A 3D future with AR/VR
Augmented reality to advance 3D experiences and 2D apps
You might have come across several futuristic movies where the hero draws an object out of thin air and do something heroic which draws our attention immediately and fantasize about our brain for future technologies where objects meet the pace of our imagination.
But it seems they are not too far.
With current technologies, any physical presence can be replicated in a digital world powered by Internet?
And here comes Augmented Reality (aka AR) for you.
AR is the alternative for physical objects in the digital world.
The internet revolution which started with static information sharing platforms, to real-time information platforms is now entering our physical spaces. It’s becoming more real by bringing a 3D depth of physical connection via existing digital channels of the Internet. And this change is no more than a fantasy movie becoming real. The 3D experience industry is growing at an accelerating pace via technological advancements in the AR/VR industry.
You might’ve heard “Human beings are social animals” and anything which helps increase the experience of socialization is going to win the technological race in social network channels.
Facebook is the biggest social network that lives by the motto of “Bring the world closer together” through its various application like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger.
With its recent name change announcement, the social network giant Facebook hints towards a 3D social network.
Why?
Being social creatures, humans prefer 3D over a 2D connection. Moreover, a 3D world sounds more like an alternate reality of the universe. The possibilities of innovation in an unlimited space provided by a 3D world that reigns in the realm of the internet are endless.
In the real world, we struggle with constraints of land, static structures, transportation, and so on. While in a virtual 3D world physical limitations tends to zero which gives rise to infinite possibilities. In 3D it’s easy to understand things while watching them from all directions, it expands our horizon of understanding and gives us more insights into how things work. Another plus point with AR and VR experiences is that it enables those untouched and unrealistic angles of experience which can’t be experienced even in a real physical experience. One can’t step inside a cell, roam safely inside the sea among sharks, practice a scary jump, meet dinosaurs, and other such experiences which can be dangerous for a real-world experience but can be experienced in VR and hopefully in AR too.
If you’ve watched a 3D Movie or VR video you know that it’s 10x more memorable than a 2D experience on a screen.
And here you go…
Virtual reality and Augmented reality
Virtual reality (VR) brings a new dimension of connection by making all the 2D apps and services a 3D experience. It’s like watching a movie with a 360-degree view and walking into an alternate universe.
The invention of the first VR device dates back to the 1950s, when a device called Sensorama was built with an inbuilt seat that played 3D movies, gave off-odors, and generated vibrations to make the experience as vivid and real as possible.
While on the other hand Augmented reality brings virtual objects to reality by mixing up fantasy objects with the real world. It gives users more control over current reality.
It brings fantasy to life and merges the virtual world with the real world.
Pokemon is a great example of how powerful AR and VR applications can get.
Pokemon Go
Pokemon Go is an AR-based game launched back on July 6, 2016. It brings virtual characters to life with different locations.
It has taken the world by storm and set new records all over the world and hit 100 M downloads within 19 days of its release, Wherever you go, people can be seen playing Pokemon on their screens, looking for new and rare Pokemon characters.
Mind it that was in July 2016. Quite early for AR-based apps and games.
That’s when big companies like Coca-cola and Pepsi tried their marketing stunts with the Coca-cola Magic campaign and Pepsi bus shelter commercial.
So far many companies were trying their hands on the metaverse industry, research was going on in different directions and people were looking for more noble and unique AR applications hence any company who could get their hands on this new 3D realm of the internet is going to become the next Google and Apple for the 3D internet natives.
Facebook trying the lead the metaverse through its recent announcements for its name changed to Meta
Technical advancements in AR
AR/VR allows consumers to visualize products and imagine what it might feel like to own the product or experience the service before actually purchasing it. The recent advancements in the AR industry have greatly improved customer experience :
LiDAR - LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is used to create a 3D map of surroundings, which can seriously boost a device’s AR capabilities. It provides a sense of depth to AR creations – instead of them looking like a flat graphic. It also allows for occlusion, which is where any real physical object located in front of the AR object should, obviously, block the view of it – for example, people's legs blocking out a Pokémon GO character on the street and thus making the experience more rooted in the real world.
Smaller VR headsets - VR Headsets are getting smaller, lighter, with advanced features. Hand detection and eye tracking are two prominent examples of the built-in technology that will increasingly be incorporated into VR headsets. Hand detection allows VR users to control movements without clunky controllers. Eye-tracking technology allows the system to focus the best resolution and image quality only on the parts of the image that the user is looking at (exactly like the human eye). It reduces lag and the risk of nausea.
XR accessories for deep experiences - XR accessories deepen up the experience further. Startup Ekto VR has created wearable robotic boots that provide the sensation of walking, to match your movement in the headset, even though you’re actually standing still. The Ekto One robotic boots look a bit like futuristic roller skates except, instead of wheels, they have rotating discs on the bottom, which move to match the direction of the wearer’s movements. In the future, accessories like this may be considered a normal part of the VR experience.
Full-body haptic suit - Haptic gloves simulate the feeling of touch through vibrations. Full-body haptic suits by tesla are being made but aren’t exactly affordable for everyday VR users. Probably it will become more affordable, mainstream, and effective in time, providing yet another leap forward for VR experiences
Powerful Real-World Applications of AR
Some examples of AR-based applications and services:
The Gatwick airport passenger app uses AR to guide its users across the airport with the help of more than 2,000 beacons throughout its two terminals. It has won several awards for its creative use of AR technology. As the app matures, it might eventually help improve traffic flow in the airport.
The Ikea Place app was built using Apple’s ARKit technology, and it allows users to scan their room and design the space by placing Furniture in the digital image of the room to create a new environment with the new products, hence improving customer experience.
The Dulux Visualiser AR functionality lets you try out a shade of paint on your room wall before you buy it. It uses your smartphone camera to scan your room and virtually paint it with any color of the rainbow.
Lowe’s has a virtual tape measure that allows you to place 3D images of furnishings and accessories into your home or commercial space before you buy them.
Cosmetic company Sephora uses AR technology to allow customers to try out different looks and eye, lips, and cheek products as well as colors right on their digital face
The recent announcements by Facebook are a signal that the future of Metaverse is going to be made available to the masses and that will replace the on-screen advertisement space with a 3D ad in the metaverse.
Since the very beginning, Facebook wants to make AR available to the masses, and with their tremendous reach, they already have a good head start. Some of its advertisers are getting exclusive access to test out ads with special effects with “tap it to try it on features.” Want to see how a pair of sunglasses look on your face—you can do so virtually with AR. So far, Pottery Barn, Wayfair, NYX Professional Makeup, and Bobbi Brown are a few businesses that have been able to test this AR ad functionality.
We are about to witness the great pivotal shift of the biggest tech giant into metaverse let’s see how Facebook finds its way through the Meta.
We are in for a 3D roller coaster ride, not to be missed.
That’s it for this time.
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Until next week
Stay hungry, Stay curious
Sneha Prajapati