A recent article on wareable.com walks us through the past, present, and future of Augmented Reality. Featuring images from a variety of providers, the article starts by making a distinction among Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality.

There’s information about the history of AR dating back to the 1960s, and research that took off in the 1990s. Ori Inbar, organizer of the Augmented World Expo, AWE, is quoted as saying that AR has taken off since enterprises took notice and invested. There’s a brief history of all the major players in head-mounted displays and smart glasses, as well as the elusive Wmagic leap,” which has generated $1.4 billion from investors to date.

While gamifying Augmented Reality may have failed in the past, Augmented Reality gaming has now taken off with the advent of Pokémon Go, which has moved the conversation forward. The article concludes by suggesting what is next for Augmented Reality: that it requires lighter, untethered devices than VR to fit seamlessly with day-to-day interactions. Applications for consumers are happening now, but the real drive is within the enterprise. The future for consumer Augmented Reality may be mobile, however, as we are seeing in the enterprise, head-mounted displays are the future. Meta believes that Augmented Reality will replace the screen altogether, and there is some discussion about the search for a new interface. The article mentions some interesting use cases for education, such as teaching anatomy, chemistry with reactions, and models of the solar system, by using Augmented Reality for a collaborative learning experience. The article concludes by suggesting that the deciding factor will be keeping hardware accessible and affordable.

A post on the PwC Emerging Technology blog suggests that companies that can provide consumers with in-demand wearables may be able to secure competitive advantage.

The blog article highlights a number of remarkable shifts in consumer attitudes towards wearable technology since the last survey on wearables trends was conducted in 2014, such as:

• Adoption of wearable tech devices has doubled
• Concerns over privacy issues have decreased
• Trust in security has increased
• Consumers are excited about the future of wearable technology as a part of everyday life

The positive shift overall in consumer sentiment has significant implications for wearable technology, from new workplace applications to opportunities for companies to connect better with customers. The spin offs of these positive attitudes towards wearables is that there is a more welcoming attitude within the workplace to wearable technology:

• Almost 8 in 10 people say wearables make them more efficient at work and feel time companies adopted wearables on the job
• 2 in 3 people believe their companies should fund the purchase of wearable tech devices
• 49% of respondents said wearables will increase workplace efficiency
• 37% of respondents expect their company to adopt the latest technology, even if it doesn’t directly influence their work
• Examples such as fitness tracking at work with company reward schemes would be welcomed
• Companies should provide smart watches to help employees test a new app
• 3D smart glasses should be provided to help shop floor workers identify and track inventory to reduce cycle time and improve productivity and performance
• Respondents were excited about applications in the doctor’s office and within banks, mobile providers, cable providers and car producers.

There is still some way to go with trusting wearables that may be provided by companies to consumers. However, consumer excitement has certainly soared. Consumers want something to fit their lifestyles and budgets but are ready to adopt. The report has significant competitive advantage implications for companies that can provide wearables to better communicate with their customers.

An interesting article on EE News website uses Pokémon Go as a springboard to look at how Augmented Reality technology is being used in enterprise, specifically in the energy industry.

Examples quoted include:

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows in a video how researchers use the same Geographic Information System (GIS) as in Pokémon Go, to assess water and energy demand.
• NextGen Climate is targeting Pokémon hotspots to find new supporters and hosting events with solar-powered charging stations.
• Eric Abbruzzese, a senior analyst at ABI Research is quoted as saying there is a lot of interest in the energy space. Oil and gas companies are making use of Augmented Reality and according to ABI research, the industrial sector is expected to comprise 44% of smart glasses revenue within five years<./li>

Notably, AREA Member Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has been testing similar technology to boost efficiencies in the electricity industry. Detailed information on their work is given in the article and summarized below:

• John Simmins of EPRI, who is leading their augmented reality testing, gives a number of detailed examples of how AR technology can be used for energy savings in the field.
• For example, after a major storm, workers dispatched to assess damage may not have as much expertise as usual line workers. By using a smart helmet or glasses, they can find hard-to-find power lines or transformers. The information can be sent to HQ with voice command, meaning increased speed, reduced outage time and error reduction.
• Other applications include malfunction detection, training and dramatically reducing the need for experts to travel long distances to make repairs and solve problems, when AR technology means this could be done remotely.
• The DAQRI Smart Helmet is mentioned in the article as being particularly useful in the oil and gas industry where workers require both a hard hat and free hands.

There is also a link to an EPRI video demonstrating inspection equipment with a smart helmet, shown below.

Links to the member company profiles can be accessed here: EPRI profile and DAQRI profile.

A report in the Business section of Republic News reveals that a new study by Research Corridor has provided an extensive view of the smart glasses and smart windows industry. It has taken into account present and future features of the market, analyzing ongoing trends and market dynamics, and offers a data forecast. The report, which is both quantitative and qualitative, covers different product definitions, classifications and participants in the industry chain structure.

The market is segmented into geographic regions:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Rest of the World (consisting of Latin America, the Middle East and Africa)

Regional factors such as inflation rate, demographics and gross domestic product (GDP) have been thoroughly analysed as part of the report.

In addition to the 2015-2022 forecast, estimates for the market have been made for 2013 and 2014. As well as a discussion of key strategies, the report concludes with a section on company profiles containing information on financials of the major players in the market, as well as fundamental developments.

The headline scope and features include, but are not confined to, the following:

• Key Developments
• Market Overview & Growth
• Import and Export Overview
• Market Trends and Future Outlook
• Attractive Investment Proposition
• Key Strategies Adopted by Leading Players

Readers can access the complete report at here.

According to an article on Tech Republic, a Deloitte survey released last week shows that middle market companies are now up to date with technology, and are strategically investing in the Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual reality and Augmented reality in order to overtake competitors. They are also realizing the importance of innovative tech as a way of expanding their business, both now and in the future.

Steven Keathley, the National Technology Leader of Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services (DGES), is quoted to have said that IT is becoming more important as a driving force for technology and rather than simply acting as a support function for businesses. In the report, Harvey Michaels, the national consulting leader for the DGES, is quoted to have said that technology is speeding up the growth of smaller companies and becoming a differentiating feature in the middle market.

The survey was conducted in June and July this year, and was aimed at 500 US middle market company executives with annual revenues of $100 million to $1 billion. Almost 90% of middle market companies responded to the Deloitte survey using some form of Virtual or Augmented Reality, and 19% of respondents said they are spending more money on technology in 2016 than in previous years.

Out of the companies currently developing IoT projects, half of them said they are using hybrid cloud monitoring, and a similar number are using smart industrial devices. In addition, 54% of companies said that security is one of their main reasons for investing in cloud technology.

A Business Wire press release issued on August 8, 2016, states that a study by Technavio reveals that the global smart glasses market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of close to 20% during the period 2016-2020. The report, entitled “Global Smart Glass Market 2016-2020,” can be read here. It provides a detailed analysis of the revenues and emerging trends associated with the market and also includes up-to-date analysis and forecasts for various market segments across geographic regions.

Industry growth has been driven by growth in industries such as aviation and marine, as well as by the shift in demand from passive to active smart glasses innovations.

The article covers the difference between active and passive smart glasses. Active smart glasses react to an electrical stimulus to initiate change. Passive smart glasses react to heat and UV light sources to initiate change. With active smart glasses, the change in the light transmission can be user controlled. The report categorizes the global smart glasses market into three major segments and looks at their use cases in transportation, infrastructure development, electronics, construction and solar energy applications.

A new report by ABI Research forecasts Augmented Reality in the enterprise to “explode” over the next five years, with the technology adding novel functionalities to enhance productivity. The research cites remote assistance as the main field of use with increased safety and efficiencies.

It is predicted that investors and project managers will explore applications for devices, particularly wearables such as smart glasses, with shipments forecast to reach 27 million by 2021. Large investments may be made in healthcare, industry and government.

AREA member DAQRI is mentioned in the research. Eric Abbruzzese, Senior Analyst for ABI Research, comments: “For 2016, initial tests and low-volume implementations will be expanded to higher volume investment and rollout, creating a more mature and disruptive marketplace for 2017. Devices with more powerful processing and hands-free input methods, such as ODG’s R7 and DAQRI’s Smart Helmet, stand best suited for industrial and healthcare usage.”

Influential factors on device differentiation include display quality, field of view, processing power, battery life, input options and price. The research points out that some well-established developers, such as Vuzix and Optinvent, are attempting to lower prices to increase market appeal.

AREA member Boeing, who is an early adopter of Augmented Reality in the enterprise, and GE, are both key proponents in highlighting the interest surrounding AR technology, and in encouraging other enterprises to get involved.

The market has seen an influx of new competitors, however, it is anticipated that those with established manufacturing infrastructure and device experience may be better suited to meet market demand. Abbruzzese sees 2017 as an important time frame for large-scale implementations and an increase in supporting software and content.

These findings are from ABI Research’s Enterprise-Focused Augmented Reality Glasses.

A press release dated July 12, 2016 reveals that research done by Index AR Solutions forecasts that Augmented Reality in the enterprise will be a $105 billion market for U.S. companies within 15 years.

The research states that those enterprises that choose to be early adopters will gain competitive advantage within their industries. The breakdown of $105 billion is portioned to $49 billion in hardware, $11 billion in software and $45 billion in services. The research authors are Index AR Solutions President and CEO Dan Arczynski, Executive Vice President and COO Dexter Lilley and Director of Operations John Arczynski.

A summary of the key findings are as follows:

• Enterprises can take advantage of current Augmented Reality technology now and achieve “dramatic top line and bottom line results”
• Augmented Reality is already ready for enterprise implementation, and ROI can be proven with revenue, cost and quality improvements
• There are no sectors and industries that cannot benefit from Augmented Reality
• The value of Augmented Reality can be realized with the first application and every subsequent one, often without large investment

The Index AR Solutions market perspective will be an interesting read for enterprise innovators keen on adopting the technology to gain competitive advantage in their industry.

The market perspective can be downloaded from the Index AR Solutions website. Index AR Solutions is teamed with Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), one of AREA’s members. Their profile can be read here.

A new report was recently published: “The Global Automotive Augmented Reality Industry 2016 Market Research Report.” This is a detailed study of 155 pages about the current state of Augmented Reality in the automotive industry.

This lengthy market report covers a summary of the supply chain including definitions and classifications. The report includes development history, competitive landscape analysis and current development status in the major regions.

Global major industry players are covered along with company profiles. The profiles give details of their product picture, specification, capacity, production, price, costs, revenues and contact information. Companies profiled in the report include Hyundai, BMW, Continental, Garmin, Pioneer Electronics, Audi, Honda and others. Analysis of industry development trends and marketing channels is included. The report offers feasibility analysis of new investment projects with conclusions.

This news item is taken from a press release by Business Wire dated June 7 2016. Research and Markets announced a new report “Wearable Devices for Enterprise and Industrial Markets.” Worldwide shipments for enterprise and industrial wearables will increase from 2.3 million in 2015 to 66.4 million units by 2021. A cumulative total of 171.9 million wearables is expected to be shipped for use specifically in enterprise and industrial environments. These figures present a significant boost when compared with previous forecasts from 2015.

A summary of the research report is available here.

• Wearables are now being rolled out commercially on a significant commercial scale, which has bolstered the figures as predicted above.
• A direct quote from the report states “More than 66 Million Wearable Devices Will Be Shipped Annually for Use in Enterprise and Industrial Environments by 2021.”
• Key questions addressed that will be relevant for members and enterprise users include how the value chain is evolving around enterprise and industrial wearables, and which regions will see the biggest growth and the key challenges that could impact wearables growth.

Markets mentioned in the report for which there are applications include corporate wellness, manufacturing, warehouses, field maintenance, mobile workforce management, holographic modelling, first person communications and workplace authentication.

The report will be suitable for a variety of groups such as manufacturers of wearables and smart glasses, enterprise IT systems integrators, Augmented Reality software companies, developers, mobile network operators and the investor community.

Topics included in the report cover market and technology issues, key industry players and market forecasts.

Of the companies mentioned in the research report, three are AREA Members: APX Labs, Augmate and DAQRI. Other companies that are mentioned in the report include: Apple, Epson, Fitbit, Google, Jiff, Microsoft, Nymi, SAP, Salesforce.com, SmartCap, Thalmic Labs and Vuzix.