Alexis Kestler
Augmented reality (AR) is rapidly transitioning from novelty to mainstream, forming the foundation for the next major computing platform. This immersive technology overlays digitally-created content onto our real-world environment, unlocking game-changing applications across every industry.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive deep into the factors propelling AR‘s exponential growth, development tools and platforms enabling it, emerging trends, applications across sectors, and outlook for the future.
The Current State of AR – Statistics and Market Data
AR has seen massive growth over the past few years, indicating rising consumer appetite and business adoption. According to market intelligence firm IDC, worldwide spending on AR solutions will surge from $16.6 billion in 2021 to over $72 billion by 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate of 56.1%.
Gartner forecasts that 70% of enterprises will implement AR by 2025, up from 30% in 2020. 30% of online shoppers already prefer retailers with AR capabilities according to an Accenture report. This indicates that AR commerce will soon become the norm.
Chart: Rising enterprise adoption of AR (Image credit: Gartner)
The AR apps market alone is projected to grow from $2.8 billion in 2021 to $9.2 billion by 2024 per ResearchAndMarkets. VC funding for AR startups has topped $1.5 billion in the first half of 2021, already surpassing prior years.
Apple and Google report over 250 million ARKit-enabled iOS devices and 400 million ARCore-enabled Android devices respectively. These SDKs are fueling massive AR app ecosystems on mobile.
All the statistics point to soaring use of AR technology. But what‘s driving this exponential growth?
Key Growth Drivers
Several interlinked factors are catalyzing AR‘s rise. These include:
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Hardware improvements – AR headsets are becoming smaller, more powerful and immersive with enhanced displays, sensors and chipsets. We‘ll explore hardware evolution later in this article.
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Developer tools – AR SDKs like ARKit and ARCore combined with game engines like Unity and Unreal provide robust tooling to build AR apps. Asset stores enable easy procurement of AR content.
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5G rollout – Lower latency 5G networks tackle a key AR pain point – limited connectivity speeds – enabling richer, real-time AR experiences.
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Edge computing – Performing AR processing on local edge servers rather than the cloud significantly reduces latency issues.
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AI integration – AR leverages AI for crucial functions like plane detection, motion tracking, object recognition and occlusion. Continued AI advances will make AR apps smarter.
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Consumer readiness – After enjoying AR in mobile apps, consumers are hungry for more immersive, extended sessions through headsets with hands-free capabilities.
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Pandemic impact – COVID-19 led to remote work and learning at an unprecedented scale. AR enables superior virtual collaboration and education, even from home.
These factors are setting the stage for AR‘s irreversible rise. Now let‘s explore the diverse platforms and tools empowering AR creation.
AR Development Platforms and Tools
A rich ecosystem of AR software kits, cloud services and other tools exists today, simplifying AR app creation.
||Platform|Description|Use Cases|
|-|-|-|-|
|Microsoft|Mesh|Enables collaborative AR/VR sessions on multiple devices|Remote work, design collaboration|
|Google|ARCore|AR SDK for Android devices|Gaming, navigation, shopping|
|Apple|ARKit|AR SDK for iOS devices|Retail, education, field services|
|Amazon|Sumerian|Browser-based AR/VR development|Training simulations, digital tours|
|Unity|MARS, AR Foundation|Toolkit and SDK for cross-platform AR creation|AR prototyping, game development|
|CoSpaces|CoSpaces Edu|AR/VR creation for education|Immersive lessons and experiences for students|
|Zappar|ZapWorks|End-to-end AR platform|eCommerce, publishing, marketing|
Table: Snapshot of leading AR platforms and use cases
These platforms provide the foundational tools for AR creators and developers. But to understand AR‘s true disruptive potential, we need to explore the breakthrough applications it has enabled across sectors.
AR Use Cases Across Industries
AR is driving transformation in almost every industry today. Let‘s look at some high impact real-world applications.
Retail – Enhanced shopping experiences
AR allows shoppers to visualize products in their own environments before buying. Apps like IKEA Place, Amazon View in Room and Houzz use ARKit and ARCore to render true-to-scale 3D models of furniture and décor items over smartphone camera feeds. Potential returns are lowered while conversion rates rise.
Makeup brands like L‘Oréal enable virtual makeup trials through AR. In-store AR mirrors like those by Obsess let shoppers try entire looks in seconds without physical touchpoints.
Automotive – Immersive car shopping
AR is changing how people shop for cars. Hyundai‘s Shopper Assurance app visualizes configured cars in the real world using AR. Volvo, Toyota and others have launched similar AR apps that overlay cars in your driveway or landmarks. Customers get peace of mind knowing if a car fits their lifestyle and space before purchasing.
Manufacturing and Field Service – Efficient workflows
AR wearables are improving frontline worker workflows. Workers can view step-by-step AR overlays for assembly, maintenance and repairs. This reduces errors and training time. Boeing uses AR headsets to provide aircraft technicians with real-time interactive 3D reference models during complex wiring tasks.
Education – Interactive learning
AR enables unprecedented levels of student engagement. Apps like Froggipedia let students interact with virtual 3D animal models. Magic Leap’s Create app turns the classroom into an AR canvas for students. Augmented labs, virtual field trips and more immersive learning formats are possible with AR.
Marketing – Immersive brand experiences
AR unlocks new possibilities for experiential marketing. Captivating AR try-ons, product demos and interactive brand portals allow for differentiated, memorable customer engagement. During the 2022 Winter Olympics, Facebook offered VR broadcasts and AR events on Instagram to bring fans closer to the action.
These examples offer a snapshot of AR‘s versatility in driving value across industries. Next, let‘s analyze some rising AR technology trends.
Key AR Tech Trends
Certain AR technologies on the horizon have huge disruptive potential:
Collaborative AR – Shared immersive experiences are the next frontier of AR, enabled by platforms like Microsoft Mesh. Collaborative AR allows remote teams to interact with virtual 3D content together.
Hyper-realism – Photorealistic, human-quality AR avatars that capture subtleties like clothing textures, skin features and expressions will redefine social interactions and vr collaboration.
AI integration – Continued AI advancements around spatial mapping, activity tracking, voice control etc. will make AR apps far more intuitive and responsive.
contacts: AR hardware innovation is propelling experiences forward. AR smart contact lenses which overlay digital imagery directly into our eyes are slated to arrive by 2030.
5G + Edge – As mentioned earlier, faster 5G networks and edge computing will tackle AR‘s core connectivity challenges to enable more advanced functionality.
AR Cloud – Persistent, real-world AR experiences viewable across different devices will be enabled by spatial computing solutions like Google‘s ARCore Depth API.
These breakthroughs will drive the next phase of limitless AR innovation.
Development Considerations
For developers building AR apps, certain best practices should be kept in mind:
- Focus on lightweight apps catered to phone hardware using ARCore, ARKit, not resource-heavy graphics
- Leverage incremental AR using phone sensors, not full overlay AR demanding headsets
- Enable shared experiences via multiuser capabilities offered by platforms like ZapWorks
- Fine-tune UI/UX for an intuitive interface accounting for user‘s field of view
- Assess technical feasibility to match app capabilities with target device limitations
- Test extensively across use cases and environments to optimize performance
Adhering to these principles will help build performant AR apps offering delightful user experiences.
The Road Ahead
Consumer appetite for augmented reality is at an all-time high, and the technology finally has the foundation to deliver on its promise. With AR platforms reaching maturity, 5G rolling out, headsets getting closer to mainstream adoption and more immersive apps launching across sectors, AR‘s hockey stick growth trajectory seems inevitable.
We are headed toward an exciting mixed reality future where information will seamlessly overlay every moment and environment. Our computing devices will transition from external rectangles to innate sensory abilities integrated into our bodies. As augmented reality exponentially transforms how we learn, play, work and connect with others, the possibilities will truly be endless.
