DECEMBER 2017 | MANE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | 3
AUGMENTED REALITY
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF AR LOOK LIKE?
ugmented Reality (AR) is becoming more widely available thanks in part to new applications and devices with AR support. Apple’s new iOS 11 update
brings with it ARKit, a new framework that allows you to easily create unparalleled augmented reality experiences for iPhone and iPad. Apple touts augmented reality as a means of blending digital objects and information with the environment around you - ARKit takes apps beyond the screen, freeing them to interact with the real world in entirely new ways. Tim Cook has been hyping AR as the next big revolution even before Apple released ARKit in June. According to a new research report, the AR market is set to hit $62 billion (USD) by 2023. There is a growing demand for AR capable devices and applications. Google says augmented reality will be on 'hundreds of millions' of its Android devices next year. Similar to Apple’s ARKit, Google announced ARCore over the summer. ARCore is a tool that will allow developers to write augmented reality apps for millions of Android devices.
A new report has revealed Apple is aiming to launch an AR wearable in 2019, with plans to start shipping in 2020. It’s rumoured that the device will have its own display and run on a new chip and operating system, unlike Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Daydream headsets, both of which rely on phones to do the heavy lifting. Head-mounted displays, like Apple’s rumoured AR wearable, allow a user to wear the display device on the head and place images of the real and virtual environments over the user’s view.With advancements in computing, AR-enabled devices would be used for applications in consumer, commercial, and enterprise. Consumer applications such as gaming, sports, and entertainment would boost the augmented reality market for head-mounted displays.
Before AR headsets hit the market, AR will be readily available to most smartphone devices running iOS or Android. Many apps have already been released with the technology including IKEA’s new app, IKEA Place. The app lets you virtually place IKEA products in your room allowing you to see how a piece of furniture will look in your home before you purchase it and assemble it. According to the app’s developers “The app includes 3D and true-to-scale models of everything from sofas and armchairs to footstools and coffee tables. IKEA Place gives you an accurate impression of the furniture’s size, design and functionality in your home so you can stop wondering and start doing.” If you’re happy with the item, you can purchase it directly from the app itself. More consumer applications should be available in the coming months. ■
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