ARKit 3 with RealityKit and Reality Composer

The previous two Worldwide Developers Conferences have been effectively used by Apple as a platform to showcase the powerful and innovative augmented reality SDKs for iOS - ARKit 2.0 and ARKit along with a first-hand demonstration. In WWDC 2019, Apple exhibited novel AR inventive products such as RealityKit, ARKit 3, and Reality Composer. All these tools make it easier for developers to develop AR apps.

Lets us see what three powerful tools are all about.

RealityKit

It is a highly sophisticated and powerful framework that enables iOS developers to mingle the virtual elements in the real-world environment easily. Also, the virtual objects are scaled automatically to fit the screen size of various iOS devices and function seamlessly on each one, even while providing multi-user AR experiences. RealityKit offers iOS developers access to top-notch functionalities such as spatial audio, animations, physics, and world-class rendering. Native ARKit integration and Swift API of RealityKit makes augmented reality quicker and easier than before.

ARKit 3

It is a disruptive AR platform with state-of-the-art capabilities. The two standout additions in ARKit 3 include people occlusion and camera motion capture in real time. ARKit 3 makes multiple tracking of faces a reality. Face tracking is possible for three people at the same time by making use of TrueDepth cameras available on various iOS devices. Also, the simultaneous access of the world and face tracking both on the back and front cameras at once opens up a new world of possibilities for AR developers. The people occlusion feature offers a more realistic experience to the users and makes things easier for developers.

Reality Composer

It is a robust tool that enables developers to create highly interactive and engaging augmented reality experiences. It is capable of converting the existing virtual objects and 3D models into the USDZ file format. This enables the 3D models to work seamlessly on all AR-enabled iOS devices. It allows developers to choose the actions that would happen when a user taps on a virtual object or comes in close proximity to it. They can even make use of the spatial audio feature. Reality Composer can be run by developers in Xcode. They can also run it as an application for iOS.

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Google Shows Off Stunning New AR Features Coming to the Web and Mobile Apps Soon

 

ARCore, Google’s SDK for creating augmented reality experiences was launched in the year 2018. Ever since that time, Google was working silently to enhance and improve its AR platform. Google now reveals that it is ready to showcase some next-gen features and upgrades that it has come up with. These features would make augmented reality experiences more immersive and realistic in the coming years.

The new upgrades that Google brings to the ARCore will enable app developers to carry out occlusion. This means that using the Depth API, a virtual object when placed in the real-world environment can be obstructed from sight by the real physical object. For example, if a virtual animal like a cat or a dog is placed in your bedroom, you can actually see the virtual animal disappear from your view if your smartphone’s camera is angled in such a way that other physical objects like a chair, table, or bed come in the middle.

The outcome of this is more realistic scenes in AR. While experiencing AR, the smartphone is now capable of differentiating much more efficiently between two objects in a scene. Also, the distance between the two can be easily known. Google reveals that this new occlusion feature has been incorporated by improving the existing software. Hence, there won’t be a need for a smartphone, which has special sensors or any specific processor type. The occlusion is taking place on the smartphone itself without any dependency on the cloud. As long as your existing Android smartphone is compatible with ARCore, you can explore these novel features without any problem.

All of us have experienced Occlusion on smartphones before. Remember the popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go, developed by Niantic? Back then in July 2018, Niantic showcased a video where the power of occlusion could be seen with the little Pikachu virtual moving all around in an urban scene and mingled efficiently with the real-world environment. This was only a video that was shown and not even a true demo which press member could see.

In a meeting that Google’s augmented reality division had arranged, it was possible to view several real-time demonstrations that the AR team had developed to show how the latest depth-based technology functioned. This new technology would already link up with Houzz, the home design mobile app and the search results of Google too.

The home décor options in the Houzz app that can be found with the tool ‘View in My Room 3D’ will now have the occlusion feature as well. According to Google, 200 million + Android devices would also get the occlusion feature for objects that have AR models available in the Google search results.

Google also revealed that the new potential of Depth API’s won’t be available for commercial applications at present. However, those will be released for developers sometime in the future. This would be done after working closely with the Android developers along with other associates in order to refine the features even further. These would be one step ahead from occlusion, into three-dimensional mapping and realistic physics.

Google has come up with an effective way for the interaction of augmented reality virtual objects more naturally with the real-world environment. The three-dimensional object would move about in the real environment just how you would see it in the physical space around you. For example, Google made it possible to create blocks of different colours just from thin air. Surprisingly, these colourful blocks could bounce virtually from any surface.

Google also came up with a type of a small game that showcased the potential of movements of AR objects. These virtual objects would go over and around natural world objects. The kind of a mini-game the Google came up with featured a robo-chef that would be involved in a food tussle with you. It considers the home décor in the real-world environment, with the sweet treat and leaves realistic marks on the surfaces.

Google has not revealed any specific timeline as to when these upgraded APIs would be available for developers.

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Augmented Reality (AR) Trends

Technology has evolved rapidly in recent years, with many innovations introduced in our digital world. While some of them weren't that important, some have been successful. One of the technologies that have facilitated these changes is Augmented Reality, which has had a significant effect on many industries, including retail, gaming, and entertainment. AR has also influenced the field of digital communication, which was particularly noticeable at the start of the pandemic when many of us had to start doing our usual jobs, learning, and other activities at home.

Like any emerging technology, the speed of innovation and growth in AR is rapid and it can be a real challenge for businesses and their customers to keep up with augmented reality trends in communication. Some of those trends featured in this article will continue to define the digital communications industry in 2021.

Introducing AI to the AR/ VR Space:

Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality entered the business world a long time ago and have individually demonstrated their potential. But, starting this year, developers and business leaders alike will be eager to discuss the potential of their collaboration. They will seek to get a clear idea of ??how advanced machine learning algorithms and other artificial intelligence methodologies can help computers and other devices to visualize and understand things effectively. This will further lead to the emergence of highly interactive workspaces and better image recognition facilities.

Impact on Training and Education:

Both technologies have apparent advantages for education and training, as shown by schools and professional development courses. For example, people who study construction or any hazardous complex area can train without any of the risks often involved. By using virtual reality, budding professionals in these industries will be able to train in a simulated environment offering a high degree of precision while avoiding the risks associated with an error. In 2020, the immersive nature of virtual reality technology will help teachers engage students with learning materials in many new and exciting ways. It will improve the possibilities of remote teaching to students in virtual reality classrooms; avoid losing the benefits of learning in a collaborative environment.

The Rise of AR Avatars for Live Streaming:

With people's growing demand for more personal privacy and the drive to make online communication more personalized and unique, there is also a growing demand for AR avatars. There are now over 4,000 virtual YouTubers in Japan who prefer to use a digital version of them in the form of an avatar instead of looking at the camera.

Prepare Vehicles with the Power of AR:

Autonomous vehicles are increasingly popular around the world. It is now difficult for people to wait to get into these self-driving cars. But what surprises automakers is the integration of augmented reality into these vehicles in the near future. In 2021, several automotive industry leaders will embrace the idea of ??using these top tech trends to redefine the way people move and travel in the form of voice assistants, in-vehicle AR, and more.

Travel and Tourism:

Virtual reality is having an impact on the travel and tourism industry, and this is increasing with the popularity of devices. Indeed, many users can now discover a region without ever having to leave the comfort of their homes. Much of this has focused on potential travellers testing a location before spending money to get there. This allows people to better understand a region before investing in a ticket and hotel room, and travellers can experience it all virtually before committing.

Latest Trends in the Fashion Industry:

Fashion and beauty are undoubtedly one of the most innovative and dynamic industries to attract consumers and develop innovative strategies. One can easily imagine the introduction of a powerful and compelling tool like augmented reality (AR) into this field. Improved marketing campaigns and consumer engagement lead to better sales. Whether in online or offline marketplaces, the fashion retail business repeatedly tends to find early adopters of whatever is considered 'trending' or 'the next big thing'. 3.5 billion people would be using the augmented reality by 2022 according to the Digi-Capital.

The Advent of WebAR:

Until now, the AR experience has been limited to mobile devices. You need to download and install the mobile app to enter the augmented world. But now the WebAR has appeared. As the name suggests, this will make it easier for users to interact with augmented reality in the web space. This will allow them to be exposed to AR in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or other similar browsers no matter what device they are running on, which will reduce the barriers to their use and a better overall experience.

The Rise of AR-based E-learning platforms:

This industry has experienced a boom due to the increasing demand for AR-based e-learning solutions among students and teachers. Online learning platforms and virtual classrooms are now helping various groups of people learn new things remotely during the pandemic. Using the advancements in technology, teachers can associate AR experiences with objects of curiosity, such as life-size 3D models, from which students can learn more about the object by placing a phone or tablet above.

Longevity Content:

When AR and VR technology was new, many developers quickly took advantage of it, creating a variety of apps and cheats that didn't last long. While these may have been popular, it was only for an extremely short period. In the years since that changed and the content is now intended to keep users coming back. This longevity is expected to continue to impact the niche, with game and application developers looking to attract and maintain the large virtual reality and augmented reality markets.

Using Radiography in Healthcare as a Medical Device:

AR, MR, and VR are reshaping the healthcare industry by serving different purposes independently. But, this year, the three will merge to make the most of the opportunities. From now on, health and healthcare professionals will be able to slide between these three technologies within a single application. This will provide them with greater efficiency and productivity, and allow them to reap the benefits of different use cases at the same time.

The Emergence of AR-Based Inland Navigation:

One of the emerging trends in the AR/ VR space that we will encounter this year is the use of AR for inland navigation. Just as software and on-board GPS maps direct us to a store, hospital, or other location on the outside, augmented reality-based navigation systems will help people inside. They will show you the way to a particular product, software, or location in a simple and engaging way; offer them an optimal experience without depending on others.

AR & VR Statistics and Growth Projections: 2021

Although this is a relatively young technology, the rise of AR and VR has been staggering, which is represented by a variety of startling statistics. Like the trends mentioned above, many of them are not showing any signs of fading or slowing down anytime soon.

Just over half of consumers, let’s say 53% will be interested in using virtual reality or augmented reality in the next three months.

The AR and the virtual reality market had sold 8.9 million units by the end of 2018, which is expected to grow to 65.9 million by the end of 2022.

Sales of AR and VR headsets are expected to increase to $ 9.7 billion in 2021.

Almost half of the consumers would be more likely to buy from a retailer that uses AR or VR.

70% of customers believe AR can bring benefits.

The AR market is expected to reach 1 billion users by the end of 2021.

There are more AR users than VR users, and technology is used by 8% and 13% of the population, respectively.

47% of Apple's ARKits were used for video games.

Virtual and augmented reality technologies are not going to disappear anytime soon; as the statistics pointed out above, they plan to continue to grow in the years to come. This not only means that we will see more companies operating in the niche, but outside companies will start to adopt the same.

Conclusion

With the constant change in the world we all live in, there is no doubt that the use of augmented reality in communication will mark new technological trends that businesses and users must adapt to.

Today, AR technology isn't just limited to the fun filters of Snapchat and Pokémon Go. The software can be found in almost every area of ??our world, be it education, work, health, or entertainment. The extent to which companies can tailor it to their advantage will influence their competitive advantage and the effectiveness of building lasting customer relationships. With the number of potential customers that the technology could attract, businesses will lose out if they are not properly exploited.

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Google ARCore: Android's augmented reality tech explained

ARCore is Android’s version of Apple ARKit. it's a baked-in augmented reality platform that developers can leverage.

It's different from the now-discontinued Tango, another AR effort by Google that relies on custom hardware requirements. ARCore could be a smaller amount powerful than Tango, but that's okay. It's meant to be more accessible. Google said it'll work with 100 million existing and upcoming devices.

What is augmented reality?
While game immerses you into a locality, replacing everything you see in an exceedingly physical world, Augmented reality (AR) takes the world around you and adds virtual objects over it.

With AR, as an example, you will be able to shop around a locality with your's phone display and see a Pokemon standing before you.

How does ARCore work?
ARCore has three elements: motion tracking, which figures out a phone’s location supported internal sensors and video, enabling you to pin objects and walk around them; environmental understanding, which uses a phone's camera to detect flat surfaces; and light-weight estimation, which helps virtual objects in an AR experience have accurate shadows, and thus, make time for with their real-life surroundings.

Developers could use ARCore to let your phone denote specific buildings or street corners or pinpoint indoor locations within some centimetres.

Or, as an example, imagine trying to search out a guide to your complicated treadmill, but all you've to undertake and do is take a picture of the machine, and an app could then conduct a visual search so on spot it and overlay instructions or ply a YouTube video or PDF manual.

Do developers need to use ARCore?
No. Android developers could already make AR apps without ARCore, almost like iOS developers could make AR apps without ARKit.

After all, before these platforms emerged, apps like Pokemon Go were available. ARCore just makes it easier for developers to feature AR experiences into their apps. as an example, Google claimed that it's optimised ARCore’s performance over an outside developer could do.

Experienced developers will want to use Java/OpenGL, Unity, and Unreal, but other developers - who are new 3D design - can export ARCore objects from Google’s new Tilt Brush VR painting app or Blocks modeling tool.

Can all Android phones use ARCore?
Not all of them, there's a listing of supported devices. Google Play Services for AR is out there via the Google Play Store for supported devices.

Broadly speaking, ARCore requires Android 7.0 or later (some phones within the list have or require newer versions as noted below). The phone also should have Google Mobile Services (GMS) and thus the Google Play Store.

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What's New in ARKit 3?

Changes from ARKit 2 to ARKit 3

People Occlusion
One of the items we considered as a weakness of ARKit 2 was the impossibility of identifying whether the camera’s vision is hindered when spawning virtual objects. regardless of how real the virtual object could appear as if, it might just remain visible whether or not there’s an obstacle between the article and also the camera’s field of view, or if someone walked before of it. This was something that actually broke the standard of the ilusion, and a part of the ugly side of ARKit 2.

Well, this might not count as an unpleasant side of ARKit 3 though. Now People Occlusion entered the sport and allows AR objects to be before or behind people in a very more realistic way.

Hardware Requirements
ARKit 2 already had some hardware requirements so as to form use of its features, so it’s not a surprise that the identical would happen for ARKit 3. In fact, its latest features require devices a minimum of with an A12 processor, whereas for ARKit 2 the minimum was the A9.

This means that, as an example, iPhone models previous to the iPhone XS, or simply less powerful don't seem to be ready to leverage ARKit 3 new capabilities.

RealityKit & Reality Composer
In the past, there was a steep learning curve for creating realistic AR experiences. This difficulty is, somehow, reduced thanks to the new RealityKit that comes with ARKit 3.

Prior to RealityKit, there was SceneKit that allowed you to create apps with AR interactions normally, like placing virtual objects on the walls or the ground. We used this framework along after we tested ARKit 2, so as to figure with 3D objects, and that we had to dive into heavy concepts of 3D rendering.

ARKit 3 New Features

Motion Capture
Above we mentioned ARKit 3’s awareness of individuals with regards to People Occlusion, possibly possible thanks to a Machine Learning model, but this new capability doesn’t stop there. Awareness of individuals also allows you to trace human movement and use it as input for an AR app.

For instance, with Motion Capture you'll be able to replicate a person’s movement in a very virtual representation, sort of a skeleton

Guided Plane Detection & Improved Accuracy
Something that wasn't available in ARKit 2 but would have helped lots is support for a built-in guide for recognizing planes within the planet. just in case you were looking to follow this process you had to put in writing some code and figure it out on your own.

Now, ARKit 3 brings a straightforward assistant that allows you to know the way the plane detection goes and which one is detected, before placing any virtual object within the environment.

Simultaneous Front and Back Camera & Collaborative Sessions
Using both front and back cameras at the identical time opens a brand new range of possibilities for AR experiences, like interacting with virtual objects by facial expressions. it absolutely was not available before thanks to the ability consumption such feature would require, but it's now viable because of a brand new API Apple released after WWDC 2019.

With collaborative sessions, now you'll be able to dive into a shared AR world with people, especially useful for multiplayer games, as you'll be able to see during this Minecraft demo shown on WWDC19.

Even though we weren't ready to test these features out, we consider them to be of high interest which could push AR immersion even further.

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Apple's Augmented Reality Tool Kit Can Now Detect Walls And 2D Images In Beta

Apple has just rolled out an updated version of its augmented reality platform, ARKit, to developers in a beta version of its latest iOS software, and it includes some new features that true AR fans will likely be happy with.

The latest version of ARKit, which is version 1.5 supports vertical plane features. That's a technical way of saying that it allows sensors on an iPhone (or iPad) to recognize not only the floor you're on but the windows and walls around you as well. So when app developers now create AR apps, they can incorporate functionality that would use the vertical spaces around them as well as the horizontal space.

The new version of ARKit also features 2D image recognition, which means you can point your phone at a flatbed print or hang it on the wall and the ARKit app will display pop-up information. A flat image can also trigger some other action in the app. An obvious use case is for museums: You point your phone at a board, and the AR app identifies the image for you, then you can also generate a 3D object or a virtual experience in the app depending on the picture you are looking at. Let’s say, for example, the Apollo 13 wall art released a full virtual tour of a lunar module when the iPhone pointed to the wall art. And finally, ARKit will now support 1080p HD images, which was not the case before.

Apple first announced ARKit, its augmented reality platform for iPhone and iPad, at WWDC in June last year; although it was officially launched in September. Before that, app makers used 2D or flat overlays in apps (like Pokémon Go), but apps didn't use advanced depth sensors or computer vision technology. With frameworks like ARKit or ARCore from Google, they are.

Since Apple first announced ARKit, over 2,000 App Store apps have been created with ARKit functionality. It might not sound like a lot compared to the size of the App Store, but it's a lot of augmented reality apps.

The biggest change in functionality in this new version of ARKit is almost certainly the support for vertical planes. Google's ARCore supports two types of horizontal planes (horizontal up and horizontal down), but as far as we know, it does not support vertical planes. Threads on GitHub indicate that this is a high-demand feature for ARCore.

The consumer beta of iOS 11.3 and ARKit 1.5 is expected to go live in the next few days, though Apple hasn't said when.

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The 3Decor Configurator for furniture industry

Augmented Reality is a promising technology that is currently used by numerous industries including the furniture industry and is influencing the evolution of many industries. The furniture and interior decoration sectors particularly benefit from its advantages.

The furniture industry is becoming more modern and modular day by day. Manufacturers are taking advantage of advanced technology to make some of the intricate designs and design some of the best general-purpose furniture. People use a variety of applications and programs based on augmented reality to provide the best shopping experience for their customers. Augmented reality for the web is a game-changer in the furniture industry. Furniture retailers use AR Web services to create virtual product catalogues, allowing their customers to view products online.

Nowadays, you don't need to go to any furniture shop to choose the size, design, and material of the furniture. With the help of AR, you can do all of these things just from your smartphone. There are so many augmented reality interior design apps available from which you just need to scan your living room and the app will guide you in choosing the most suitable furniture for your place.

This technology uses the technique of mapping and combining to suggest good furniture suggestions. By scanning the area, treat and match the area with hundreds of preloaded furniture and filter the results using the AI ??that will be perfect for your home.

Augmented reality for the furniture industry is a blessing, now furniture companies can sell their products in an efficient and technologically advanced way. The customer only has to install the furniture application based on augmented reality in their mobile phones and scan the area while on the move. Since it has hundreds of furniture designs and thousands of colours, furniture shopping has taken on a new avatar.

With augmented reality, retailers can display their products virtually, while customers can check out what an item will look like in their home or office. This technology makes it possible to display virtual objects in the real environment, faithfully reproducing their dimensions and design characteristics. Without necessarily having to "touch" the furniture with the hand, consumers can make decisions based on what they see and what suits their tastes.

Augmented reality seems to have been evolving, especially in the furniture industry; manufacturers can now sell their products more efficiently, while customers can personalize their purchases by installing a simple application on their device. Innovation in the furniture industry is only just beginning and growing rapidly, along with the advancement of technology and the expansion of its popularity among large sectors of the population. In all likelihood, the future of furniture and interior decoration will be linked to developments in augmented reality, with increasingly punctual and personalized services for the consumer

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Augmented reality for e-commerce

Augmented reality expands our physical world by adding layers of digital information on top of it. Seen through a screen, it offers a realistic view of the physical environment with overlapping computer-generated images, altering the perception of what you see in front of you.

Augmented Reality (AR) has emerged into the retail and e-commerce industry being a great tool for attracting new customers, suggesting that AR may improve online shopping. It also allows e-commerce customers to preview products or enjoy services at their own pace, before choosing to make a purchase. With AR, your customers can preview products and are more likely to pick the right product the first time.

For e-commerce, AR personalizes the online shopping, making it interactive while increasing customer satisfaction and increasing store conversion rates. Technology can enhance the online shopping experience by integrating features unique to physical stores into your smartphone.

Online shopping should be convenient. However, customers face many potential challenges when taking this route. Perhaps their biggest challenge is determining whether a product is right for their life. After all, the images on a screen can be deceptive. When there is not enough information available, consumers will not have the confidence to make a purchase. E-commerce merchants are using AR to solve this problem. Customers can reposition the 3D image on the screen to choose an ideal location for their new room. They may even find that the room they like doesn't go well with the rest of their furniture. In other words, augmented reality can help them make informed decisions.

This innovative technology will have a big impact on the future of e-commerce as it offers creative solutions to many of the big problems that e-commerce businesses face. But, with an augmented reality app, shoppers can experience the product as if they were in a real store. They can even see what it will look like to them. Ikea was an early adopter of this technology, harnessing the power of AR to allow customers to “taste” furniture and see what it will look like in their space. These experiences allow customers to be more determined when purchasing a product, which can lead to increased sales.

One of the biggest disadvantages of the e-commerce industry is the inherent difficulty of trying to virtually represent a product. AR can help bridge the gap between shopping in a physical location and shopping online by making it easier to represent merchandise and giving consumers a better idea of ??what they are buying.

In the era of social distancing, AR is a powerful tool for marketers. This allows consumers to interact with products almost as they would in physical stores, and greater engagement translates into increased sales. There is no doubt that augmented reality will occupy an important place in e-commerce in the future. By improving the user experience, you will keep your customers interested and they will come back for a personalized shopping experience. It can also help increase conversions and sales. While the implementation isn't easy, it's worth doing if you want your e-commerce business to remain competitive in the future.

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