Is Augmented Reality the Next 'Big Thing'

Over the past year, both of the major mobile platforms iOS and Android, spearheaded by Apple and Google respectively, have increased momentum into the research and development of augmented reality. The hope is that it would spark the next wave of innovation into their consumer devices.

In a nutshell, AR is the means by which a technologically capable electronic device, utilizes advanced camera systems to perceive and visually map, distinct features of the real world around it. Once the device is able to calibrate its perception of the environment, apps can utilize this information to overlay and enable users to interact with digital objects and information.

Augmented Reality isn’t particularly new, over 5 years ago Nintendo had experimented with it when they introduced their 3DS handheld gaming system with a small selection of mini games. At that point in time, it wasn’t a particularly smashing success, more recently however, (in 2016), they once again re-introduced the concept of AR, collaboratively with Niantic Inc., to produce the mobile phone game: Pokemon Go. The game brought the mythical creatures of the franchise into the real world through its utilization of Google’s map data and the phone’s camera system. Due to a number of coinciding factors, such as nostalgia, smartphone penetration and, cross generational appeal, the game became an astronomical success internationally. It quickly became the most downloaded mobile app and eventually the top grossing app, with some describing it as the most successful mobile app launch ever.

This success, may have triggered both Apple’s and Google’s interests and increased efforts in the technology. Both companies have now created a development platform for each of their ecosystems dubbed ARKit for Apple’s iOS devices and ARCore for Google’s Android devices.

The real question however, is if either company or supporting app developer, can genuinely come up with an innovative or ground breaking experience. As fast as Pokemon Go’s success was, it faded just as quickly once players realized the experience was somewhat gimmicky.

One of the first apps to utilize the new AR platforms (ARKit) is the Ikea app, allowing consumers to browse their furniture catalogue, and superimpose items into their living spaces.