It’s very cool. Aim your smartphone camera at an object and suddenly other things seem to materialize out of thin air on your screen. The idea of augmented reality, allowing users to lay visual data over their natural environment, has been receiving a lot of hype since 2015, when the gaming app Pokomen Go succeeded in creating the feeling to travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokemon. This ‘traditional’ use of AR technology in gaming has been developing over time as new possibilities and advantages have popped up in other industries, particularly in retail industries.
Nowadays, companies are constantly looking for ways to make sure that they are the one doing the disrupting instead of being disrupted. Meaning, businesses are going to great lengths to learn more about technology that can improve their bottom line.
Take for example Ikea Place. This App allows customers to enhance their experience through AR technology. It enables customers to place Ikea products in their own kitchens and living rooms before buying it. Another example is the ‘Digital Box’ in Lego stores. This marketing tool enables children to hold a virtual representation of a toy and discover the model from different angles by turning it around with their hands.
As you can see, more and more organizations are embracing the potential of AR. Despite many great possibilities that AR offers, there are still some challenges the technology is expected to face. According to Szymczyk, CEO of Zugara, Inc., one of the first companies that works with AR back in 2008, one major challenge would be the requirement to download an app to use the software This also means that it will likely stay in the mobile arena. It would take a full market adoption in order to implement AR in our daily lives. Another challenge AR is facing is having enough data to support practical usage of the technology. Businesses need access to more data to create compelling AR products.
Though, the augmented reality technology still lacks some efficiency in terms of practical use, I believe that soon this technology will make great process in practical business arenas in a way that could change our lives.
Sources:
1. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9245-augmented-reality-for-business.html
2. https://www.pwc.be/en/news-publications/insights/2017/the-evolution-of-augmented-reality.html
3. https://www.inc.com/yazin-akkawi/4-industries-that-augmented-reality-will-take-over-in-2018.html
4. https://www.cio.com/article/3243032/virtual-reality/5-practical-ways-ar-can-be-used-in-business-today.html
Thanks for sharing your interesting views on AR! After having read the mandatory reading article “What Is Disruptive Innovation?” on HBR, I was critically thinking about your statement “companies are constantly looking for ways to make sure that they are the one doing the disrupting instead of being disrupted” in the context of AR. I believe that according to the definition of and criteria for “disruptive innovation”, it is wrong to talk about disruption through AR since it does not enable a smaller company with fewer resources to successfully challenge established incumbent businesses. I rather see AR (at least with its features and applications today) rather as a nice “gimmick” to get customer attention and reduce the risks customers associate with a purchase, therefore increasing the likelihood of purchase.