The words AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and XR (Extended Reality) are making some noise in the tech industry today. What is this hype all about?
These terms are nothing new in the tech space. However, recent events diverted the public attention towards them. For example, Facebook’s new direction hasn’t stopped with the name change. Instead, the company displays a bigger and bigger interest in AR. Hence, there’s little wonder why it remains in the spotlight.
Now, you may ask what AR is? Can it truly replace the display monitors we’ve come to love? Also, can AR bring the leap to a more digitized society? The answer to these questions is not that simple.
We’ll try to provide context and revisit the basics of this exciting new tech with this article. Also, we’ll explore what the near future might hold for everyday data communication.
What Is Augmented Reality (AR)?
Simply put, augmented reality is an enhanced version of the actual physical world we live in. This is done by enriching real-life elements via adding digital visual elements and sounds. As a result, AR can present or highlight certain aspects better.
This technology might bring some significant changes to how we see the world. It’s a tool that can alter our understanding of reality. This might’ve sounded too far-fetched a few years back, but not today. Nowadays, AR is entering the market, soon to be available for everyone to try out.
How Does This Technology Work?
From simple mobile applications to sophisticated AR headsets, there are so many applications of AR. In smartphones, AR apps overlay digital information on top of real-life objects. The complicated vision technology has made it easier for us to project digitized imagery even on flat surfaces.
The app uses the smartphone’s camera to recognize and sense the space around us while the AR does all the math in the background. Next, the program renders an object in great detail, as if it’s really in front of us.
The perfect real-life example of an AR app is Pokémon Go. You can download this game on your smartphone and see how it comes to life. It is a great example of how to utilize reality for entertainment purposes.
Meanwhile, AR headsets are the complex and vital technology that allows us to tap into AR. An AR headset is what transports us to this enhanced digital reality. It projects digital information on physical objects or renders the physical objects virtually.
With the help of these devices, we can add virtual elements to common objects we encounter every day. These virtual elements include informational content, audio, video, and animations.
Meta, a tech company that manufactures AR glasses, has already said that such products will take over the office spaces. So, the aim is to circumvent digital monitors and apply AR’s utility directly into the workspace.
Have Computer Monitors Become Outdated?
We live in an age where technology is continuously evolving. In turn, we have to keep up with the pace and take advantage of it all. A mere 30 years ago, desktops were extremely popular.
Then, once the ’90s rolled in, the internet became popular, and every home and office needed to have a desktop computer. Later, the advent of laptops, smartphones, and tablets introduced the concept of portability. Plus, these tiny devices outperform their elders by a mile.
From floppy discs to CD drives to USB drives, users can fit a world of knowledge between their palms. The world runs on data transfers, and that’s why this process turns ever more stylish and compact. The same goes for peripherals, too. Nothing resembles a blocky chunk of plastic anymore. Today, we see a market full of slick-looking contraptions.
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed many employers towards a “work-from-home” model. That’s why workers value the portability of their devices above all else. On the other hand, those who use desktop systems may find it difficult to adjust to this.
As a result, the modern workforce finds desktops sloppy and inefficient to work with. Instead, they prefer to finish the same task in a short time using their smartphones and laptops. New technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud computing have affected the reputation of desktops.
Giants like Microsoft produce more powerful PCs to “outgun” the competition to cover for this. But these powerful machines might appeal mostly to die-hard fans. While they may love the engine’s power, the modern on-the-go workforce needs portability.
Hence, there has been a sharp decline in the market of desktops and monitors in the past decade. This decline certainly shows that conventional PCs are slowly moving out of focus.
Will AR Replace Monitors?
The short answer to this question is yes. Today, other tools may perform the same tasks as monitors. New technologies like AR give us a chance to look beyond the rectangle screen. In that way, they offer a fresh new perspective.
With the help of AR devices, we can project any digitized elements. Why bother buying a 100-inch monitor when we can project one with AR? Also, AR comes with extra options for hand gestures and voice commands.
Plus, it wins at portability, too. These features make AR much easier and more exciting to use. Not to mention how little space it requires. With AR, we can finish the work while walking across the room.
AR is also powered by the most robust processors, making it even more reliable. We can work with multiple screens with AR devices practically from anywhere.
Even though AR and other related tech are still in beta, we can expect great things soon. Then, the market will have to accommodate for the increase in demand. Of course, there’ll be a process of adaption, but it’s only a matter of time.
What Are AR Monitors?
A single-screen may not be enough for highly productive work. But what if we can project any number of screens and work on them at once? We can do so with the help of virtual AR monitors.
By connecting the AR glasses to our computers and mobile phones, we can create any number of screens. For example, you can check your mail on one screen while attending a Zoom meeting or watching a YouTube video.
Lenovo has already produced AR glasses called ThinkReality A3. That item allows one to project up to five screens at the same time virtually. Plus, the glasses can overlay the virtual elements on real-life physical surfaces.
History of AR Monitors
AR display technology is not a new idea, as its origins date back to as early as 1968. The first AR tech was developed at Harvard University by Ivan Sutherland, famous as “the father of computer graphics”. The first tech was a head mount display system, which functioned like today’s AR glasses. The government, aviation, and the military utilized those items for a good cause.
AR display tech saw steady advances in the following decades. Everyone, including national and private agencies, contributed. As a result, these ideas grew quickly.
The first commercial usage of AR tech was in 2008 when the company BMW launched their ad campaign for the mini. The tech allowed users to interact with the model of the car simply by moving their fingers. Later, in 2011, National Geographic used AR to bring extinct animals to life. During the presentation, the animals “appeared” inside a shopping mall.
In 2013 Coca-Cola used similar tech to project the environmental problems humanity faces. To that end, they created a melting iceberg next to a building full of families. Also, in 2011 Disney used the technology to project characters on a large screen in Times Square. Interestingly enough, people could even interact with them!
Right now, AR tech has made it into many homes due to high-end mobile apps. Virtual try-on technology has become the trend across the globe. However, AR remains an afterthought on the current market.
Besides all advances, people are still hesitant about it. One reason for this may be how ahead of the times AR is. Because of that, people often look for something more in line with what they’ve grown up with.
Advantages and Disadvantages of AR
Advantages
If used correctly, augmented reality will give us an immersive and engaging experience. In short, there are no limits to this creation tool. As such, many industry giants will find a good use for it.
The AR tech is highly flexible and easy to handle. For instance, we can use AR glasses on the move and finish our work with ease. This portability creates more space for the user and increases productivity.
Another focal point is the plethora of helpful AR mobile phone apps. Any smartphone equipped with those holds a full bag of appliances. That’s why we see so many apps popping on a daily level.
AR will make it easier to learn things. Unlike before, students can now interact with the elements. This “head-to-head” approach will take things to a whole new level. Furthermore, AR pushes us to socialize more. Games like Pokémon Go require us to go and interact with other players, which brings a particular societal impact.
Disadvantages
Even though AR could take over in the future, it is still a developing idea. The current AR devices have severe limitations, which may be frustrating for the users. Moreover, the price of AR devices is too high. A typical AR headset will cost us around 2000$ – 3500$. As a result, many will wait for a better time to make a purchase.
On the other hand, AR devices collect a massive amount of data from their users. This leads us to the question of privacy. However, this novice technology has yet to answer regarding security concerns. Therefore, AR devices may easily turn into a harmful addiction. Besides all the excitement, we should pace ourselves correctly.
In other words, AR has a high potential for adverse effects, too. For example, many online games use dark themes like violence and bloodshed. Hence, AR can succeed result in highlighting those aspects as well. While this might not be by design, we should consider it as an outcome.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown the definition of augmented reality (AR). In simple words, overlaying virtual elements on the physical and real-world objects can create an AR. We have also seen how AR technology works. We have studied how AR functions as an app from a smartphone to complex AR headsets. When installed, it projects virtual elements or renders something real in the virtual world.
We have also discussed whether computer monitors are a product of the past. Since the current demographic heavily favorus portability, this might be the case. Plus, more and more companies switch to a “work-from-home” basis. In turn, this diverts even more attention to products akin to smartphones. Due to all this, the market for PC monitors has seen a dip in the past decade. If this trend continues, they will soon become outdated.
The advent of AR technology is helping us realize the dream of digitization much faster than before. The usual desktop systems are moving out of fashion, as is how we perceive modern tech as a whole. By the way, AR is also much more naturally captivating than anything before it.
One thing to note is the advent of AR monitors. By utilizing them, we can navigate several screens at once, without as much as a hiccup. In that way, we can easily increase our productivity levels.
We have also seen the pros and cons of AR. While AR is still in the developmental phase, its high potential is palpable, to say the least.
