On July 6th, the long awaited smartphone gaming app Pokémon Go was released in selected countries, which has attracted the interest of nearly all smartphone users familiar with the game, or curious of the technology used.
On July 6th, the long awaited smartphone gaming app Pokémon Go was released in selected countries, which has attracted the interest of nearly all smartphone users familiar with the game, or curious of the technology used. Using the smartphone’s GPS and camera function, the game creates an augmented reality (AR) environment which allows gamers to hunt for virtual Pokémon in the real world. Even though not even a week after its release, multiple incidents has occurred that has led to personal injuries (walking into poles, falling into ditches), mugging, a car accident on the highway, we’ve also received some good news that a dead body found while on the mission to catch ’em all.
Augmented reality applications
As
one of the personal technologies that is said to outlive its hype, augmented reality has indeed seen rapid adaption in the consumer world. Pokémon Go for example, has so far seen over 40 thousand downloads of the game in the U.S. app store alone. If used for the right purposes, AR can improve situational awareness, providing users with a more holistic view of their surroundings, and additional needed information.
What about security & safety?
AR is already making appearances in the security industry, with the technology used for applications such as
warehouse management, where operators are given visual confirmations, directions on where to go via their wearable AR glasses. Another application which uses the technology to facilitate safety is in emergency search and rescues. The AR system provides aerial camera operators with a geographic awareness of forest road names and locations blended with the camera video. As a result, the camera operator is better able to search for a lost or injured hiker, knowing the geographic context of the camera image. Once found, the operator can more efficiently direct rescuers to the hiker's location.
The quick and wide adoption of the technology seen in recent years has motivated companies to create future innovations for security, which will provide a safer and more convenient experience for growing applications.
Other applications for AR include:
Source: Augment
- Design: aid in visualizing designs using AR to accelerate prototyping, and bridge the gap between 3D modeling tools and the final product
- Marketing: enhance product previews by allowing customers to scan a catalog and try out products at home in AR
- B2B sales: sales reps can present products in a realistic way directly in a client’s environment, and improves the visual impact of presentation
- Omni-commerce: allows customers to try products in 3D AR at home before buying through smartphones or tablets