Augmented World

The analysts forecast mobile AR market in the US to grow at a CAGR of 99.3% over the period 2014-2019.

AR is an emerging technology that blends digital content with the physical world. It is used to display computer-generated images in a user’s field of vision to provide relevant information about objects in the real world.

It allows a user to scan the physical real world environment and provides an enhanced or augmented experience by adding virtual computer-generated information. End-users can make use of this technology through apps developed for mobile devices.

This report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the mobile AR market in the US for the period 2015-2019. It covers the overall ecosystem of the mobile AR market in the US, which includes AR engine, AR software applications, and AR hardware.

Skwarek is indeed in Central Park. But he's wearing a new set of Epson Moverio B200 glasses that allow an entire world of virtual characters, objects and structures to overlay and interact with his real environment through so-called "augmented reality."

Skwarek has raised over $30,000 on the group fundraising site Kickstarter to launch Semblance Augmented Reality. His company aims to liberate video games from the TV and turn them into physical experiences. He's poised to release Semblance AR's first app for iOS and Android phones.

An example of what an Augmented Reality app video game would look like being played with the Epson Moverio BT-200 Smart Glasses, is displayed on a tablet.

An example of what an Augmented Reality app video game would look like being played with the Epson Moverio BT-200 Smart Glasses, is displayed on a tablet from Brooklyn Bridge Park, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, in New York. Players can use their natural surroundings as the backdrop for the game with the game's graphics displayed through the glasses instead of on a screen. 

Augmented reality isn't new. But it's hitting the mainstream thanks to the rising popularity of wearable technology like fitness trackers, smartwatches and glasses. GPS tracking, sensors and camera technology on mobile devices are finally strong enough and widely available.

Video gamers are an obvious target group for use, but businesses too are finding that combining wearables with augmented reality could solve practical problems. For example, crews needing to repair a complex mud pump on an oil rig could simply activate step-by-step visual instructions right in front of their eyes, hands-free, and in real time.

Wearables will empower the deskless worker the same way computers and mobile devices have done for the office worker, says Brian Ballard, CEO and founder of augmented-reality software company APX Labs in Herndon, Virginia. Wearables like "smart" glasses can make employees a kind of "instant expert" by giving them access to information wherever they are in real time and save time and money that is usually spent on separate training.

Retailers like Kroger and Macy’s presented sessions titled “Getting personal through customer science” and “Delivering personalized shopper journeys.” On the show floor, about 34,000 attendees experienced the latest and greatest in technology designed to help engage customers throughout the purchasing process.

Big data, which has been a strong theme at the show for the last few years, was less prevalent. Hershey’s and American grocer wholesaler Supervalu shared an interesting business case on micro-insights that allow retailers and suppliers to grow business by better understanding shopper motivations.

On the other hand, mobile technology and the concept of the connected consumer was a hot topic. Payment is increasingly added to the mobile conversation, as applications that make transactions easier are being developed and offered to consumer.

Retailers are also seeing benefits from providing unique experiences for their customers, even if those experiences don’t directly lead to a sale. Outreach effort is a critical way to stay relevant to the consumer.

For instance, it may seem counter-intuitive for a supermarket retailer to offer free yoga classes when they don’t typically sell mats or apparel, but these kinds of experiences are becoming all the more important as millennials choose to forgo traditional shopping trips in favour of shopping online.

One session at the conference gave the example of Target’s Cartwheel app, with which shoppers receive personalized deals based on their shopping history and can scan products while in store to see if there are deals available. The presenter, Google’s retail industry director Julie Krueger, said it was a “wonderful way to reward customers and add a little thing to the shopping experience.”

As always, there were a few real innovations presented. Augmented reality, for one, can be best described as incorporating stock images into an actual view on a digital device. For example, adding stock decorations from a catalog to a dinner table for a consumer or enhancing a store aisle set with images of new products or signage. IBM has an app that uses augmented reality technology to provide shoppers with personalized information while browsing the shelves.

Gamification is used by retailers to make otherwise onerous tasks like training and labour scheduling fun. LevelsPro, a start-up from Brooklyn, provides technology that helps retailers engage their employees through the playing of games that provide incentives to work smarter.

One interesting no-show at NRF this year was enterprise security. Last year, after a series of spectacular data breaches, dozens of vendors were promoting the safety of their systems and several more were presenting specific applications that addressed issues like payment fraud and cyber attacks. This year, the issue was barely discussed in the sessions and only a few exhibiters had signage on their booths around the issue, even as cloud solutions that have long worried retailers and other in terms of security have proliferated.

Augmented reality is an emerging technology that permits the overlay of computer graphics on the real world. It includes scanning the physical real-world environment and enhancing/augmenting it by adding virtual computer-generated information.

End-users can make use of this technology through applications developed for mobile devices. It involves blending digital content with the physical world. The analysts forecast global augmented reality market to grow at a CAGR of 88.5% over the period 2014-2019.

"Thanks to metaio's technology (3D Markerless Tracking based on CAD model in metaio Creator) it's possible a new approach of using mobile Augmented Reality in cultural organisations, such as museums and archaeological sites, for information provision and enhancing the visiting experience." (Mirko Compagno, augmented reality architect at THE ROUND, Italy).