In the not-so-distant past, the idea of augmented reality (AR) seemed like something straight out of a science fiction movie. But fast forward to today, and you’ll find that AR has seamlessly integrated into our everyday gadgets, turning pixels into exciting and tangible experiences.
What is AR?
Derived from the Latin word ‘augere,’ meaning to add or increase, augmented reality (AR) virtually integrates digital objects into the real world. Also referred to as mixed reality, AR enhances the physical world by overlaying virtual images onto tangible objects.
This concept shares similarities with virtual reality, as both leverage artificial digital elements to craft immersive experiences. In essence, AR digitally positions objects onto the surfaces of existing real-life entities.
Examples of Augmented Reality
Snapchat
Snapchat is a cool American messaging app with lots of fun filters. Here’s how it works: First, it uses artificial intelligence to find your face. Then, it adds these cool filters to your face digitally. It looks so real and natural because of augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
Photography and Editing
On the internet, you might see videos of tattoos that seem to move and change colors permanently. Guess what? It’s not magic but augmented reality! People use special software with augmented reality on their devices. They create an algorithm, so when the device looks at the tattoo, it adds a video that moves and changes colors. So, the tattoo stays the same, but a virtual video makes it look like it’s changing. Cool, right?
Pokemon Go
Pokémon GO is a great example of AR. It started in 2016 and quickly became popular with people of all ages. The idea was to make a game that not only uses digital tech but also gets people moving. This game tackled the problem of online games making people unhealthy. In the game, you find and catch cartoon characters that seem to be in the real world. Thanks to augmented reality, the characters and the experience feel super real and genuine.
Interior Decorations App
We all want our home to be just right, but big changes like painting the walls or buying new furniture can be hard to undo. That’s why there are apps that let us virtually try out changes before making them. We can put a picture over our stuff to see how it would look. This way, we can try different combinations and pick the best one.
Apps like Asian Paints and IKEA Place use augmented reality to help with interior decoration.
Google Street View
Regular maps have some limitations when it comes to giving us lots of details about a place. But digital maps on our phones are super easy to use, and they have a cool bonus: we can zoom in! Now, Google Maps has this awesome feature called Street View, taking maps to the next level.
With Street View, we can see live direction arrows and markings right in front of us. It uses augmented reality to put this info on real things around us. So, maps become even easier, more comfy, and cooler to use!
Neurosurgery
AR is super useful in medicine, especially in brain surgeries called neurosurgery. It’s like the perfect helper for doctors. AR shows digital images of blocked or damaged nerves, making it easier for doctors to do the surgery without making mistakes.