With a growing active community around the world, collaborating and working towards making augmented reality (AR) accessible for common people has brought AR closer to millions of businesses globally. Let’s see the major trends and how you can leverage these merits of this technology for yourself!

5 Top Trends Affecting Augmented Reality (AR) In 2021

1. Next Generation Avatars

I’m sure you must’ve been a fan of Xbox Avatars on Microsoft’s game profiles of users a decade ago. These are 3D modeled virtual assets that resemble the user’s personality.

With continuous advancements in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), game engines, and augmented reality platforms, today we can create smart and intelligent AI-powered AR avatars.

Today, an avatar is an AI agent. They are already a massive success in Japan’s entertainment scene on Youtube, known as VTubers, and they look just like anime characters. They’re exciting and offer numerous opportunities in promotions, marketing and collaborations.

2. Augmented Reality (AR) + Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AR developers have already started implementing machine learning and intelligent algorithms into many of their applications. You can take a look at Snapchat’s face filters, which began as a fun engagement function but it carries significant applications across a wide variety of industries.

It has introduced a new concept known as computer vision. This technology powers a camera to see and understand everything that comes in its range. It has already become a sophisticated tech around the world with mind-blowing applications.

Google’s machine learning-enabled tool— the Microscope is becoming increasingly popular due to its ability to identify cancer mobiles in tissue samples. Coupled with AR, this technology can boost the medical tech industry to allow for more complex diagnosis and treatment.

The same goes for other verticals such as video games, animation, movies where we can see intelligent AI-driven models.

Innovative Ways To Drive Fan Engagement Using Augmented Reality in Sports

3. Remote Help

AR can assist you remotely. Apart from being known as drivers of the virtual world, AR and virtual reality (VR) can help technicians to view on-site situations in real-time using their smartphones.

Through this, they will be able to analyze and respond better with proper notes to distant non-accessible locations. Remote work has already seen a jump since lockdown, with the majority of the workforce working from home.

64% of U.S. employees are working from home post-COVID-19, according to research conducted by SHRM’s COVID-19 Business Index.

Working from home comes with greater comfort, but it has some drawbacks, such as reduced productivity, teamwork, and collaboration. Teamwork is essential in ensuring excellent work across all domains of the workplace.

With AR, we can bridge this gap by working together quickly without the need to be in the same room ever again. New online communities support AR integration, this way, users can communicate with gestures and create avatars so that the person on the other end of the communication line feels like you’re present physically during meetings.

4. Mobile AR

AR apps for smartphones have grown exponentially with the recognition of Pokemon GO. Recently, ImagineAR announced its first-ever WebAR Retail Project. Consumers get to experience AR using their smartphone cameras without downloading an app in a retail environment.

“This will be a keystone AR campaign, and we expect it to create new prospects and client opportunities in today’s challenging Covid-19 environment.” 
- Alen Paul Silverrstieen, CEO of ImagineAR

Retailers are capitalizing on mobile AR, which is as revolutionary as reinventing the wheel. ImagineAR makes it super easy to build mobile AR experiences for all Android and iOS customers.

5. Indoor Navigation

One of the best use cases of augmented reality solutions is the AR scavenger hunt. It’s a concept where specific markers are placed across particular geography which you activate using your mobile phones to find clues to win the treasure.

This architecture can be implemented across a wide variety of marketing campaigns and games. Like, you can set up a treasure hunt to sell coupons for your next spring sale, so that thousands of people participate in this hunt, adding to your brand engagement and increased sales or you can create a campaign to showcase your new product line by asking your audience to come to your store.

We can state the architecture of a scavenger hunt as Search and Find. Another technology that shares the same architecture maps. An ongoing trend of AR is indoor-navigation. It’s a more fancy way of using maps. It’s more impressive than it sounds.

With indoor navigation, you can view the path as well as the navigation control using your phone’s camera. So you can follow the route literally. You don’t need to adjust your position pointer, it’s easy to follow and comes with exciting applications.

2021 will be a big year for cloud-based augmented reality platforms free and easy to use for those who partner with ImagineAR. Join hands with us today to experience the future along with millions of businesses that are already leveraging AR to boost their business revenue at affordable costs.

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