Approximately half the human population is in possession of a smartphone as of 2020. While many of us use them to look at funny cat videos on the Internet (guilty!), the truth is that when used right, smartphones can be truly powerful tools.
Moreover, when these devices are paired with the right technologies, they hold the potential to solve problems that were deemed impossible to solve just up until a few years ago.
Blending real-life with digital elements also sounded impossible until a few years ago. However, as augmented reality technology became more popular and accessible, the impossible slowly became possible.
Today, augmented reality is a widely used technology and experts are still finding unique applications of the technology across industries.
In this article, we will discuss how augmented reality is revolutionising the business landscape by being applied in some truly innovative ways.
Let’s begin;
Employee Training
Employee training is one of the most pressing concerns of modern businesses and augmented reality technology is making employee training more engaging, impactful, and safe. There are thousands of businesses that are using augmented reality training for their employees to drive exemplary results.
One of the most popular examples of the same is airplane manufacturer Boeing. By applying augmented reality training to their electrical equipment training, Boeing has reported a 40% improvement in the productivity levels of their fresh trainees.
That’s just one example, businesses from different industries are using augmented reality training to improve the outcomes of their training programs.
The best part is, there are a number of open-source AR tools available that allow anyone to create AR experiences. Moreover, there are top augmented reality companies that cater to the AR training needs of businesses.
If your business is already engaged in some form of employee training, chances are, your current learning management system also supports AR training functions that you may require to deliver an immersive and safe training experience to your employees.
Customer Experience
Augmented reality has already started revolutionising shopping experiences. Customers can simply hold their phone in front of them and find out how a certain piece of furniture may look in their home, without ever stepping out the front door.
This isn’t science fiction, IKEA has been providing this feature in their online shopping app since 2017. This feature makes all the more sense in the current situation where social distancing has become the norm and people are actively avoiding crowded places like stores and marketplaces.
Another famous example is when Volkswagen used AR based ads to launch and create interest in the 2012 Beetle.
Once again, these are just a couple of examples. There are hundreds more. From experiencing products before purchasing them to navigating through enormous general stores, the customer experience applications of AR are virtually endless.
Product Design And Development
When applied carefully and diligently, AR technology has the potential to eliminate the need for expensive early-stage prototypes that are created in the early stages of a product development cycle.
Mettle, the world-renowned toy giant is already using Microsoft’s Hololens to design and develop their upcoming products virtually. There are also other wearable AR devices like the Meta Glasses by Meta Vision, that is helping creators design revolutionary products without the need for spending time and money on primitive prototypes.
Conclusion
As you can see, AR technology is already revolutionising the way companies work across industries. The good thing is, even if your business starts it’s AR journey now, you will be considered among the early adopters.
Have you tried AR technology in any form? How was your experience? Share with us in the comment section below.
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