Intro

Today I would like to share some thoughts about such popular today technology as Augmented Reality(AR). First it worth to note that there several related terms. First one is well known – Virtual Reality is full simulation of some environment. Next is Augmented Virtuality, basically the same technology as virtual reality, but object from real world used to augment virtual reality. For example, we could take 3D model of some object and check it in new (virtual) environment. And finally augmented reality, technology which allow to add some unexacting objects to real world. Actually  AR technology is not new. It was developed in 1968 in Harvard by Ivan Sutherland! As usual, one of the early application is military technologies. My own experience allow to say that even 10 years ago the middle-end and high-end Nokia smartphones contain simple video game based on Augmented Reality. Probably, AR was ahead of its time (in civil scope), but today such giant companies like Apple, Google, HP, Qualcomm and others investing in this technology. So, what is AR promise?

Today

The most widespread platform for this technology is smartphone. Of cause some devices developed such Google Glass, Holo Lens etc. but we will talk about them later. Today everybody has smartphone. That’s why it is reasonable to consider smartphones (and taplet PC’s) as main platform for today. Markets of smartphones (GooglePlay and Appstore) contain some nice implementations. Today such applications can be used for education. For example astronomy, just target your smartphone camera to night sky and get name of star groups. Physiology, now it’s possible study human’s heart right in your room. Of cause I can’t help telling about PokemonGo. Very successful example of AR game. Another nice example is ability to test different type of furniture (IKEA Place, picture bellow). Nice news for women, now it is possible to check different make up schemes just with your smartphones.

The next type of device is mentioned above wearable devices, glasses and helmets. It is totally new active developed market that will hold important positions in media industry.

Future

There are many promises about the future of AR technology. Examples are indistinguishable from magic or sci-fi. Just imagine that open refrigerator, direct your smartphone’s camera and immediately get information about product that you probably need to buy and link “purchase” in Amazon. Such well known voice helpers like Siri, Cortana and Amazon Alexa will get appearance. Desk games will become holographic (New games will appear and old ones adapted). Geolocation services will able to provide full support of AR(Actually it is already under development). Market of context advertising will get new life. I hope that it will not be so annoying as modern advertisement (Never forget about AdBlock☺). All this stuff will bring new problems of cause. It is impossible to avoid side effects. But still it provides new level life.

Conlusion

Every technology is aimed to improve our life. And it is sometimes not so easy to recognize usefulness of particular technology . Augmented reality go through long way from sci-fi to default feature of most pocket devices. Now it is active developted, active discussed. Let’s see what we will get in the nearest future.