What’s the big deal about Augmented Reality?

Nowadays, technology has advanced to such a level that the digital world has started to integrate with the real world. No, I’m not talking about the popular anime series Digimon. I’m actually speaking about the phenomenon which is augmented reality. Virtual reality was one thing, as it has a world entirely of its own. Augmented reality has actually crossed that barrier and without even disturbing the physical plane of the real world, has made itself a part of it.

Various fields associated with graphics have grown to be more sophisticated than ever, but developers and researchers just weren’t impressed. They have managed to pull those said graphics out of your screen and display them in a real-world setting.

Below are a few marvels of Augmented Reality – or AR – which people most wonder about and I’ll share the answers with you and how it has impacted real life.

It alters reality

Before, you used to walk by a certain place and never even notice it. AR has certainly increased everyone’s views and how they perceive the world. It has affected our lives so much that now when the term reality has to be used, you need to further define it to show what you mean. We have become so reliant on computer aided reality that this basic term has become diffused.

How does it do that?

AR projects a live view of your environment and used a few features which are augmented, as the term states. It is done so by a sensory input and in the form of GPS data, camera, video, and sound.

How is it different from Virtual Reality?

Augmented Reality is different from Virtual Reality in the sense that it only takes up a part, or view, of a piece of reality and modifies it to generate graphics. In Virtual Reality, you’re shifted to a completely different world and experience. Augmented Reality shows its magic while retaining your position in the real world.

What part does Pokémon Go play in AR?

The new hit game had everyone’s head scratching, as most people had their first encounter with Augmented Reality Gaming. Created by Niantic for iOS and Android, one of the basic requirements of the game is to physically move around your map and capture fictional creatures called Pokémon with the aid of GPS and your smartphone’s camera. While everyone had heard of Pokémon one way or the other, people who had previously never played or watched Pokémon were intrigued because of the supplementation of augmented reality.

Who would’ve guessed that one of the first hits in augmented reality based cell-phone gaming would be by Pokémon? People have finally stopped worshipping Candy Crush Saga. According to SurveyMonkey, it has officially become the “biggest mobile game in U.S. history.” It has further bypassed the daily users of Twitter, has more daily activity – if not users than Facebook, and more downloads than Tinder. It has increased stock value of The Pokémon Company and Nintendo, the official creators of Pokémon

Pokémon Go has peaked user engagement to sky-rocketing levels. You can train your Pokémon, have them battle with other players or trainers as they’re called, and make your Pokémon evolve. It’s free to play and includes in-app purchases for additional gameplay items. Niantic has stated that we only see one-third of what they have planned for this game. Who knows what other updates and additional features we can look forward to? My hope is for trainer battles.

How can Augmented Reality benefit school children?

Augmented reality applications have taken over the traditional forms of teaching. It uses them to further increase the productivity of students, especially school-going children. By means of flash cards, gadgets, and other instructive materials, instead of just reading and writing, students with the aid of augmented reality can experience learning in a form of sound, sight, and quick responses as well.

For design students

Students of architecture and design find it highly beneficial to study with the aid of augmented reality. Mockups, models, and supposed placement of a product can be imagined in a real world plane. It brings a relation between your design and the environment to the next level. It helps to work more efficiently. Creating a conceptual model to express the theme of a design can be very complicated to explain. With the aid of AR, it’d prove far easier to explain your design to your client. Students can place their designed objects or ideas so that clients and teachers can fully understand its value.

New researches and developments in augmented reality are continuing to make their way to the market. It is speculated that in the upcoming years, even medical treatments can be undertaken by using this kind of technology to study the inside of a human body. Innovation and technology have really surpassed our expectations and it shows that the market is fast evolving and trends are quickly changing. So much can be expected from augmented reality that it’s really exciting and gives us a lot to look forward to.