The possibilities are increasingly more comprehensive and, therefore, we will explain how AR works and how it can be applied. Before, however, it is important to highlight the differences between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Check it out!
It is very likely that you have heard of Augmented Reality (AR), right? To avoid any doubt, let us start by understanding the concept in a clear, direct and accurate manner. It is a technology that designs content, such as characters, graphics and images in the real world.
An example of AR that has been very successful in the world is Pokémon Go. The game shows the virtual characters that must be captured in the space where the user is playing. It is as if the creatures were, in fact, inside the environment. This means that Augmented Reality provides a new vision of physical space, created through a combination with the virtual world.
Obviously, it goes way beyond the games. Through technology, it is possible, for example, to see the plan of an apartment in 3D, to simulate medical procedures and to bring content closer to students.
The possibilities are increasingly more comprehensive and, therefore, we will explain how AR works and how it can be applied. Before, however, it is important to highlight the differences between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Check it out!
Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality
It is very common for people to mistake Augmented Reality for Virtual Reality. They are different and we need to make that very clear. The first includes projections of content and other information in the physical world. The second takes people to a new environment created through the computer.
Both technologies need an intermediary to be accessed, which can be an accessory or an application, but the users’ experiences are different. Virtual Reality replaces everything that the person sees through a totally virtual content.
It is possible to enter into games and in tourist scenarios, for example, and move from one to the next. The connection is made through the Oculus Rift so that the user feels totally absorbed in the new scenario.
Augmented Reality adds content to the physical world. Besides Pokémon Go, another example is the Instagram Stories filters, with animations that overlap the image or video captured.
It is also possible to use the technology in tourist places. Using a Smartphone, the visitor can get more information and knowledge about a space or a work of art. And, as we said, the uses are diverse.
Now that we have seen the differences between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, we are going to explain how AR works and how it can be applied.
How Augmented Reality Works
Now that you already know what Augmented Reality is and how it differs from Virtual Reality, it is important to explain how it works. It is very simple: everything happens through software, a marker in physical space and the GPS.
To give an example, we can speak of the QR Code. In this case, the QR label refers to the marker in the physical world — the application that reads the label works as a sort of gateway to the software that provides the content — and the GPS is a kind of “eye” of that system. After all, it is the GPS that shows place where the user is.
The user needs two things: a camera, such as the cell phone camera, and a specific app. Thus, the application interacts with the camera and projects virtual information in the real world.
How to Apply Augmented Reality
As we have already shown in this article, Augmented Reality enables many applications and walks in the most diverse directions. One of its main playing fields is marketing. The idea is for the consumers to interact with the products and thus have the perception that it is closer.
This means more reliability to the product. The presentation through different shapes, sizes and uses contributes to the customer having a very close view of the actual product, which increases their interest in making the purchase.
The automotive industry, for example, is an industry that has been exploiting the AR universe a lot and, thereby, increasing its possibilities of winning more sales.
In the field of medicine, Augmented Reality has contributed to several advances. Through it, it is possible to design models of the human body, as well as its systems and organs, which makes possible more accurate studies
It can also help in a surgery simulation, which can help doctors to be more successful in their procedures.
In education, technology has motivated and stimulated students. The interaction of AR makes it possible, for example, for students from different languages and cultures to exchange content and information, which broadens learning and brings countless benefits to all involved.
With regard to games, as we could guess, the work of AR is being increasingly exploited. Games that combine the virtual with the real dimension are “shaping the ideas” of adolescents and adults around the world.
Another example of the application of Augmented Reality is in culture. It is possible to have access to more data and information about works, authors and insertion in historical contexts, which enriches the experience. In Germany, for example, there is an application that allows the person to travel back in time and watch historical scenes with the help of AR.
Why to apply the Augmented Reality in companies
There are different reasons to apply Augmented Reality in companies. One of the main reasons is due to the increasing of Internet access through Smartphones. Mobile devices have practically become extensions of people’s bodies.
Moreover, the versatility of technology for digital marketing offers more and more business opportunities. Through AR, the company can create more creative and innovative campaigns. It is possible, for example, that the consumer sees prices and tips on how to use a product.
Augmented Reality presents a world of possibilities and can change the future in different aspects of our lives. Undoubtedly, a lot has been done and it is very likely that we will change a lot in the way we relate, how we manage time and understand reality.
If you enjoyed the text, please, share it on your social media and strengthen the importance of this topic for our future!
Licenciado em Relações Públicas e Publicidade, tem desenvolvido o seu percurso profissional ao longo dos últimos 10 anos na área do Marketing Digital, tendo-se especializado em email marketing e marketing automation. Participou no arranque do projeto E-GOI tendo sido Gestor de Comunicação e Marca durante vários anos. Atualmente é Growth Hacker na E-GOI. É ainda consultor, formador e autor de vários artigos em Portugal e no Brasil nas suas áreas de especialização.
