7 Commonly Asked Questions About Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality is one of the disruptive innovations changing the technology space as well as the way we socialize, do research, and entertain ourselves.
This emerging technology is helping businesses and industries solve problems that they have faced for a long time.
However, as amazing as augmented reality technology is, it's yet to get global recognition, which means many people are still in the dark about what augmented reality software is all about and how they can add value to their lives using augmented reality.
Today we're going to answer the most commonly asked questions about augmented reality.
What is Augmented Reality (AR)?
A quick search for the word “augmentation” reveals it means to “make something greater by adding to it“; this addition is supposed to add more value to what is being augmented.
The above perfectly describes what augmented reality is all about; it's about adding to reality in a way that makes that reality better.
Augmented reality is a technological concept that overlays properties in a real-world environment with virtual properties.
It only enhances the physical properties by providing additional information about the property (like projecting images over the property) without totally replacing them with a virtual property.
Augmented reality is a real-environment + virtual-environment concept, unlike virtual reality, which consists of a completely virtual environment.
How Does Augmented Reality Work?
Augmented reality is like your browser but in a 3D experience rather than on your screen.
Using your smart device's camera, AR software analyzes the physical environment that your camera records and lays additional visual or text information on the properties in your environment.
As you move, the data on the AR display automatically adjusts to provide data about the new properties that your camera records. with new graphical or textual information coming into view while other information passes out of view.
What are the Uses of Augmented Reality?
There are applications of augmented reality in many industries, such as the automobile industry, where it can be used for prototyping and research. Here are some uses of augmented reality.
1. Risk-free Training and Research
AR makes it possible for businesses to train their new employees on the dos and don'ts of their business.
They can teach them how the business operates, how they should attend to customers and other areas of the business's day-to-day activities so they can gain background experience before they start working.
In law enforcement, engineering, and healthcare, AR can be used for training in a completely risk-free environment, with AR software used to simulate real-life situations so that students can understand the procedures.
2. Remote Expert Assistance
AR makes it possible for experts to be in more than one place at the same time and be able to direct procedures in their field effectively.
To illustrate, AR technologies can make remote surgery better as, with AR technology, surgeons can overlay which part of the patient they're trying to get the surgeons who are at the location to look into.
3. Effective Customer Service
Most of the time, customers don't really know how to explain the challenges they're facing, which may affect the kind of customer support they get from the company.
With AR software, customer service agents can see what their customers are trying to explain and be able to recommend solutions effectively.
4. Super fast and Risk-free Medical Diagnosis
As they have to know the nature of a patient's predicament, medical practitioners waste time running tests to diagnose the nature of a disease.
During the process of running the tests, they sometimes waste time and reduce the quality of life of their patients.
With AR, not only is the process faster but also risk-free for the patient.
What Are the Challenges of Augmented Reality?
As good as augmented reality is, there are disadvantages and challenges to using AR platforms.
One such challenge is the security concerns about how AR platforms collect and handle sensitive information about users.
AR software can collect sensitive information about users using biometric data, which is then exposed to various cyber security threats that AR technologies are vulnerable to.
Here are two other challenges to augmented reality.
1. Adaptation and Adoption
AR is an emerging technology that is yet to go mainstream. It's therefore difficult for mass adoption to happen on both individual and business levels.
In addition, people tend to ridicule, reject, and find fault with things that they don't understand. Which means, as it's a new concept, it may face rejection at first and people may struggle to understand how to apply AR technologies to their day-to-day activities.
2. Health Challenges
Addiction, reality modification, mental health challenges, and blurry vision due to overuse of AR equipment are some of the health concerns that experts have raised about augmented reality.
What are the Major Differences Between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (VR)?
The basic difference between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is how they both handle reality.
AR provides additional information to reality, combining both the virtual properties (images, videos, and audio) and real-world properties to make the users' reality better.
On the other hand, VR creates reality for the user in a completely virtual environment. The reality that the user experiences in virtual reality is completely fictional, though it may bear a semblance to properties in the real-world.
Another difference between AR and VR is the user's awareness of their physical environment.
While using AR equipment, the user is completely aware of his physical environment and knows his location, whether he is in a room or in front of a car.
In virtual reality, the user loses track of their physical environment while using VR equipment.
What are the Important Things Required for Augmented Reality?
There's no sophisticated equipment required to access AR technologies, except you need AR glasses and holographic displays for a complicated task.
With your smartphone, you can enjoy access to AR technologies.
Is Augmented Reality Expensive?
It depends on what you really want to do with it. As said earlier, you can access AR technologies with something as simple as a smartphone, but if you want something special, then you have to buy special equipment for augmented reality.
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