THE 14TH AREA RESEARCH PROJECT

Research RFPs

Low-code and No-code AR Solution Benchmarking

To submit a proposal for this research, please follow the guidance and complete the form below.

Background

In response to the increasing demand for customized Augmented Reality (AR) experiences, many companies are exploring alternatives to traditional software engineering approaches. While outsourcing AR development poses challenges, low-code and no-code AR content authoring platforms offer viable solutions. These platforms empower non-technical subject-matter experts to create AR experiences without extensive programming knowledge, offering diverse features and deployment options.

Executive Summary: In order to assist subject matter experts who seek to author and publish AR experiences without learning how to do software engineering with a game engine, this project aims to assess and compare the features, pricing, and scope of at least four leading low-code and no-code AR content authoring platforms tailored for enterprise applications. With the results of this project, AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) members will have comprehensive insights and a new methodology for evaluating future low-code and low-code AR solutions to facilitate informed decision-making.

Category of Project: Tool Assessments/Comparisons and Interoperability/Standards.

Customer problem

• The rise in demand for AR experiences in industrial and enterprise settings has led to an increased demand for accelerated development of AR content and growing need for engagement from non-technical stakeholders. The engineering skills necessary to develop such experiences are difficult for an employee who is not a software developer to acquire.
• There is a shortage of low cost, highly skilled AR software developers.
• The costs and constraints of hiring a specialized developer to develop and publish AR experiences can exceed a company’s budget or be prohibited for other reasons and, without the specialized skills, the company’s AR experience catalogue remains general in nature and may lack the information and perspectives that subject matter experts command.
• Low-code and no-code content authoring tools seek to permit non-technical users to quickly develop and deploy AR content at an enterprise scale. While, if deployed, they can decrease enterprise reliance on large, highly-specialized software development departments for end-to-end AR application development.
• AREA members do not have budget, time or a framework for consistently evaluating low-code and no-code content authoring tools available to them departments.

Project Goals

Successful completion of this project will result in the following benefit for AREA members:

• AREA members will be better informed about the features, options and strategies of at least four low-code and no-code AR content authoring tools, permitting more rapid evaluation of low-code or no-code authoring tool choices currently available.
• Once low code or no code AR solutions are implemented, the members will be able to offer an alternative to engineering and/or deployment workflows within enterprise AR content deployment.
• The AREA members AR development groups will be able to engage and inform non-technical employees with information on how they can author, or contribute to, AR content creation.
• AREA members will be able to follow a methodology to evaluate commercial or custom low-code and no-code solutions for developing and publishing AR experiences in their enterprises.

Deliverables

This AREA research project will produce the following deliverables:

D1 – List of commercial low-code/no-code solutions on the market and final list of those on which the project will focus

• Work in collaboration with the AREA Research Committee to narrow down which solutions will be evaluated during the project

 D2 – A report documenting:

• At least four low-code and no-code AR content authoring solutions and features for industrial use cases, as well as their deployed AR outputs. The report should include:
  • Description of all the features and options available in the solutions with illustrations/screenshots, including discussion regarding limitations and strengths of approaches
  • Analyses of the solution architectures, business models and price plans
  • Tables in which features of different solutions are documented as of the completion of the research
  • Detailed comparison matrix outlining AR content authoring features from the perspective of non-technical/non-programmer users,
• A clear use case and description of AR experience used in testing, including how the assets (images, text, interactions, triggers) that are used in the research/testing were chosen or created
• Steps to follow when evaluating a low-code or no-code solution for AR experience creation
• Custom or open source code or components and images of node structures or modules that AREA members can later use to replicate results from this study or, in the future, any new low-code or no-code AR content authoring tools.

D3 – Assets used in the research, including but not limited to:

• All images, text, interactions, triggers that are used in the research/testing and can easily (without license) be reused by members in the future (provided in a GitHub repository or a zip file)

D4 – Interactive decision-support tool

• Spreadsheet permitting AREA member to compare costs of low-code and no-code and game-engine based approach

D5 – Video documenting results (supplementary materials) including but not limited:

• Comparison (side-by-side) videos or running apps demonstrating observable differences in selected content authoring tools.

D6 – A webinar and executive summary for public audience

Proposal

The research project proposal will include (max 7 pages):

• Description of the research design and methodology (incl. explanation how it will measure requested goal, deliverables, and address the project topics)
• Project milestones and timeline
• Project risks, bias, and mitigation measures
• Potential or confirmed partners in the research
• Background and qualifications of the organization to perform research and any proposed partners
• Examples of other completed projects/reports (not included in page count)
• Names and contact information for up to three references

Selection Criteria

All proposals will be evaluated by the AREA research committee chairs and research manager on the following criteria:

• Experience in software engineering required for AR experience development
• Track record in research and development
• Timeline
• Feedback of references

Timeline and Deadlines

Please use the form below to submit your proposal on or before 12 PM Eastern Daylight Time May 3rd 2024. The AREA will provide detailed replies to submitters on or before May 10th 2024.

Unless otherwise negotiated in advance, the research project is expected to take approximately 120 days. Research will be completed, and finished deliverables provided to the AREA by September 10th 2024.

Budget for this Project

The AREA Research Committee budget for this project is $15,000.

Questions

For answers to any questions concerning this project and the AREA Research Committee, please send an email to the Research Committee.