The Boom of Augmented Reality

Everyday we all use a number of different apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram or Twitter. Those who ever planned to refurbish their homes and are inclined towards interior decoration must have used or at least have a slight inkling of home furnishing apps such as IKEA. These apps allow users to see how the furniture looks in different rooms and where it fits the most. Just by pointing the camera towards the exact place, users can see the object in the foreground. Another such example is of Virtual Try on Shopping where customers can see which outfit, accessories, or make up best suits them. All this is happening because of  the Augmented Reality which greatly reduces basket drop rate for companies.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented Reality is a technology that provides an interactive experience through computer generated content. The users get an enhanced version of the physical world through a combination of composite elements such as visuals or auditory features. It is becoming an important aspect for businesses belonging to manufacturing, shopping and retail sectors. It has helped in the optimization of processes, resulted in operational efficiencies by minimizing production delays and has also helped companies to recognize problems quickly while simultaneously benefitting from human ingenuity and creativity.

According to Harvard Business Review, the manufacturing side of the businesses saw a 32% increase in their productivity after the adoption of Augmented Reality. For example in the healthcare sector, medical professionals are trained through Augmented Reality. AR apps allows them to closely examine different body organs or systems through high quality 3D images that provide each and every detail. These apps mostly work through gadgets such as tablets or smartphones.

There are several benefits of Augmented Reality for the industrial and manufacturing sector as discussed below:

1. Minimizes Risk: Augmented Reality has smoothly embedded in manufacturing processes, substituting the functions of physical equipment and assisting the staff by providing them a safe virtual environment. Workers can learn through such experiences and it also enhances workflow while ensuring that risks are minimized as they practice and carry out tasks virtually.

2. Seamless warehouse management: Augmented Reality makes it possible to efficiently manage the inventory levels and speed up the warehouse processes. Experts can easily detect the problem and fix it. This greatly reduces the downtime and enhances staff training.

3. Increase employee engagement: The interactive and immersive feature of the 3D technology rooted in the Augmented Reality is new and unfamiliar for many employees. As they learn and perform different activities that incorporate AR, their engagement with the task increases. This also saves cost during the product development phase.

As technology is becoming accessible to everyone and has vigorously penetrated in every aspect of our lives, the Augmented Reality market will continue to experience exponential growth.