Hype and Reality in AR
An article on Datamation discusses the place of Augmented Reality in the technology market, including the hype cycle. It mentions that the AR market is predicted to grow to $49 billion by 2021 compared to $209 million in 2016, according to an IDC study.
Virtual Reality is compared to AR in the article, with failures of the former being focused on as opposed to the success of the latter. The most useful industries for AR are said to be training and repair; e.g. AREA member Boeing uses AR in engine repair, as the overlay provides guidance for which areas of the engine need to be fixed.
The article also states a reason why there is more demand for AR tech in industry rather than for consumer use. Rob Enderle, principal analyst for The Enderle Group, is quoted to have said that the consumer sector is restricted by budgets whereas the industrial sector is more willing to pay larger sums of money. Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, is also quoted to have said that other industries that will benefit from AR include real estate and tourism.
The failure of the first Google Glass release is discussed in the article, with reference to the latest Glass announcement; the second version is aimed at use in the enterprise rather than for consumers, which perhaps reflects the direction in which AR is going.
The article concludes by claiming that AR is at the stage of requiring data models and training for users, and expanding platforms from smartphones to headsets for consumers.