AI and VR

The growth of augmented reality (AR) applications in recent years can be attributed to solutions that allow consumers to visualize products and imagine what it might feel like to own the product or experience the service before actually purchasing it. As augmented technology becomes more sophisticated and the cost-saving and business applications expand, the demand and investment in AR will increase. In 2017, ARKit was launched by Apple, and Google released ARCore for Android, both powerful tools for developers to create AR apps. It is predicted that there will be 1 billion augmented reality users by 2020.

When someone talks about AR, they are referring to technology that overlays information and virtual objects on real-world scenes in real-time. It uses the existing environment and adds information to it to make a new artificial environment. Many developers are creating augmented reality apps, and this has opened up the technology to many applications and a broader audience.

Gatwick airport passenger app

The Gatwick airport passenger app just won a number of awards for its creative use of AR technology. With the help of more than 2,000 beacons throughout its two terminals, passengers can use the AR maps from their mobile phone to navigate through the airport. As the app matures, it might eventually help improve traffic flow in the airport.

Ikea Place app

For those who have purchased furniture and discovered once it was delivered it didn’t work in the space, the Ikea Place app will help you avoid that predicament in the future. The app was built using Apple’s ARKit technology, and it allows you to scan your room and design the space by placing Ikea objects in the digital image of your room to create a new environment with the new products.

AccuVein

In critical situations, augmented reality applications can deliver real-time information to the treatment area to support diagnosis, surgery and treatment plans. AccuVein is a handheld device that can scan the vein network of a patient that leads to a 45% reduction in escalations. Surgeons can plan procedures before making the first cut, models can be made of tumors, and AR diagnostic tools can model disease conditions. Deloitte Research asserts that AR will disrupt the business model and operations of healthcare.