ARinEverydayLife:TheRiseandResurrectionofAugmentedReality

From Nintendo 3DS to Pokémon GO to Snapchat - in the children (or those who wanted to remain so) of the last 1.5 generations, AR essentially found its first user group early on and very successfully. Even though the resolution of the Nintendo 3DS was better with the 3D function turned off, and Pokémon GO performed more smoothly in the 2D view, face filters became a staple of daily life for these children (or young-at-heart adults) due to their simple use.

However, when translating creative ideas into the home environment, an important element is lost: practical application. Demodern has also built various prototypes and implemented customer projects in which we experimented with various forms of AR, such as Retro-Gamification, support in furniture assembly, merchandising in retail, shopping for household goods, automotive demonstrations, and translating Bauhaus art into face filters. With so much potential for innovative use cases, it somehow feels like we're moving a step away from simple and seamless everyday use. This is why Augmented Reality still holds the status of a "gimmick."

 

The Emergence of Spatial Usage

Let's rewind to 2014 when Google introduced Tango, an innovative 3D image tracking based on laser sensors. Software engineers and the Medium community cheered, prototypes boomed, and AR took a big step forward. At this point, Apple was still keeping quiet - the calm before the storm, so to speak - but when Apple's ARKit was released at the end of 2017, we unfortunately had to say goodbye to Google Tango very quickly. Apple made augmented reality accessible to the masses by integrating the "with distinction" tested technology, alongside open-source software for developers, into every new device.

 

Fast forward to today, and it's Apple once again stirring up the market: the company has revisited the idea of 3D scanning. The new iPad Pro literally fell into our laps overnight with the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) door. According to Apple, the depth-sensing technology is "so advanced that NASA will use it on the next Mars mission." However, it should not be forgotten that NASA's LiDAR techniques go even further back than the origins of Augmented Reality. Who would have guessed? It's referring to the Apollo 15 mission to the moon in 1971.

 

The Resurrection of Contextual AR

Other industries have also discovered LiDAR for themselves earlier, such as archaeology or agriculture. In architecture, laser scanning is used to obtain topographical data. Autonomous driving also relies almost exclusively on laser technology, although Elon doesn't use LiDAR for Tesla... Regardless, depth-sensing scanning of space is an advancement compared to the plane detection of iOS 11. This could eliminate unstable anchoring and pseudo-credible object blocking - a huge step for mankind!

Speaking of a step for mankind: This brings us a step closer to the - unfortunately, it must be said - efforts of Spatial Computing by Magic Leap. With the launch of their contextual sensors and the idea of finally creating fully interactive stories and worlds that communicate with the user's physical environment, we - perhaps a bit prematurely - rushed ahead and immediately started working on an idea. During prototyping, however, we found that while the Magic Leap 1 headset mixes the virtual with the physical, there are limitations in the narrow field of view (which is still better than the first Microsoft Hololens). Not to mention a constant error in Unity3D that causes the VFX-Graph to render on only one eye - an "immersion deal breaker."

 

The Next Level of Immersive Technology?

With the latest iPhone camera, we can pack a piece of the "real" world into our pockets or backpacks due to its exceptional optics - not to mention what will be possible when the long-awaited smart headset is released in 2022. The ease of using mobile devices with AR functionality is undeniable at the moment. Apple has even categorized its AR use cases into productivity, play, and learning; which is the right approach to bridge or even close the gap between proactive and practical use.

Now that Augmented Reality feels closer than ever through everyday use, time will have to tell whether this is the moment we've all been waiting for. Or if Augmented Reality will remain more in the realm of Sci-Fi/NASA.