Augmented Reality: Is It Really the Future?(By Dwaipayan Mondal)

   Augmented Reality: Is It Really the Future?

Augmented Reality is the technology which had captured our imagination like no other before. This technology is often presented as the futuristic technology, but its form has been taken around for years.  From being science based concept to science based reality, augmented reality has grown from consumer space to corporate space. There has been a time when the cost of augmented reality was so substantial that the designers could only dream of working on design projects that are involved in it but now it has changed and is available on mobile phones as well. According to the experts, the AR market could be worth $122 billion by 2024 to mix the reality with fictions in images. There are some more challenges in AR that are still to resolve. For ex: GPS is only accurate to within 30 feet and does not work in indoors but with improved image recognition technology it may get resolved.

AR technology has much more to offer to the industry than just the entertainment. By the year 2025, the healthcare industry will generate the revenue of around $5 billion and some technology insiders expect to see the most advancement in the healthcare industry because of augmented reality technology. The travel industry is expected to boom as 84% of consumers worldwide, among which 42% believes that AR is the future of tourism. The future will belong to AR when it comes to improving the task efficiency or the quality of the output of an experience for the user. Jessica Lowry writes for the Next Web that, AR is the future of design as we know that mobile phones play a significant role in everyone's lives, therefore due to this technology it will provide the opportunities to enhance the user experience beyond measurement.

What is Augmented Reality?

In simple words, augmented reality is the technology which expands the physical world of digital information by adding layers into it. Augmented Reality technology does not create the whole artificial environment just to replace them with a virtual one instead it appears in direct view of the existing environment and adds the sounds, images, video, graphics, etc to it. This technology has many different implementation models and applications, but to provide a rich audiovisual experience, is the primary objective or the motive behind it.

This technology works by employing the computerized simulations and technique such as image and speech recognition. This technology is the enhanced version of reality where with the help of super-imposed computer-generated images, live direct or indirect views of the physical real-world environment are augmented, which enhances one’s current perception into reality. Some of the uses of augmented reality technology in real life are given as below:

• In constructing a building, augmented reality can play a major role. It can be used as Blueprints to supplement specific piece of construction in the pipeline.
• It is helping teams of cooks who are working on a system that could be integrated into stoves to help people learn cooking food.

THE FUTURE:

According to studies companies are spending big bucks over the augmented reality. Augmented reality is still under the clouds and there are many prospects on which the developers are working. Reportedly,Microsoft has paid $150 million to buy augmented reality assets , and even Sony PlayStation4 are coming up with an idea of Virtual Reality which they are planning to release in 2015 itself.

It also taking upper hand in the field of advertising and promotional events. Today smartphones are equipped by powerful GPS receivers, compasses and accelerometers that make it possible to know exactly where it’s located and what they are looking at. Augmented reality apps such as “LAYAR" takes the advantage of this to show people information about the surrounding including what businesses are nearby.

Although it does have some limitations like GPS is only accurate within the range of 30 feet i.e. 9 meters and doesn’t work in the indoors as well. Other than these even your connectivity matters it won’t work if it’s not 3G network at least and the quality of your camera does effect the technology when it comes to quality. Another major disadvantage is the existing mobile devices are still not powerful enough to process the required amount of data in real‐time whereas to run at interactive frame rates is (15‐30 frames per second). There are also some privacy concerns when it comes to image recognition software coupled with AR.

Despite of these few limitations; the future of augmented reality seems really bright and prospective. Like any other evolving technology, AR also faces some obstacles regarding technical issues, to social and ethical problems to financial problem. Where none of the issues seems overwhelming. With the time, all the technical issues will be resolved and AR will definitely showcase something that would fill the gaps between social and ethical issues too. Toward the end, what do you think about this cool technology? Whether it work or it will fail? What are your opinions about it?

                                   ---------By:Dwaipayan Mondal--------