Augmented Reality (AR) is a revolutionary piece of technology and has opened up a bunch of opportunities in the tech industry. In 2017, the worldwide AR market was 3.48 billion dollars, whilst the forecast for 2025 shows a stunning 198.17 billion dollars market size (Liu, 2019). This forecast shows the great potential of this technology, but what is AR exactly and how is it used?
AR is commonly mistaken for VR. VR means virtual reality and is the immerse experience of a completely virtual world instead of the physical world. AR, however, is the technology of adding a layer of digital elements to the real-time physical world, often established by using a camera (The Franklin Institute, n.d.). One of the most popular examples of an AR experience, is the Pokémon GO app. This huge success has sparked even more game studios to enter the AR gaming market. Niantic, the same game studio behind Pokémon GO, has launched a similar game based around Harry Potter (Niantic, n.d.). Also, the game studio behind the well-known sandbox game Minecraft, Mojang, announced that they will launch an AR version of the game this month (October 2019) (Minecraft.net, n.d.).
But AR is not only disrupting mobile gaming but can also be useful in different environments:
• Using 3D-models in the classroom can be a very innovative and interactive way of education, especially if students have a hard time concentrating.
• Museums can add an optional layer of additional information using AR.
• Medical students can use AR to study the anatomy of the human body using their phone.
All these countless applications show the sheer amount of impact AR can make in so many different areas. The market potential and application potential show how powerful this technology will be in the coming years. It makes you wonder which new markets will be disrupted in the future, but it should also make you wonder how this technology can be a threat to privacy and how it can blur the line between digital and reality (Ivankov, 2019).
References
Ivankov, A. (2019). Advantages and Disadvantages of Augmented Reality | Profolus. [online] Profolus. Available at: https://www.profolus.com/topics/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-augmented-reality/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].
Liu, S. (2019). Global augmented reality market size 2025. [online] Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/897587/world-augmented-reality-market-value/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].
Minecraft.net. (n.d.). Veelgestelde vragen over Earth. [online] Available at: https://www.minecraft.net/nl-nl/earth/faq/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].
Niantic. (n.d.). Products. [online] Available at: https://nianticlabs.com/products/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].
The Franklin Institute. (n.d.). What’s the Difference Between AR, VR, and MR?. [online] Available at: https://www.fi.edu/difference-between-ar-vr-and-mr [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].
