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Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality,
a brief overview

Luís Filipe

Luís Filipe

Managing Partner YouX

What is Augmented Reality

What is augmented reality

Augmented Reality is an experience that uses a camera to change or improve the way the user sees the real world. Through a native or web app, virtual elements are superimposed (such as images, videos, sound, documents, 3D elements) to which attributes such as geolocation can be attributed to the real context where the user is.

Over 1000 Million Users

Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Realities are identified as the emerging technologies that will grow the most in the coming years.

The technology is accessible

smartphone users that support augmented reality around the world

Augmented reality smartphones
Source: Statista, 2020, values ​​in Billions

Access to Augmented Reality (usually abbreviated with AR, which results from the name in English Augment Reality) is done mainly through smartphones, tablets, proprietary applications or Snapchat.

Share of VR/AR Users by Type of Access Device in the US | 2018

Augmented reality users
Source: Statista, 2018
Use of Augmented Reality
Source: eMarketer, 2018

Some important milestones in the adoption and growth of Augmented Reality

Milestones of Augmented Reality
Milestones of Augmented Reality
Source: IAB

POKÉMON GO was the main driver of this process, as shown by some of the numbers it achieved:

  • 500 million downloads in the first two months
  • Revenue of 470 Million USD in 82 days.

Pokémon GO is an augmented reality game released in July 2016 for IOS and Android. This game used the GPS and camera of smartphones to allow players to interact with virtual creatures – the Pokémon – that appeared on the devices as if they were in the real world.

Pokemon Go

What makes Augmented Reality grow

the pioneers

Augmented Reality Pioneers

The SDKs 

(software development platforms) of the main technology companies massified the adoption of this technology.

Augmented Reality Players

Some data;

  • In 2019, the Apple Store had more than 2000 AR applications and Google Play had more than 200.
  • As of January 2019, 95% of iPhone users owned an AR-compatible device.
  • Google's ARCode platform is compatible with over 50 Android and IOS devices.

Main Concepts of Augmented Reality

BACKWARD CAMERA ORIENTATION

Back-facing Camera Orientation

Augmented Reality experience in which the camera is moved away from the user to show and manipulate the environment that surrounds him; that is, an AR that, from the environment where the user is inserted, adds elements, such as objects on surfaces, etc.

CAMERA FRONT ORIENTATION

Front-facing Camera Orientation

AR experience in which the camera is oriented towards the user's face, altering some element related to the face; like selfies, face filters etc.

"GLASSES" (HMD)

Head-mounted Display

A device with translucent glasses or glasses that attaches to the user's head allowing them to view virtual images that are projected onto the real world. Google Glass cases, Spectacles by Snap, among others.

MIXED REALITY

Mixed Reality

It's a mix of virtual and augmented reality elements. It spans VR and AR within a broader spectrum called the "Reality-Virtuality Continuum", and attempts to combine elements from the real and virtual worlds in environments where physical and digital objects can live together and interact in real time.

WebAR

WebAR

Augmented reality experiences that the user can upload directly from the web through a browser. With this solution the intermediate step of having to install an app is avoided.

Technologies that enable Augmented Reality

MARKERS

Markers

A type of Augmented Reality experience that uses a specific real-world marker, such as a QR code, image, pattern, or predetermined physical object that the camera recognizes using image recognition software to initiate an AR experience.

WITHOUT MARKER

Markerless

Markless AR technology used to recognize patterns or features in an environment not previously provided to the application. An example is a consumer scanning a real-world environment, such as a table or a room in their home, through their smartphone camera and placing a virtual product there to see what it would look like.

ARKit

ARKit

Apple's platform for developing Augmented Reality for iOS devices. Launched in 2017, this platform is intended to facilitate the development of augmented reality experiences, allowing access to smartphone or iphone motion tracking data, camera scene capture and advanced scene processing and viewing conveniences.

ARCore

ARCore

Google's platform for developing Augmented Reality for Android and IOS devices. It was launched in 2018 and uses motion tracking, environmental awareness and light estimation as its main technologies. It allows AR developers to capture the environment and place objects and information in it.

Curious about Augmented Reality?

Download our AR You-X and test our sample markers .

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