Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive 3D experience that combines  the real world with computer-generated elements.  AR differs from VR in that VR is a completely independent computer environment, whereas AR places computer elements between real-world objects in real time. Here is an introduction to AR and some common applications of the technology. 

Augmented Reality, commonly referred to as AR, is an interactive 3D image that combines real-world perspectives with real-time computer-generated elements. 

What you need to know about augmented reality or AR 

Augmented reality can appear in a variety of ways, such as  AR glasses that combine computer graphics with a view of the environment, or  a smartphone display that uses a phone camera to perform the same function of viewing and controlling the world in front of you. you. viewer. 

Difference Between Augmented Reality and VR 

They may look like similar technologies and certainly have similar abbreviations, but are fundamentally different. Virtual reality (VR) creates a fully synthesized virtual world inside a headset. As a user, you can enter a 3D environment and  then move  and interact with fully computer-generated elements. 

What is Augmented Reality?

Here's what you need to know about  3D technology: 

VR is completely synthetic, with no elements of the real world. 
 Augmented reality, on the other hand, puts you  in the real world and superimposes virtual elements on the visual layer of the environment. Immersive augmented reality systems can combine  computer elements with real elements with strong depth, perspective, and other rendering characteristics, and augmented reality systems understand the real environment  enough to place those composite elements "in front" and "behind them." do. ". You can meaningfully interact with real objects and otherwise  the real world. 

AR Applications 

The value of AR lies in its way of interpreting, manipulating, and improving the real world in real time. For example, here are some ways  AR is enabled and  used: 

Retail: Perhaps the most important  AR applications for most users are retail applications, especially “try before you buy”. As more people shop at home and pay less attention to public retail space, augmented reality allows consumers to see how a product will look in their own home before purchasing. This will help you take the guesswork out of the buying process. There are already many applications, such as Wayfair, Houzz, and Ikea, that allow you to place furniture and other products in real-world environments. 

Display and Navigation: The Yelp Business Directory app was one of the first AR users to no longer support Monocle features. The monocle looked around on the phone display, overlaying local business information. The callout shows basic information such as the location and distance of the nearest restaurant. This is a variant of the heads-up display (HUD). MercedesBenz, for example, is introducing a car that overlays navigation information on the windshield to help you drive without taking your eyes off the road. 

Education: AR finds its place in the curriculum to improve traditional teaching methods. For example, textbooks may be labeled with codes that can display additional content or 3D rendering when scanned with a smartphone. 
 

Maintenance and Industry: AR has great potential  to significantly reduce reliance on physical technical manuals, while increasing productivity  by superimposing relevant information in the operator's field of view when performing maintenance or other tasks. A well-developed AR system can  understand context to display the desired information, as well as help identify components and workflows through highlighting and overlays. BMW, for example, is doing just that with a pilot program that uses AR on an assembly line. 

Entertainment and Social Media: AR also has great entertainment potential. Magic Leap, for example, is an augmented reality company known to have spent more than $2.6 billion on augmented reality glasses and augmented reality technology platforms, but continues  to attract additional investments without  a commercial product. On a more accessible smartphone platform, TikTok  recently introduced an exclusive AR effect that users can add to their videos. Undoubtedly, this is  just the beginning of the race to create increasingly immersive augmented reality experiences that blur the lines between real and virtual.