I asked myself what is AR and how it works?

Image source: miro.medium

Have you played the game of Temple Treasure Hunt or live viewed a route using your phone’s camera and GPS? Live searched restaurants or hotels around you using your phone’s GPS? If your answer is yes, do you know how is all this possible?

The technology behind all this is called AR. What’s AR is that what you are thinking? Well, AR stands for Augmented Reality and is an upcoming technology with tremendous potential. And yes, even I don’t know much about AR. So why don’t we explore this technology together? What say?

For almost everyone, it is an epitome and foreign technology, mostly perceived as a Sci-Fi movie. Interactive displays, virtual 3D models, and animated holograms. But the fact is that all this actually and already exists.

Augmented Reality (AR) is ………..

Augmented Reality is an interaction-based experience of a real-life surrounding in which the things residing in the physical world are ameliorated by computer generated intuitive information, at times across many sensory configurations. This sensory information can be an addition to the real-world i.e. constructive or it can be a reduction of the real-world i.e. destructive.

A typical AR app connects the digital activity to a marker or a location using the phone’s GPS. The augmentation happens in actual time and within the contextual boundaries like projecting the scores on a live sport. This experience is flawlessly interlaced with the real-world in a way that it is considered a captivating aspect of the physical environment.

The basic value of AR is the way in which the digital world components blend with our understanding of the real-life and not a mere display of data. AR was invented by the US Air Force in around 1992. Then the commercial AR was introduced in the gaming and entertainment industry. Since then it has spanned over many industries like healthcare, education, etc.

Yes, Augmented Reality (AR) is different from Virtual Reality (VR)……. AR changes a continuous insight of a real-life environment while VR replaces the real-life environment with an artificial environment.

The working of Augmented Reality ……

The working of AR is a technical question so let me try to explain it simply. AR uses certain data like 3D models, images, animation, etc and the result is shown to us in a combination of natural and synthetic light. It can be displayed on different devices like mobile phones, glasses, head-mounted displays, and screens.

One of the following approaches could be employed in AR.

SLAM: SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) is a very effectual means to present virtual images of real-world things. It simultaneously localizes sensors in accordance with the surrounding and maps the structure of the surrounding.

This approach is used to simplify complex AR simulation issues and it doesn’t have specific software or algorithm. It is, in fact, a collection of algorithms aimed at simplifying simultaneous localization and mapping.

Recognition-based: Recognition-based or marker-based AR makes use of a camera to identify a visual object or marker like a QR code or a natural feature tracking (NFT) recognition, to indicate a superimposition only when the marker is detected by the device. This technology depends on the device’s camera to separate a marker from a real-world object.

Other than the marker, the orientation and position can also be calculated. Once it is recognized, the virtual 3D version of the real object replaces the marker. It allows a person to observe the object accurately and from different angles. When the marker is rotated, the object also rotates.

Location-based: Compared to recognition-based, location-based AR depends on the GPS of a device, velocity meter, digital compass or an accelerometer to capture data about the location; based on this the AR visuals are activated. It is also called markerless AR. The location detection functionality in smartphones makes it easy to implement this kind of AR thus, making it popular for location-based AR apps.

AR works on different devices……

Mobile devices: In mobile devices like smartphone and tablets, AR uses it GPS service, camera or both together. We can see the surrounding taken as input and shown modified on the device. Mostly AR location-based apps are available for both iOS and Android.

Smart TV and PC: Via webcam, the AR input is relayed. But due to a hectic process of manipulating a tracker in front of the PC or TV, the AR apps for these are comparatively less.

Smart glasses: Glasses, lenses and head-mounted displays also AR by making it an important part of the complete line of sight. It gives a more lively AR experience thus, giving a bigger scope for applications.

Conclusion…

Since Android and iOS cover almost all smartphones used across the globe today, the user base of AR applications has relatively increased. AR offers great opportunities because of its market potential and underlying technology, not only for established businesses but even for startups. It is entirely up to you to let your competitors have the edge or you choose to take advantage of it.