Augmented Reality (AR) is slowly but surely becoming a commonplace to visit, play, and interact with. AR is the technology behind games like Pokémon Go and Snapchat Lenses. Unlike virtual reality, where you are transported to a virtual world, AR technology overlays digital content in the real world. It’s a popular concept and the technology behind it is advancing rapidly. In this article, we’ll explore augmented reality applications in the real world. Stay tuned.

What is Augmented Reality?

AR is a way of adding to your reality by inserting virtual objects or information into your physical environment, hence augmenting it. It is done by superimposing the digital content onto people’s digital view of the real world which you can access through your smartphone or tablet.

How does Augmented Reality work?

The key to this technology is computer vision, which is the ability of machines not just to process images but to understand them. It’s possible with today’s smartphone cameras. Once you have a picture of the natural world, the software recognizes different objects like faces, floors, and walls in your digital app or game. You can then superimpose virtual objects that respond in real-time as the user moves around.

What are the main Augmented Reality applications?

You can use AR to add a layer of information to the environment. It is done in several ways, all using your smartphone.

Augmented Reality Games

It is the most common and best-known use for AR. It can be related to games or educational applications. One of the most popular and famous AR games is Pokémon GO.

Augmented Reality Education

This technology is used to teach us anything from geography to aeronautics. People can use AR in the classroom by having virtual models at our school show how space travel works or how to operate a machine and build something with it quickly.

Augmented Reality Tourism

Using your own camera’s image, you can record your visit to a site or an event, then bring it back to the real world and bring elements of the experience. It is often done by taking a selfie of yourself at the site and posting it on social media.

Augmented Reality Health

Augmented reality is even being used in the healthcare industry to help doctors and surgeons better diagnose and treat their patients. Some augmented reality technologies have been created to measure the effectiveness of treatments that are given to patients. Others have been created to help doctors and surgeons better visualize and understand their patient’s anatomy which can lead to more accurate diagnoses and treatments.

Augmented Reality Marketing

Businesses use it to increase awareness of products, services, and brands. It’s a way to engage with people through their phones and monitors. It can be done in several ways, including augmented product designs, company logos, or even increased TV ads. An example is augmented billboards during sports matches.

Augmented Reality in Social Media

AR in social media apps like Snapchat is how AR has been introduced to a wider public. With the AR functionality, it enhances selfies with a wide range of funny filters like bunny ears.

Augmented Reality Shopping

Another field in which AR is getting more common is retail and e-commerce. In the fashion industry, it allows customers to try on clothing virtually to see how it would fit them, without the need for physical products. In the furniture industry, AR makes it possible to allow customers to see furniture virtually at home, so they can make better buying decisions.

How to leverage Augmented Reality applications with Expivi

With the help of Expivi, adding Augmented Reality to your e-commerce business has never been easier. The 3D models of your products are hosted on the platform and by using special plugins and extensions for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento (and more), it is very easy to integrate a 3D version of your products with its selectable options on your webshop.

If your visitors are on their tablet or smartphone, they will see a button that takes them to the Augmented Reality version of the 3D product, so they can see your products in their own environment.

If they’re browsing your e-commerce store on their desktop computer, they will see an AR button that will display a QR code they can scan using their mobile device and be automatically taken to the Augmented Reality version.

Using platforms like Expivi, it is possible to offer AR in your e-commerce business, without breaking the bank for custom development and integrations.

Conclusion

Augmented reality applications in our daily lives are undeniable.  It is a very new and evolving technology but holds a lot of potential in the future as on one hand people are getting familiar with it and using it more in their daily lives. On the other hand, more industries are using AR technologies as part of their innovation process. In e-commerce, more companies employ these means to promote products, services, and brands, and it is very likely that AR will become an essential tool for e-commerce.

If you want to start with Augmented Reality in your e-commerce business too, just book a demo with us and we’ll show you all the possibilities. Or download our Customer Experience whitepaper or Furniture and AR whitepaper in which we explain how you can leverage AR to give your business a boost.

Did you like this article about Augmented Reality applications? Then read this article on how to create a sustainable business with AR.