A key point from the start of the article is that companies should consider where we currently are in the AR adoption curve to ensure they are adopting the right solution at the right time. It’s also important to look at the interaction model, since the underlying technology for an AR solution requires the correct interaction model to make it useful.

The four common ways to interact with AR tech are listed as follows:

• Gestures = front-facing cameras on AR smart glasses allow for interpretation of a hand motion in front of them. Gestures are most useful for use in a loud or dirty environment. For optimal effectiveness, a precise and efficient hand-tracking algorithm is needed, providing a hands-free experience.
• Voice = voice commands provide a safe alternative for interacting with smart glasses when a user’s hands may be occupied with tools. Therefore, voice commands should be added to the smart glass system actions and developers should define voice commands.
• Head motion = in noisy situations, voice commands and / or gestures may be unsuitable, which is where head motion comes in handy. Workers will be able to switch between content with a simple head motion if the AR solution provides sphere view and multi-display technologies.
• Touch = support for industry-standard touchscreen devices should be provided by the AR solution to enable workers to access some AR features when they don’t have to wear gloves or carry tools.

The article emphasises the importance of the insight derived from work completed by employees using the AR solution. Taskflows are trackable AR instructions delivered to smart glasses which Atheer’s AiR Enterprise solution enables. A list of ways in which real business insight can be gained is given:

• Get real time info about which taskflows each worker has undertaken. Seeing demographics on usage of each taskflow can highlight problems in the workflow and avoid wasting time and energy in taskflows that aren’t being adopted.
• See how far each user gets in executing taskflows. This gives understanding of how the taskflows are being adopted and whether they need to be refined, increasing effectiveness.
• Identify how long it takes each user to execute a given task. Taskflow reporting reveals exactly when each step was started and any times the user had to pause the taskflow, which allows employers to see whether the taskflow is increasing efficiency of work or not.
• Ensure that all users are working with the latest version of taskflows. The solution must offer taskflow synchronisation, therefore all updates must be immediately made available to users. Having updated taskflow guidance means the jobs can be performed in the safest, quickest, and most effective way possible.
• Collect and store taskflow data locally. The solution should be designed to keep tracking the use and effectiveness of a given taskflow even when the smart glasses are offline.

Instructions for achieving the best success in the testing of your business’s AR system are as follows:

• Make sure that AR devices are deployed to a small group of users in a pilot test first.
• Be proactive about offering feedback to the AR hardware / software provider.
• Pay close attention to reliability during trial period, and have high standards about this.
• Don’t neglect the below process for deploying an AR solution to employees in a way that will deliver the maximum ROI.

The process for deploying an AR solution is listed as follows:

1. Define the business problem you want to tackle using AR.
2. Define your use case without limits.
3. Identify the right problem – this is important.
4. Detail your current state.
5. Obtain data about how well things work (or don’t work).
6. Recognise that one size does not fit all.
7. Make your assessment of your current state as broad as possible.
8. Try it and measure the results in the lab or the field.
9. Learn and refine from your trials.
10. Plan for success by involving users early.

Augmented reality is the displaying of virtual elements onto a display which overlaps onto the real world. In practice this could be a map in front of you as you drive so your eyes don’t have to leave the road. It could be a technical tasks list or an expert watching what your worker does remotely.

A video within the article shows an example of how Renault is using the tech via Microsoft’s HoloLens on their factory floor.

The market for AR Smart glass devices is said to be heating up and with 5G coming and set to make connectivity hugely faster, Computer Business Review expects to see significantly wider use of AR in industry.  The article then goes on to review some of the products on the market to help you assess what might work best for your business.

In conclusion the article asks whether enterprises should be adopting AR and finds that large and small business across the world are adopting AR technology because they see the benefits and that it may soon prove a vital way to stay competitive.  Read the full article.

Explore The AREA’s case studies.

Virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) applications can improve productivity, reduce cost and increase revenues in aerospace, automotive, industrial design and retail. However, high quality VR/AR experience require heavy computing resources and immediate response times. Requirements, which current cloud-computing and network infrastructure are unable to effectively deliver.

To address this market-need and accelerate adoption of VR/AR applications for enterprises, GridRaster and Saguna have teamed up to create a joint solution. This solution features GridRaster VR/AR software platform operating on Saguna Open-RAN multi-access edge computing solution.

GridRaster provides the underlying compute and network stack to power high-end VR/AR experiences on mobile platforms by leveraging the edge cloud. The solution provides high-performance graphics at ultra-low latency, while improving the overall performance by 10x.

Saguna’s Multi-access Edge Cloud Computing (MEC)solution, Saguna Open-RAN, creates cloud-computing ‘cloudlets’ at the access network; close to end users and connected devices. It enables communication service providers (CSPs) to transform their networks into powerful cloud computing infrastructures, where new Edge Applications can be easily developed and deployed.

The full press release can be viewed here.

The way in which AR fits into various markets is then described as follows:

• Real Estate = customers who are house-searching can see home interiors by pointing their phones at them. Construction workers can use AR to show clients what a house would look like with a different style of kitchen or bathroom. Shoppers can also see what items of furniture would look like in their homes.
• Retail = Virtual Reality mirrors allow customers to try on clothes virtually, and there are apps that allow people to try on nail polish. Other apps enable consumers to make purchases by pointing their phones at items in printed catalogues.
• Travel = VR allows people to ‘travel’ anywhere while remaining in one place, and AR helps to navigate places when travelling by overlaying directions on the street view in real time, and providing recommendations for places to visit.

An infographic is included at the end of the article, which has been previously summarised from an article on Hackernoon here (link to Predictions for the Future of AR).

The smart wear consisted of a retinal laser projector in addition to other electronics and had a sleek appearance relative to other smart glasses on the market. The laser projector was low-powered and would beam a monochrome red pixel image into the lower corner of the wearer’s peripheral vision, excluding the need for a protruding display medium.

Intel confirmed their cancellation of Superlight in a statement to Endgadget. The company is quoted to have said that they are constantly developing new technology, but not all these products are taken to market. Difficult decisions are sometimes required when investment is not supported for certain products.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg claimed that Intel was considering selling a large stake in their AR division which was valued at approximately $350 million, and this news confirms that.

The article concludes by commenting that Intel’s withdrawal from the smart glasses market could be detrimental in the long term, however, a highly functional device may still be on the cards since big enterprises like Google, Apple, and Amazon are still invested in the tech.

Servicing and maintenance is being transformed by the use of AR, which overlays computer-generated content on to the user’s view of the real world around them. “Engineers can use a tablet-based system to scan machines to help with troubleshooting, and follow guidelines for conducting maintenance or changing parts,” says Smith.

Antycip Simulation recently completed a 5x2m 4K stereo single screen display for reviewing seabed geological data to help better design, model and analyse the options for drilling, piping and developing oil and gas fields. “The size of the screen, depth of detail and use of VR have led to better insight, better communication and better collaboration,” says Antycip’s marketing manager, Frank Reynolds.

Dexon Systems is doing a roaring trade in videowalls for the control rooms of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

“The ability to display live camera images, sonar and telemetry data simultaneously for pilots to react on is key,” says Andrew Rothery, Dexon’s business development manager. “ROVs can be 4,000m below the surface carrying out tasks that need extreme accuracy, so the time to display the image coming from specialist onboard cameras is key and could mean the difference between success and failure.”

The technical demands of this can be prodigious. Dexon’s customers are now asking for 4K camera images to be relayed from depths of 4km.  AV and VR are also explored in the article – the full article can be read here.

The article states that while 3D printing is becoming more entrenched in the aerospace industry, some aircraft manufacturers and airliners have embraced the technology more enthusiastically and for a longer time than others.

Boeing has been on board with 3D printing for years, and since 2015 has been relying on a company called Morf3D to produce 3D printed aluminum and titanium components for its satellites and helicopters.

Morf3D was formed in 2015 and has been working for Boeing since its beginning, and now Boeing has responded by investing in the startup.

The investment will allow Morf3D to collaborate with Boeing to further develop manufacturing processes and engineering capabilities. Morf3D’s technology involves the creation of lighter, stronger 3D printed aerospace components.

“Developing standard additive manufacturing processes for aerospace components benefits both companies and empowers us to fully unleash the value of this transformative technology,” said Kim Smith, Vice President and General Manager of Fabrication for Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Boeing Additive Manufacturing leader.

Morf3D is full of metallurgy experts who use a new set of additive manufacturing design rules to advance 3D printing and accelerate its commercialization. The company’s software, combined with engineering expertise, significantly reduces mass and increases the performance and functionality of manufactured parts.

“We are excited to be a distinguished and trusted partner of Boeing’s additive manufacturing supplier base, as we continue to industrialize our processes for the high-rate production of flight-worthy additively manufactured components,” said Ivan Madera, CEO of Morf3D. “This investment will enable us to increase our engineering staff and expand our technology footprint of EOS M400-4 DMLS systems to better serve the growing demands of our aerospace customers.”

The Series A funding round was co-led by Boeing HorizonX Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm. The HorizonX Ventures investment portfolio consists of companies specializing in technologies for aerospace and manufacturing innovations, including autonomous systems, energy storage, advanced materials, augmented reality systems and software, machine learning, hybrid-electric and hypersonic propulsion, and Internet of Things connectivity.

“As innovative companies continue to revolutionize technologies and methods, we are proud to invest in the rapidly growing and competitive additive manufacturing landscape,” said Steve Nordlund, vice president of Boeing HorizonX.

Find out more about Boeing on their AREA member profile page – Boeing member profile

Early adoption in the enterprise

Samsung NEXT Ventures director Ajay Singh believes there’s “good energy” in the AR ecosystem, with lots of traction among developers — many of whom are playing around with the latest dev kits and are excited by the potential of the technology. But he notes that energy and early developer traction has yet to translate into much of a market for AR applications, particularly in the consumer market.

Where early adoption is taking hold is in the enterprise, as large businesses are testing out ways they can drive efficiencies by providing workers with real-time information. The return of Google Glass in a special Enterprise Edition, along with the rise of smart glasses and wearable AR more generally, has been a boon for AR adoption as a business tool.

For applications such as manufacturing, warehousing, and field service in particular, wearable-based AR solutions can translate into double digit percentage productivity gains, according to Upskill chief strategy officer Jay Kim.

Upskill’s Skylight AR technology offers tools for providing contextually relevant real-time data and supplemental information in the wearer’s field of view, while users continue their work in a factory, warehouse, out in the field, or wherever they might be.

Kim, who sits on the board for the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA), adds that companies like Boeing and General Electric — both clients of Upskill — pour enormous resources into chasing operational efficiency improvements of just a few percentage points, but at scale those improvements can result in game-changing numbers for them.

Talespin CEO Kyle Jackson says his immersive technology company has also been getting AR development work related to efficiency improvements. For example, one telecom company contracted with them to build an AR tool to support and reinforce technical knowledge in field workers.

The case against consumer AR

While some businesses are finding interesting use cases for the technology, the consumer side of the equation is a different story.

Singh, for instance, thinks too many developers are conducting their experiments in the entertainment space. He argues this is ill-advised because there’s not yet a way to effectively monetize consumer AR apps that haven’t reached massive popularity.

“There is no monetization unless there is an advertising model that comes in, because no consumer at the end of the day wants to pay for anything,” he said. But for advertising to work, you need millions or tens of millions of users, which is a tall order for AR developers in these early stages.

That said, some use cases are finding a bit of traction outside of the enterprise. Pokémon Go is the most obvious example, although it’s essentially a location-based game with some light AR elements.

Exercise game Zombies, Run! offers a more concrete use of AR, albeit solely in audio form, to motivate its many users to keep running. Meanwhile, Ikea has found success with an AR app that helps users visualize how furniture will look in their homes. And Google Translate has a real-time visual translation tool that can be a great help in translating between languages with different character sets — like Chinese to English, for instance.

Samsung NEXT business development and product strategy manager Jacob Loewenstein thinks the first big emerging success in consumer AR is personal cosmetic augmentation, such as Instagram or Snapchat filters. Users are adopting these filters to make themselves look different, share a laugh with friends, or visualize how new makeup and hair stylings affect their appearance.

Still, there are some barriers to consumer adoption. Unlike VR, mobile AR requires no additional hardware for use, but there’s an inherent friction keeping some from trying the latest mobile AR applications — namely, that they must open an app in AR mode, raise their hand, and keep holding the phone in front of them while using the software.

“It looks a little goofy,” says Singh, and it takes extra effort to do, “so unless there’s real usability it won’t really stick.”

And if the end-user doesn’t feel that they’re getting a worthwhile return on investment — whether that’s effort, time, or money — then the developer won’t get a return on their investment either.

Design limitations in AR

Everyone consulted for this article agreed that the bulk of AR software development is still in the experimental stage. Most developers are exploring the possibilities of this new medium rather than making polished products.

“There are no guidelines out there,” says John Buzzell, president of immersive experience lab You Are Here. “There are no accepted practices yet.”

All these bespoke, experimental designs add yet another hurdle for AR users to overcome. And they also make it harder for both developers and the businesses that hire them to scope out projects.

To date, most AR applications have required the use of markers to act as reference points and hooks for virtual objects and visualizations, although that’s beginning to change. Now multiple AR platforms have built-in capabilities to display virtual objects on horizontal, vertical, and sometimes uneven planes without meeting any markers.

Loewenstein believes that change could be huge for the AR ecosystem, because it opens new doors for developers to try new things. It also reduces friction for users who might otherwise get frustrated by the limitations of static marker-based AR.

AR today is largely used for visualization in various forms, including data and analytics, furniture placement, cosmetics, toys, building models, training materials, and so on. These use cases are valuable, especially in the enterprise, but they barely scratch the surface of the technology’s potential. Currently there’s no support for persistence or shared experiences, as objects are stored locally on the user’s device.

Loewenstein sees persistence as a challenge many in the industry are working on. “The core AR SDKs don’t necessarily enable people to experience the same thing,” he explains. “They both produce these point clouds and the devices don’t know because they’re looking from different angles — the point clouds have produced actually the same thing from different angles.”

Nor do they have a common point of reference, he continues. “It’s not like when I see the room and I put the ball on the chair, that’s basically largely being stored locally. So it’s my room in my chair, not our room.”

Limited budgets limit possibilities

There are certain limitations inherent in the platforms currently in use by AR developers, but they are also being stymied by early adopters not thinking big enough or being afraid of investing too much in this developing sector.

Buzzell says some of the complexities and uncertainties around AR have led to cautious, unimaginative project briefs from many of his enterprise clients.

“I think a lot of people are making these investments based on curiosity or kind of fear of being left behind,” he suggests. “We’re starting to see signs of improvement, but for businesses I think they have trouble figuring out how much it costs, how much to pay, whose budget does it come out of?”

Usually the answer comes from marketing departments, as they have the money and the pressure to try new things that could attract and engage customers. But the budgets themselves tend to only be five or six figures, according to Buzzell.

That puts pressure on AR developers to work magic with small teams and short development cycles, which limiting their possibilities. Projects are further held back by a lack of imagination or knowledge from enterprise clients regarding what AR can do or what it might be useful for.

Everyone we spoke with stressed that the pace of AR’s growth will be dictated not just by the level of investment from big tech companies driving new hardware and dev toolkits, but from businesses hiring AR developers to build actual, real-world applications based on the technology.

A market in transition

The AR sector today is seen by insiders as being in transition, both due to the myriad problems still yet to be solved and new technologies on the horizon.

In that way, the market is similar to what mainframes, mini-computers, and DIY kit computers were in the 1960s and 70s: a revolution in the making that could change how we interact with the world.

Jackson thinks we’re a year or two from having headsets on the market that offer the fidelity necessary to begin transforming how people work, think, and entertain, while others put large-scale transformation further out.

Developers are excited about mixed-reality headsets like the Microsoft HoloLens, which can offer immersion and shared experiences without making people feel isolated or inhibited in crowded public spaces like trade shows and retail centers.

Meanwhile, new use cases continue to emerge. Kim gives the example of a stripped-back form of smart glasses that conform to the style and profile of regular corrective lenses and frames, at the expense of things like display acuity.

He believes these could find adoption in services and retail industries, as well as other public-facing jobs where representatives might benefit from the extra information they could have available while talking to customers.

Whatever comes next, much of the attention of insiders and outsiders alike will be on advancing the technology and searching for a killer app that makes AR take off in a big way. For Buzzell, that killer app might not be just one thing.

“When the smartphone came out Steve Jobs famously said it’s an internet communications device, it’s a personal messaging device, it’s a phone, it’s a camera,” he explains. By the same token, perhaps, AR’s killer app could ultimately be its versatility and utility as a veritable Swiss army knife of productivity, learning, and entertainment.

The original article from Samsung NEXT can be seen here.

Read the member profile of our member Upskill quoted in the article.

David Hayes, WaveOptics CEO commented:

“This partnership marks an AR industry inflexion point and is a critical step in the mass manufacture of high quality AR solutions – a capability that has not been possible to date.

“A combination of EVG’s expertise together with our scalable and versatile technology, will allow AR-end user products to be on the market for under $600 by the end of next year.

“This collaboration is key to unlocking the development of AR wearables; together we are well positioned to bring mass market innovation in AR, opening new paths to scalability at a lower cost than ever before.”

Markus Wimplinger, Corporate technology development and IP director at EVG added:

“We develop new technologies and processes to outperform the most complex challenges, helping our customers to successfully commercialise their new product ideas. For the proliferation of our leading edge Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) technology, we have created our NILPhotonics Competence Center.

“Within this framework, which has strong policies to protect our customers’ IP, we support our customers on their product development and commercialisation journey from the feasibility to the production phase. This is exactly what we are doing today with WaveOptics, an established leader in AR, to provide a truly scalable solution to end customers.”

The collaborative development efforts within EVG’s NILPhotonics^® Competence Center framework are aligned to support WaveOptics’ commitment to unlocking the mass market adoption of AR across all leading market segments – industrial, enterprise and consumer and follow the launch of the Company’s Module Program.

Through the pilot line manufacturing infrastructure offered by the Center, WaveOptics will exceed the projected demand it has seen from its customers for the next quarters, with a proven path to transferring high-volume production processes and equipment to designated facilities capable of producing waveguides at scale for top global OEM brands.

WaveOptics’ collaboration with EVG highlights its commitment to help customers bring AR displays to market by offering high performance, commercial waveguides at an attainable price point. Leveraging EVG’s expertise in equipment and process technology for volume manufacturing will allow AR-end user products to hit the market by 2019 for under $600 – the lowest price point in the industry today.

Augmented Reality is propelling the ecommerce industry to widen its horizons and enhance customer experience. Ecommerce has rapidly taken over as customers’ preferred way to shop by rising above all the challenges and limitations of the online space.

The last decade witnessed a considerable rise in consumer’s interest and overall participation level. As per Statista, ecommerce sales in the year of 2017 amounted to 2.3 trillion US dollars. This number is projected to grow up to 4.88 trillion US dollars till the year 2021. In a matter of time, ecommerce has transformed into the pinnacle of modern-day retailing and is continuously expanding in new directions under the light of Augmented Reality technology.

The article explains how ecommerce shopping experiences are being enhanced with the use of augmented reality. Ecommerce has experienced a massive tide of good fortunes by leveraging the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) technology. This move has succeeded to overcome the shortcomings of online shopping by bridging the gap between offline and online shopping experiences.

The major concern of online shoppers is ‘uncertainty’. They are usually unsure of whether a particular product is right for them or perfectly meets their specifications. Not all customers have the imagination power to correlate the products available online with the real world space.

With AR-based ecommerce apps, customers are more confident in their purchases and feel that they are making the right choice. Customers like the idea of being able to virtually try different options before making the purchase decision. AR-based ecommerce app makes this possible by transforming user’s smartphone into a useful and ubiquitous AR platform.

The article goes on to say how AR is being integrated into ecommerce websites, with technology giants Apple and Google developing their own AR platforms to make it simpler for developers to build ecommerce apps with AR features.

Practical examples are given of how AR is working in ecommerce including how AR based apps are helping to boost sales.  Businesses are seeing benefits such as a significant decrease in the number of returns and goes on to explore how emerging technology will be used in the future of ecommerce.