I attended several fascinating sessions, but the one that was most intriguing was a session about the latest mobile technologies, including augmented reality trends. Augmented reality is a view of the real-world in real time that has been “augmented” or enhanced by computer-generated sensory input. More specifically, augmented reality uses the camera on your smart phone to overlay information on your field of view that you see through your smart phone.
IKEA uses augmented technology with its catalog and a smart phone to let customers see what specific pieces of will look like in your own room at home. Way better than taping a catalog picture of a table to the wall in your dining room to see if it looks good!!
Check out this IKEA video.
Even more practical, and useful, is what Audi has done in Germany using augmented reality to create a new version of an owner’s manual. I recently got a new car, and it’s a different brand from my old car. The other day, a strange light appeared on the dashboard. I flipped through the owner’s manual to no avail. Then, I took a picture of it and texted it to my husband, who told me I needed to fill my tire immediately! Audi’s new owner’s manual eliminates the need for a handy husband (at least when it comes to cars).
Audi's Augmented Reality.
Of course, my mind went wild thinking of applications for our clients, and in my everyday life. How about an app showing how your home would look with new energy efficient lighting, or new energy efficient appliances, along with an estimate of how much you could save based on how many lights you have in the room? How about scanning an item from the grocery store, and getting some recipe ideas or even better, seeing the cooked item on a dish at your kitchen counter? For now, I’ll settle for looking at my living room through my smart phone and seeing it cleaned up, instead of looking like this:
Amazing how much chaos a two-year-old can get accomplish in a very short amount of time…
