Augmented Reality – Then and now

# AR# augmentedreality# VR# virtualreality

What is Augmented Reality and why would anybody be talking about it NOW, when Pokemon Go is so last year? And what is VR? What’s the difference?

If you have similar questions, this article is a must read!

Augmented Reality (=AR) enhances one’s current percaption of reality, overlaying computer-generated images on top of your view of reality, thus creating a composite view that augments the real world. However, virtual reality (=VR) replaces the real world with a simulated one.

The concept of AR is actually not so new, but the technology behind it has come along way since its inception in 1950 and thanks to the new smartphones’ built in functions and software updates AR went from a futuristic concept to something very real and commonly used.

Just a few of our favourite examples:

Messenger, Instagram and Snapchat filters

We can never get bored of them and yes, it’s AR too!

IKEA Place

If you ever have to convince your SO that a yellow sofa would look just perfect in your living room, this is just the app for you! Easy to use, free of charge.

Facebook AR Studio

Something that we were really looking forward to testing. Facebook has just launched AR Studio in December of 2017 officially embracing the AR-vibe. By playing with this new „toy” users are able to create fun content with the help of the Facebook cam and share them on the platform.

As you can see, AR tech has developed at a breakneck pace over the last couple years. It has become a part of our life and social media presence without us even noticing it. The question is what’s in store for AR?

For the time being we use AR with the help of our smart phones/tablets and experience the feeling via different apps. Tech evangelists claim that the future of AR depends on how and when we can extend the augmented experience outside of our screens, outside of apps in order to unleash content.

By investing in research, testing the current solutions and think out of the box you may get ahead of the curve and create an AR experience with potential marketing value (as IKEA did). Start today, keep an open mind, as this is not even as much „in the future” as you may think.

Author: Nora Ormoshegyi