Due to all these variables, the augmented reality market is set to reach a value of $500 billion within the year 2027, growing at a CAGR of 63% as per the Global markets. If you want to become a part of this growth, you should know about the process of Augmented Reality (AR) Software Development.

Different Types of Augmented Reality Apps

There are various augmented reality applications including markerless, location-based, superimposition AR solutions, and marker-based. Here are some of the applications you should check-

• Marker-Based AR

The applications make use of particular markers like the QR code or other images. The 3D contents in the apps are placed in the world that is relative to, on top of the marker. 

For example, if you see the example Playstation 3 Wonderbook, this gaming peripheral will allow the players to view the spell book on the screen. The book will rotate and move when they are picking up the device and move it around too. The camera makes use of patterns as a reference for displaying the AR contents; technology is often used today on Snapchat and Instagram.

• Location-Based AR

When the users enter a particular location, the AR application makes use of that data to accurately display the virtual contents. This is the process to show the AR works. Apart from just displaying an object in relative space, the developers will show the objects in geographical space for the users to interact with. Technology-wise, location-based AR depends on the GPS, digital compass, and accelerometer. Some of the approaches to fulfill the position include BLE (Bluetooth low energy) beacons, low-range Wi-Fi Direct, VPS or the Visual Positioning System, UWB or Ultra wideband, and so on.

• Markerless AR

Instead of using the set patterns and codes for triggering contents, the markerless AR makes use of the camera for detecting the patterns in the environment as motion sensors to detect surfaces and place the 3D objects. It typically involves different technologies working together like GPS or other location tracking tools, digital compass, camera, depth sensors, and accelerometer.

All the latest devices are equipped with LiDAR and ToF for improving precision. So, the markerless AR is powered not just by the depth sensors and other positioning data, but also by ML algorithms placed on top of the data. This helps the users to have an accurate rendering of 3D contents and power up the illusion where the digital contents are subjected to the real world. An example of markerless AR is Pokemon Go.

• Superimposition AR

This type of AR includes the digital replacement of an object and then superimposing the virtual object on top. For example, an app that is used for digitally changing the colour of the couch can be said to superimpose AR.

The technologies for using the augmented reality app development will depend upon lots of factors like the type of hardware used, the available power unit of the device, and the type of application being used.

Augmented Reality Platforms for Mobile Platforms

Smartphones provide lots of advantages over the other available AR platforms. They are not just popular in the market but they are too portable. The use of AR in smartphones helps consumers to have better accessibility. Although the use of AR in mobile phones is not as immersive and powerful, it has the potential to be powerful and it is one of the most important augmented reality trends for keeping track of.

Apart from these, mobile AR is also an affordable way for businesses to join the metaverse trend. You can try out the solutions that will allow you to test the cosmetics or clothes before you make the final decision to buy. The augmented reality avatars and filters help the users to communicate with the brands virtually.

There are 3 approaches toward mobile AR that businesses should choose and they are-

• Native android AR applications with ARCore
• Cross-platform Apps
• Native iOS AR applications with ARKit

The native AR Software Development will allow the developers to take up the benefit of the device’s power. On the other hand, the cross-platform application will not be able to take advantage of powerful native features but they are helpful to reduce the development time to a greater extent. Making a similar app with the native development code on every platform will be expensive but when power and features are included, they become highly effective.

AR Development Tool Kits for iOS Devices

• Location Anchors

The location anchors will allow the developers to affix the virtual objects in the real world with the use of geographic coordinates.

• Depth API

The Depth API is another important feature powered by ARKit 4 that continues to play a vital role in ARKit 5 and ARKit 6. It makes use of hardware features for AR on mobile devices, the LiDAR scanner on iPad Pro and also iPhone 12 Pro, and the latest models.

AR Development Tool Kits for Android Devices

• Cloud Anchors

This tool will allow the users to place the virtual objects in the physical space that can be viewed by the other users on their devices. Google has made sure that Cloud Anchors will be seen by the users on iOS devices too.

• AR Faces

The ARCore will allow the developers to work with facial rendering by producing a 3D model of the same. The masks and filters will be applied after the user’s face gets identified. It is one of the most popular cases with AR faces in Android phones.

The major concept behind augmented reality defines technology that has the capacity to transform what is seen in real life, meaning your actual reality. It serves to augment the traveller’s experience and boost their excitement while touring different places. It has become the most ideal tool for tourism. Both tourists and tourism companies can take advantage of the value and opportunities that it opens up.

Opting for augmented reality (AR) software development produces products that could have object or image recognition, or be location dependent. AR software has shown a proven capacity to transform the travel and tourism business. In this way it upgrades a user’s actual environment by including a range of different audiovisual and digital effects such as animation, videos, 3D models, specific audio bytes. 

Augmented Reality (AR) Software Development and Its Benefits in Tourism

Draw in prospects before they begin their travel or tour

Turn the taxing travel planning into an enjoyable experience. Street signs, transportation timetables or tourist maps could be enhanced with virtual dealings which users will see via their smartphone camera. 

Typical travel brochures do not interest tourists these days as they expect to view their itineraries on AR-based travel apps. The apps present to them information in a highly engaging 3D manner. Looking for restaurants, fast food joints, parks and transport becomes enjoyable in itself. Thanks to AR you can elevate travellers’ experience, promote your business as an innovative one and spread awareness of your brand. 

Guide your customers

Augmented reality will help your clients as they look for what they want such as bars, hotels, a must-see building, a famous area. As tourists focus their phone on a particular sign or object, the software will offer them various interesting details about it. Think of a time when a tour guide offered you a great experience, with AR technology it can be considerably more entertaining and attractive. Physical brochures would be a thing of the past while tourists can access everything through their AR enabled smartphones.   

This technology works in such a way that it dramatically elevates traveller’s usage of maps, turning them into interactive and enjoyable interfaces. With a fun-to-use and interactive way to navigate, travellers will no longer be confused or lost in an unfamiliar place. 

AR for a new level of hotel hospitality

Using augmented reality (AR) software development products opens up a wide range of potential to boost bookings and interact with hotel guests. Digitally superimposed informational content presented via gamification, 3D videos and other interactive videos to encourage guests to check various rooms in your hotel as well as all the amenities on offer. AR based hotel tours can display the entire range of services that a hotel offers in an attractive and convenient manner. 

AR hotel menu

While on vacation, food and drink are also major aspects that tourists need to think of. Hotel’s can use AR-based menus to showcase their offering in an attractive way. This would also be a good advertising platform for various promotional channels. The software would entice a wider guest base, prompting them to visit your restaurant thanks to excellent visual reviews and advertising. Another way to use AR in a restaurant is as a source of engagement during wait times after ordering their meal. 

Visiting places of interest

Using superimposed digital assistance, 3D characters and animated content allows guests to explore the sites they want to visit, making them more interesting and attractive to tourists. In fact, augmented reality (AR) software development turns the travellers’ smartphones into their own personalised tour guide. They are able to learn about fascinating details while touring various places. AR software can narrate the story of a ruined fortress or animate a dinosaur with movement and sound effects and many other fascinating things. 

While travelling is fun on its own, to kick it up a notch further tourism companies can include location-based gamification in their apps, allowing travellers to take part in virtual treasure hunts and other games through which they can collect points that they can redeem at physical stores and outlets. Moreover, AR content can also be shared by travellers on their social media, thus promoting tourism companies to their followers and friends. 

AR advertisements 

In the travel and tourism sector AR has broadened the ways to bring in revenue with engaging advertising in airports, train stations, bus shelters and so on. A scan of code will display the AR advertisement on user’s smartphones. Several businesses are taking advantage of virtual billboards to promote their brands in places like malls, airports, busy squares etc. Research suggests that AR ads have led to considerably higher customer conversions than other types of conventional advertisement. 

In the realm of tourism, augmented reality has substantial scope in the future. Both tourists and tourism companies can reap the advantages. Prior to setting out on their travels, people can experience virtual tours of a place and decide whether or not they would like to visit it or pick another place that will suit them better. AR tourism experience is a lucrative venture promoted by a host of businesses to advertise a range of famous travel destinations. It’s clear that augmented reality (AR) software development leads to effective products that engage travellers and tourists, giving them exceptional experiences and prompting them to come back for more.

AR is making huge inroads especially in the sphere of skill development and training in various industry environments. Basically, everything that is impossible to accomplish through conventional training is carried out effortlessly using AR apparatus. Be it anatomical models or space related topics, AR is being used to render stimulating learning experiences.

Let’s begin by getting a clear idea of AR and its implementation.

Defining Augmented Reality

Putting it simply, Augmented Reality essentially describes digitally augmenting actual reality, where real-world settings are overlaid with digital information and content, offering highly critical and beneficial interactions. When the actual reality is blended with the digital content, AR enables you to incorporate digital layers upgrading the user experience in a range of environments.

Owing to AR, an object in real-life is imbued with an interactive and multi-faceted manifestation on the screen that responds to the changes in the user’s environment, offering them enhanced information from their digital interactions.

Major Sectors That Are Leveraging AR-Based

Medical training through immersive technology

The use of Augmented Reality (AR) software development to create innovations in healthcare training is increasingly expanding. In the healthcare sphere, AR-powered staff training has already been integrated into the benefits and treatment effectiveness that patients receive from hospital and other medical setups. Everyone involved including diagnostic center employees, doctors, medics, therapists can take advantage of AR-based applications to gain a highly insightful view of the human anatomy and actual patients’ organs and body parts that are affected. Through AR they can train with visual guides to tackle a range of ailments and medical procedures.

The most important aspect about these AR-based medical training is that it allows healthcare workers such as doctors and caregivers to boost their skills, offering them scaled-up versions of medical phenomena to train them in ways to efficiently deal with them. Through this extensive medical training taking into account various facets of the medical practice will elevate the care quality and ability to safeguard an increasing number of patient’s lives.

Training of manufacturing employees through AR

In the demanding manufacturing sector where the accuracy-driven input and joining of different parts play a critical role in ensuring that the finished product is as expected, Augmented Reality (AR) software development is proving to offer considerable benefits. Consider automobile manufacturing plants where a range of technicians on the factory floor assemble different components together to form an automobile. Fixing all these components and parts together with complete precision is critically important.  

Currently, at a large number of automobile manufacturing plants it has become standard practice to use AR technology.  AR smart glasses created under Augmented Reality (AR) software development offer users a multifaceted responsive view of the car components, motors, and local environment offering workers a clear visual guide on the components that they need to assemble together and weld in place until the finished product is created perfectly.

The outcome is no inaccuracies in the manufacturing process.

Field service training with AR

For many electronic appliance and consumer durable producers machine maintenance and servicing at intervals is a critical aspect of their business services. Field service technicians are trained to resolve a large amount of troubleshooting activities, methods to identify issues, and gaining expert manpower as well as maintenance equipment.

At present, field service staff get training in detection of problems and troubleshooting exercises with the help of AR apparatus offering them remote guidance. While the field worker is carrying out their task, the AR goggles offer an augmented view of the device or gadget to support them in real time.  

Armed with 3D views and an interactive background, technicians can explore the various components of the machine and tools and work quickly and precisely to complete the tasks. Using dynamic solutions through Augmented Reality (AR) software development, technicians gain a highly comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand and are aware of various ways in which to fix the problem effectively.

AR application in education

The fact that smart devices have penetrated most of the global market and are highly affordable today has made AR apps commonplace in the classroom, benefitting both students and teachers. AR e-learning apps are built to ensure ease-of-use and high engagement.

AR software development products have considerably enhanced the learning experience by integrating the actual reality with digital inputs in real time. AR allows learners to carry out risky experiments through a safe platform, visualize multifaceted things, and work with normally inaccessible machinery.

As learners can directly control enhanced components of their digital environment it can lead to enhanced understanding among them. With AR based applications learners are more likely to have long term retention of the concepts and study materials as they have been able to directly engage with learning concepts in an enjoyable and immersive way.

The uses cases for Augmented Reality (AR) software development solutions are vast. AR technology is being leveraged in a range of enterprise training environments in a number of industry sectors.  It is safe to say that AR is transforming training.