Augmented Reality – Is it just a gimmick?

MIT's SixthSense Device

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last eighteen months or so, you will be familiar with the term augmented reality (AR). Using a simple webcam and a computer screen, developers of the technology are able to transform a ‘bar coded’ piece of paper into a product like a BMW Z4 which can virtually drive across the work desk leaving behind paint from its wheels. While it seems exciting, the very existence of this technology has divided the general public. Many in the industry claim it to be one of the most important technological advances in a generation, something which may, one day, change the way we live our lives. Sceptics, however, argue that it is merely a gimmick; a passing fad which though entertaining now, will be thrown into the abyss of failed technologies once the novelty has worn off. While there is still confusion as to what exactly this technology is capable of, one thing is for sure; people are talking about augmented reality like never before.

So, let us start with the facts. Retail companies across the world are already dedicating themselves to AR technology as a way to market their products. AR retail company Holition, for example, have created applications for a wide variety of businesses, including BMW, the watch manufacture Tissot, and world renowned jewellers De Beers. The Tissot application allows customers to experience the T-Touch collection online in full interactive 3D. To take the technology to the masses, an augmented reality application was fixed onto the window at Selfridges in Oxford Street, London, which allowed customers to virtually ‘try on’ the watches. A fun gimmick? Perhaps. Although the 85% increase in sales at Tissot in Selfridges may suggest otherwise.

And this is only the beginning. Currently, developers are integrating the technology into handheld devices like the iPhone, which allows users to access information at the palm of their hands. Over the next half a decade or so, I expect that AR technology will not only make its way into four main areas, but also cement itself in them.

Consumerism

Men. Ooh how we hate changing rooms in department stores. While women could spend what seems like an eternity trying on clothes, we just want to get in and out with as little fuss as humanly possible. Indeed, with AR technology, the days of the dreaded changing room fiasco are seemingly coming to an end. Technology is being developed that allows customers to peel through catalogues and virtually ‘try on’ products without the need to continually change clothing. All that is needed is a standard ‘bar coded’ t-shirt, a webcam, an interactive screen, and the willingness never to step foot in a changing room again! The ‘bar coded’ t-shirt acts as a template which the user puts on. He then enters a product code on the interactive screen, which instantly shows the user wearing the new product. Customers can then cycle through the catalogue and ‘try on’ each item at will.

But we all know how women love to shop.  And frankly, they will not be satisfied with wearing a ‘bar coded’ t-shirt that shows what they will look like in their new outfit. They like to see how the new dress they want sways in the air as they move their arms and hips. Then, of course, there is the subject of size. “I’m a size 8 in this shop whereas I’m a size 12 in the one across the road” will sound familiar to every male ever to take his better half out shopping for the day. But females, you need not worry, AR has thought of you too. AR technology can not only tell the consumer what size would fit their shape best, but British firm C-InStore have developed a ‘Magic Mirror’ which shows what the product looks like on the customer in 3D, and even shows the product moving with the customer. Eventually, customer reviews will also be shown onscreen.

But augmented reality doesn’t end with retail products alone.  Users will soon be able to point their future handheld AR devices at other outlets like a restaurant for example, and access customer reviews within seconds. ‘The salmon steak was undercooked. Two out of five stars.’  I think I’ll give this place a miss.

Advertising

As we all know, advertising is an expensive business. Magazine adverts for example, can often run into the thousands of pounds as companies attempt to promote their products through eye catching large designs and slogans. But now, with augmented reality incorporated into the advertising machine, a new type of advertising can be developed whereby ‘bar-codes’ would be placed on the page for the consumer to hold up to a webcam. Not only will prices be driven down as more ads could fit on a page, but the consumer will also receive more information about the product, for example video links and reviews, and maybe even information regarding the company.

Education

Reading textbooks is not every students idea of a good time, especially when it comes to homework. But imagine a textbook that is able to show documentaries of historical events, re-enactments of First World War battles, or even interviews with historians as you read over Britain’s involvement in the Great War. Every text book could become a handheld History/Discovery Channel, exposing both students and adults alike to a greater variety of knowledge. Education will surely change for the better.

Entertainment

Many parents currently are concerned that their children are being raised by their computer consoles. While the Playstation, Microsoft Xbox and various Nintendo consoles have been around for decades now, recently, particularly since the rise of online gameplay, teenagers are no longer feeling the need to get out of the house and interact with others. Why play football in the park with your mates when you could just as easily play as Wayne Rooney on FIFA 2011, with your online friend ‘Steven Gerrard’ helping you score passed another group of boys playing against you? Step in augmented reality. Soon we will see handheld AR gaming devices on the market that will instruct users to go to certain locations in their city and perform a ‘virtual’ task. This massive online game will not only get youngsters out of the house, but it will also allow them to interact with others while doing so.

Ok, so maybe a handheld AR computer gaming device on the market in five years is a little optimistic, but this is the way the technology is heading.

Conclusion

Is augmented reality perfect? Of course it isn’t. And its developers aren’t claiming it to be either. The technology is still in its primitive stages of development which is clear for all to see (holding a bar coded sheet of paper up to a webcam to see the desired image/video is not ideal). But the augmented reality of today gives us something else; possibility. Possibility to improve our lives in a way thought only imaginable in sci-fi movies. Imagine never having to step foot in a changing room again. Imagine pointing your AR device at your local cinema to see when the next screening of Twilight is.

Is augmented reality a gimmick solely for entertainment purposes? Perhaps it once was. But we are now entering a new chapter in the development of AR, one which could very well revolutionise the way we shop, educate our children, and yes, even the way we have fun! Look at the possibilities augmented reality can bring rather than basing your opinion of the technology at its most primitive stage.  Give AR a chance to develop. You never know, you just might like it.