A recent article by Reportlinker Insight predicted that Augmented Reality will be worth $100 billion, and grow at a compound annual growth rate of 55% in 8 years’ time. It is anticipated that areas of hardware technology to have the most growth will be automotive and head-mounted displays (70% CAGR each). The largest AR market is Asia-Pacific, which is expected to reach a minimum of $44.3 billion by 2024.

An article by PRNewswire, reporting on the findings, claimed that a significant contributor towards the growth of AR is new technologies such as wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Potential uses of AR listed include:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Virtual store maps
• Interactive ads
• Offering customers discounts and coupons
• Bridging the gap between on- and off-line shopping
• Allowing customers to view products in their home before purchasing

In Augmented Reality retail apps, it’s predicted that $30 billion will be invested by 2020. Other statistics listed include:

• From 2014 to 2019, the AR market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 88.5%
• From 2016 to 2020, the healthcare ARVR hardware market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 29.2% (43.7% of the ARVR market)
• From 2016 to 2020, the automotive AR market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 17.9%

In addition, the article states that Snapchat is currently interested in developing a Hololens-type AR wearable, allowing objects to be placed in users’ vision without the use of a mobile device. The Financial Times reported that Snapchat’s headset prototype is in production and that the company recently began hiring AR experts from tech organisations.

A recent article from TheBusinessDeck has reported that the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership will invest £5 million in the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Advanced Manufacturing, UK. It is expected that by the end of 2017, construction on the centre (located near Derby Road) will be completed. This will cost a total of approximately £23 million, including the £5 million investment from the LEP which has been confirmed by the Infrastructure and Investment Board of D2N2.
Advanced facilities for teaching, training, and research in manufacturing will be available, enabling graduates to provide for the local and wider community using skills gained. The new Institute will produce an 8000 square metre training and research area, and is predicted to create many jobs within its initial five years. In addition to this, it will aid manufacturing companies in the LEP and other areas, using expert skills to attend to technical faults and help promote new technology products.
The chief executive of the D2N2 LEP, David Ralph, is quoted to have said that the Institute will be a world-class facility that will help establish a new industrial strategy as the Government desires, especially in manufacturing. He also said that it will allow organisations to grow through creating new products and innovating, as well as attract skilled individuals and keep talented graduates. The D2N2 is also pursuing the same aims as the new Institute via European funding.

The press release issued by SB Wire gives information about the Smart Glass market.
Global Smart Glass Market includes Market Share, Trends, Research, Review, Analysis, Demand, Growth, Supply Chain, Revenue, Growth Rate, Gross Margin, Size, Key Manufacturers Analysis and Forecast.
The report offers an in-depth study of the “Global Smart Glass Market”.

The “Smart Glass” report offers the following:
• Projects the growth rate of the Smart Glass market during the forecast period
• Brief overview Smart Glass market
• Estimates the size and valuation of the Smart Glass industry in the coming years
• Key drivers and restraints affecting the growth of the Smart Glass market
• Latest trends in the Worldwide Smart Glass market
• Opportunities for the Smart Glass market to grow in the near future
• Segments the Worldwide Smart Glass market on the basis of product type, Smart Glass Market application, and end user segments
• Lists some of the key players and analyzes their share in the Smart Glass market

A Sample of the Report can be accessed here.

A recent article on yahoo.com states how technology giant Razer has launched Zventures, a $20 million investment fund in order to help small startups, including those in Augmented Reality. CEO of Razer, Min-Liang Tan has told Digital Trends that investments will range from $100,000 to $1 million, in a number of areas of technology, amongst those AR.
This is now officially open for any company to pitch.
As a company, Razer has a number of attributes that will benefit those in which it will invest:
• Razer has one of the largest active user bases in the world, targeted more specifically at the ever growing gaming community; they may introduce this audience to the startups they work with
• The company has experience as both a hardware and software company, with the possibility of bringing such knowledge to the startups in which it will be investing. Not only this, they will also be bringing the relationships they have with such hardware manufacturers, and the knowledge of the life cycle of products at retail
• Razer has its own stores, and has partnered with retailers such as Best Buy in the US, and Media Markt in Europe. CEO Tan says that Razer can use its global distribution network, bringing those to the startups they plan on helping
Tan speaks about his excitement for the future of AR, saying how he thinks it will be “large and overlapping industries”. Being equally enthusiastic about investing in VR, CEO Tan says, “we will invest in both areas”.

Earlier this week, Perkins Coie and Upload released the results of a survey they had conducted, involving ARVR startup founders and tech company executives.

Challenges facing mass adoption of Augmented and Virtual Reality are listed in the report, including:

• Inadequate content offerings
• Regulation and legal risks
• Tech and intellectual property licensing
• Product liability/health and safety issues
• Consumer privacy/data security
• User experience (e.g. technical glitches)
• Cost
• Lack of an established market
• Requires more time and resources to develop technology
• Funding rounds for startups are still quite small

However, it is anticipated that AR will gain more traction in the near future, since its potential to attract consumers was realised even before the Pokemon Go phenomenon. As well as affordable apps and games, AR can offer practical uses. In addition, 89% of respondents to the survey said that in the next two years, VR and smartphone manufacturers will prioritise mobile VR tech development; this continued focus on mobile devices tackles problems related to bulky equipment requirements and cost.
ARVR startup respondents are also taking a long-term view by considering their growth strategy over the next three years. Will Mason, co-founder of Upload is quoted to have said that this is due to the evolution of the ARVR ecosystem, and startup companies are also actively seeking funding for growth.

Sectors expected to get the majority of investment for ARVR tech in the next year went as follows:

• Gaming (78% of respondents)
• Movies and television (40% of respondents)
• Live events (34% of respondents)
• Education (30% of respondents)
• Healthcare/medical devices (24% of respondents)

Following a tweet from EPGL’s official Twitter feed, the news is that EP Global Communications are meeting with Apple to discuss iOS operating system for their augmented reality contact lens, which are currently in development.
The firm has not yet decided on a single operating system. The augmented lenses will need to communicate with smartphones. Michael Hayes, President of EP Global Communications, said that iOS is one of the platforms they are very interested in.
An article on VB Profiles stated that EPGL’s development is progressing: the firm has demonstrated the viability of integrating electronic circuitry into a silicone hydrogel contact lens. This is the first step in ultimately projecting graphical images into the user’s field of view.

Additional information is as follows:
• EPGL received a patent grant for a System for Contact Lens Wireless Communication, to connect to a host device using wireless technology
• Another IP describes a Smart Storage Case, a liquid charging dock for future lenses
• EPGL is investigating how to harness energy generated by the blink of an eye (source: AppleInsider)
• Updates to the conversations with Apple are expected at EPGL’s Smart Vision Conference on September 23 2016
• Apple itself holds various patents covering AR/VR software and hardware. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, confirmed in August 2016 that the company are interested in investing in AR
This news appears on a number of websites, extracted from Apple Insider, such as on the Tech Parse website.

AREA member Optech 4D get a mention in a publication by BlueToad.com, with the article acknowledging how both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are starting to be used within areas of maintenance training, with some MROs even employing such technology for inspection training. Industries are implementing AR into their trainings and day-to-day operations, and it is suggested that this technology may be further used for aviation maintenance training.
Optech4D are said to be using AR to their advantage in the aviation training market, using it not only for training but also in distance learning applications. CEO of Optech4D, Vincent Higgins, says how AR can be used to help revolutionize the future of aircraft maintenance, especially in terms of aviation classroom training, where AR “superimposes images on the real objects and provides a more efficient workforce because of that”. He also speaks of how Optech4D are “really trying to bring in augmented reality in a big way into the MRO space”.
The article also provides other examples of how AR is working its way into aviation training. Lori Brown, an Associate Professor at Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation, is a massive advocate for AR in academic aviation training. She says that the next phase of the college’s maintenance training course will mirror the technology used for automotive maintenance training by BMW, with the use of AR glasses. These glasses will give step-by-step procedures and show students overlays on whichever component they are working on for maintenance. This hands-free device is not only interactive, it also allows them to physically see the information in the real world, over the component being worked on.

A post on ptc.com recently wrote of how Augmented Reality is reshaping field service. The article states that the recent popularity of the smart phone based game Pokémon GO proves just how quickly consumers can become accustomed to viewing both digital and physical content. This creates the potential for enterprise adoption of Augmented Reality for multiple uses, such as field service and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul operations. Deloitte Consulting claims the field service industry is set to benefit.

Augmented Reality (AR) can help in field service by:

• The power of visual information, delivering multimedia content to an abundance of different learners. With 65 percent of the population being visual learners, AR devices on, for example, tablets, allow the use of imagery in order to understand information. Verbal learners also benefit from hearing the information, which can be delivered from AR, as can experiential learners, who learn by doing, with AR giving them the opportunity to physically put their hands on equipment.
• Engaging a new generation of technicians, with the excitement and addictive way AR delivers content. Many of the media-savvy generation would rather take training in field service tasks with information delivered by Augmented Reality than by other means.
• Field service effectiveness, making sure that the right people with the correct skills are in the proper place. Although Augmented Reality is diverse and may aid a range of products, this article suggests that the results remain the same: improving first-time fix rates and average repair times.

A recent article on the Information Age website spells out the network risks associated with Augmented Reality in the enterprise. Now that mobile devices have the processing power and connectivity to fully support Augmented Reality, the flip side of this is the potential privacy risks of having always—on, geo-located devices.

This article points out the security risks to organisations that have under-prepared for the impact AR will have on networks as more AR apps are introduced. Repair and maintenance are key uses of AR technology: replicate this across a number of employees using devices or wearables and the traffic that crosses an organisation’s network could potentially reveal IP addresses, location and type of device including user permissions. Intercepted by a hacker, this could be dangerous, potentially combining location data with other personal information to build detailed targeted user behaviour profiles.

The article examines the type of network traffic generated by an AR app and draws on research from Ixia, who recently analysed communications between the Pokémon Go app and the Niantic servers.
Snooping potential and data manipulation could be possible if the app’s security is vulnerable, particularly as AR is personalised to the user’s situation. Malware issues are discussed: key loggers, remote access Trojan or an agent that downloads further malware to the network via the device.

The article goes on to explain how organisations can implement protective measures in their AR risk mitigation strategy, namely:
1. Mobile device management (MDM) solution
2. Employee training and awareness to guard against human error and carelessness
3. Visibility of app traffic on your network

A variety of tools and solutions are available to offer network visibility, with intelligent filtering and distribution, ensuring end-to-end visibility.

In January of this year, the 19th Annual Global CEO Survey showed that the majority of CEOs (77%) believe that advances in technology will transform their business over the next five years. A recent PwC technology article has expanded on this, explaining that businesses struggle to keep up with the acceleration of technology, despite more executives becoming knowledgeable about tech.

The article mentions five catalysts of change that contribute towards companies integrating technology in their industry:
• Becoming more comfortable with technology
• Globalisation of technology
• Advantage of technology in terms of competition
• Cheaper access to technology
• The multiplier effect of technology
In addition, PwC analysed technologies with the most impact, and made a list of eight essential technologies that are currently relevant:
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• 3D Printing
• Virtual Reality (VR)
• Augmented Reality (AR)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Robots
• Drones
• Blockchain
Finally, the article claims that the technologies above will greatly affect certain aspects of business, including:
• Customer Engagement
• People and Talent
• Strategy
• Operations
• Compliance

It concludes by advising CEOs to strategically use technology to their company’s advantage as well as protecting their business against competitors using the technology. An important part of any business’s strategy should be developing their action plan for using new technology. Although it is difficult to get ahead of changes in technology, companies must adapt. Questions are also posed in order to aid organisations in their involvement with technology, such as whether or not they have a lasting innovation process.