Not only games and advertising: 7 non-obvious applications of AR technologies
Miscellaneous / / July 26, 2022
We share cases of using augmented reality and tell how this technology makes the world easier and more comfortable.
1. Construction, architecture and design
Elements of augmented reality can be useful in building BIM. These are building information models useful in design and operation. Not just a three-dimensional picture, but a visual aid about the structure, which contains a whole array of data. For example, about the materials used and possible risks during construction. BIM technologies helpWhat is BIM and why developers and government agencies need new technologies / RBC evaluate the prospects of investments in specific projects and make the operation of buildings more comfortable and safe. AR solutions are an important part of such developments, with the help of which investors, builders, realtors, architects and even environmentalists can literally see the shortcomings and advantages of the selected object.
At the household level, AR technologies actively help to make repairs and furnish an apartment. With the help of augmented reality applications, "new clothes" - from sofas to wallpapers - can be tried on to your home right in the store. Or even without leaving home: for example, the famous
marketplace"Yandex. Market" launched the function of "trying on" large household appliances in AR mode / RB.ru developed 3D models of household appliances, which can also be integrated into the interior with the help of AR.2. Education and culture
Twenty years ago, school and university were the main sources of information for children and teenagers. Today, traditional education has to seriously compete with the Internet. And to win the battle for the attention of the younger generation, you have to resort to new technologies. For example, in schools, AR applications are used to create educational quests. Such game formats are also used in museum tours and exhibitions. A separate platform was launched for Russian cultural institutions ARTEFACTArtifact is a project of the Russian Ministry of Culture / ARTEFACT, which helps employees create exhibitions and programs with elements of augmented reality. And visitors usually only need a smartphone to appreciate the symbiosis of classical art and modern technology.
And schoolchildren today can read AR books with "coming aliveAugmented Reality in the Classroom / Mark Billinghurst, Andreas Dünser, The HIT Lab NZ / ResearchGate» 3D stories, watchThe future is already here: modern technologies at the service of metropolitan education / Mos.ru in the context of the operation of the internal combustion engine and observeThe future is already here: modern technologies at the service of metropolitan education / Moc.ru for the respiratory, nervous and digestive systems of a virtual frog. And even drop inAUGMENTED REALITY IN MEDICINE. REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION METHODS AND SELECTION OF A PROTOTYPE OF THE DEVELOPED COMPLEX / System integration in healthcare, No. 7 (37) inside yourself to see the functioning of the organs in real time using a special coded T-shirt and a smartphone application. VR and AR technologies also are usedIn Moscow, MCCS showed virtual reality technologies for teaching schoolchildren / Federal Portal of Russian Education in knowledge diagnostics: this is more interesting than standard tests on paper, and cheating from a neighbor in augmented reality will not work.
3. The medicine
While beauty saves the world in words, technology proves its usefulness in this direction in practice. For example, one California company is still in 2016Application of AR technology in plastic surgery Source: https://ar‑conf.ru/en/news/ispolzovanie‑tehnologii‑dopolnennoy‑realnosti‑v‑plasticheskoy‑hirurgii‑35212 / AR/VR/MR Conference presented an application that uses augmented reality to help plastic surgeons select the optimal implants for operations. And another program usesAUGMENTED REALITY IN MEDICINE. REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION METHODS AND SELECTION OF A PROTOTYPE OF THE DEVELOPED COMPLEX / System integration in healthcare, No. 7 (37) preoperative examinations, such as MRI and CT, to build an individual 3D model of the patient and improve the accuracy and efficiency of the planned intervention.
One more example - AR scannerVein Vein Visualization: The Future of Healthcare is Here / AccuVein, which projects a person's blood vessels onto their skin. The technology makes it easier for nurses to draw blood for analysis or insert a needle for intravenous injection.
4. Metaverses
30 years ago Neil Stevenson in his novel donatedWhat is the metaverse that Zuckerberg wants to create? / TASS the world has two already familiar terms: avatar and metauniverse. The author painted the latter as something fantastic - a happy alternative to the harsh earthly reality, where justice and truth triumph. Today, science fiction is leaving the pages of science fiction and becoming tangible. The Metaverse is a mixed reality in which real, physical objects interact with virtual ones. By the way, the metaverse is not only about VR. Some companies produce equipment that superimposes digital space on real locations - and this is already a case of using AR.
In such a space, people will not only be able to play and hide from everyday life - such a scenario is often drawn by dystopias. By transforming into their avatars and entering the cyberspace, users can conduct work meetings, share useful experience with others without restrictions in geography, time and physical opportunities. For example, travel agents will be able to arrange for their clients a full-fledged immersion in travel to other countries and continents. Designers and fashion designers are moving the production of expensive and often disposable luxury goods and clothing into digital models. This refocusing will greatly help reduceHow the fashion industry can urgently act to reduce its greenhouse‑gas emissions / McKinsey & Company environmental damage from the fashion industry.
The serious intentions of big companies and even governments about the metaverse are increasingly confirmed in the news. For example, Mark Zuckerberg plannedReal estate in the metaverse: what companies sell and is it possible to make money on it / RB.ru spend $10 billion on technology development in 2022 alone. And the government of Dubai goingDubai plans to create 40,000 jobs in the metaverse / Vedomosti create 40,000 jobs in Dubai's own Metaverse.
5. Sport
Today, millions of people are watching esports tournaments - competitions in virtual realities are no longer a joke for anyone. At the same time, in order to enjoy high-tech sports, it is not necessary to go to virtuality - you can stay in the familiar space with one foot. AR helps to combine real training with game quests. For example, in console games, add-ons are often released where the passage of the plot is impossible without doing physical exercises. And some dance and arcade titles are completely tied to real activity: a special camera captures the user's movements, and AR mechanisms project them onto the game character.
Augmented reality is not only an interesting way to massively accustom people to sports at the household level. Such technologies are also useful for professional athletes. For example, American quarterback CJ Bitard thanks to VR training smogHow is VR impacting the sports industry and what challenges remain to be addressed? / RB.ru move from the reserve to the main team. 360° overview videos and the ability to simulate different game situations helped the athlete significantly improve his performance. Such programs are also helpful in learning opponent tactics and adapting to unfamiliar stadiums and help avoid injury while preparing for a competition.
6. cooking
3D menus are brought to restaurants moreKFC augmented reality trickery turns money into food / Digital Training Academy arrived. The opportunity to look at your favorite dishes from all sides whets the appetite and increases customer confidence. And VR helmets for training make it possible saveWhy (and how) to use gamification in staff training: KFC experience / RB.ru time for training and internships. And less injure kitchen "recruits" in experiments with deep fat and other equipment.
Home kitchens may also have digital chefs in the foreseeable future. For example, scanners that will show information about products and visualize how they are prepared. Or apps and sensors that can accurately estimate portion size and tell you which cut to make on fish to clean it without any hassle. This technology is already offerAugmented Reality Kitchens Teach You to Cook / Live Science scientists from the University of Kyoto.
7. public safety
Glasses that help catch criminals and save people from fires have long become classics of superhero cinema. But such technologies already exist and are used by real police officers and rescuers. Smart devices mayImproving Our View of the World: Police and Augmented Reality Technology / Michael E. Buerger, Thomas J. Cowper/ResearchGate translate the speech of the interlocutor, issue recommendations and algorithms for actions in emergency situations, build floor plans of buildings and search for the best way to move around the object, for example, during fire time. In addition, special goggles and helmets take communication within rescue and patrol teams to a new level. Communication is faster and more productive, because AR gadgets automatically transmit and project many data about the situation at the place of work and project it onto a real location.
High-tech helmets will soon appear in Russian rescuers. In July, Rostec presented equipment concept using augmented reality. The devices will allow rescuers to exchange audio and video information during operations. And “Smart Hands”, as the technology was called in Rostec, can warn about high-risk objects and locations around and remind about safety precautions. For example, it will turn on video prompts from the built-in database, inform about nearby surfaces heated to high temperatures or electric current leakage. The technological novelty also has a built-in thermal imager, which can be used to search for people under the rubble.