If you’ve ever wanted to feel the thrill of playing professional football, flying a plane, riding a roller coaster, touring a house, exploring a remote travel destination, or immersing yourself in any of numerous other real-life experiences from the comfort and safety of your home, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technology has made it possible. As evidenced by the rapidly-expanding list of AR/VR experiences that are currently available, this popular technology is finding its way into a growing number of applications while positioning a broad range of industries for transformative change.
“Augmented reality allows virtual elements to be added to the user’s reality, while virtual reality presents a totally fictitious reality,” explained AR provider Morgana Studios of AR and VR technologies, which are experiencing a steep growth trajectory. According to research firm Prescient & Strategic Intelligence in its December 2022 AR and VR Market Report, the augmented and virtual realities market was valued at US $28.5 billion in 2021. It is forecasted to top US $200 billion by 2030 as the physical components of AR/VR technology get smaller, more sophisticated, and more cost-effective and AR/VR continues to be embraced by industries and consumers alike.
According to Josh O’Farrell of telecom service provider Spearline, AR/VR “is seen to open up an entirely new platform of jobs and industries.”
From tourism and real estate to customer service, telecommunications, and more, here are just a few of the sectors undergoing paradigm shifts at the hands of the AR/VR revolution.
Gaming
Experts confirm that AR/VR will continue to shake up the gaming industry, which Statista currently values at US $365 billion worldwide and projects will grow by over 7% annually.
According to global computer-assisted design giant Jabil, “video game creators have long been eager to bring players into the worlds of games. AR and VR take this a step further [and] have become synonymous with gaming.”
For example, the National Football League (NFL) in the U.S. released “NFL PRO ERA” in September 2022. This game for virtual reality platforms allows users to assume the role of a professional NFL quarterback and make the real-life plays one could only ever dream of or watch on television. According to Troy Jones, co-founder of StatusPRO, the company that developed the game, AR/VR “is the future, and we look at it as the new era of gaming and the next step in the way people will consume sports.”
In other applications, AR mobile games associated with popular franchises like “Pokemon GO”, “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite”, and “The Walking Dead: Our World” have been hugely successful.
As a result of the technology’s strength, appeal, and ongoing evolution, nearly 70% of industry experts participating in Jabil’s January 2023 Augmented and Virtual Reality Technology Trends Survey believe that AR/VR will become mainstream in the gaming industry within the coming five years.
Evolving gaming technology can also deliver benefits that extend beyond pure entertainment. From a healthcare perspective, for example, AR/VR-enabled gaming platforms hold promise for stimulating physical and mental activity among people who are less ambulatory, such as the elderly and disabled.
Smart Cities
According to Forbes contributor Naveen Joshi, AR/VR has already transformed urban planning by enabling engineers to determine whether built models align with existing infrastructural spaces, specs, and constraints and, if not, to modify models accordingly. For urban dwellers and service providers, AR/VR will continue to enhance quality of life in cities by enabling many areas such as:
- improved phone-based navigation capabilities for residents
- faster disaster response by first responders
- real-life training simulations for police
- interactive medical services that offer patients an in-depth understanding of their condition by experiencing it in a 3D in-body setting
- and more!
By providing engaging experiences to users, AR/VR technologies could major impact on residents’ lives in smart cities.
Agrifood
Forbes contributor Aidan Connolly believes that AR/VR will help farmers optimize their operations and success by supporting more precise and in-depth decision-making about everything from soil fertility, crop production, and pesticide application. It can also be combined with other connected technologies to monitor animal health and grazing practices. Overall, Connolly confirmed, “agricultural AR is helping farmers better understand and manage land resources, enhance productivity, improve time management, streamline training, and improve safety.”
Smart Factories
AR/VR is benefitting a broad range of manufacturers— from logistics giant DHL, which is successfully using AR-enabled smart glasses to drive a 25% increase in efficiency in the picking process at their Netherlands-based warehouse, to Ford, which has incorporated virtual reality reviews in the design and production of all of its vehicles since 2014. AR/VR technology is helping to drive the smart factories of the present and future.
Digital media provider Pixerio shared that AR stands to benefit the entire manufacturing process by helping to improve productivity, enrich training, reduce costs, enhance worker safety, and more. Based on the ability to boost the manufacturing sector’s overall efficiency and competitiveness, Grand View Research predicts that the global market for augmented/virtual reality in manufacturing, valued at US $5.57 billion in 2021, “is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 29.3% from 2022 to 2030.” The bottom line? The manufacturing sector recognizes AR/VR’s ability to boost quality, precision, and operational efficiency and is undergoing transformation thanks to this powerful capability.
Future Networks
While AR/VR technology is enabling a new era of operational achievement and success across myriad industries, experts suggest that on the network side, the arrival of 5G and 6G networks will support the likewise evolution of AR and VR applications. According to Forbes contributor Sol Rogers, 5G (and impending 6G) will without a doubt “usher in the next era of immersive and cloud-connected experiences.” And in the telecommunications arena, “augmented reality and virtual reality technologies are now changing the way we interact [and] will inevitably change the way the telecoms providers view, manage, and develop the network,” writes Josh O’Farrell for Spearline, a telecommunications service provider.
Hone Your Skills in the New Reality!
Based on the aforementioned examples demonstrating its indelible impact on society, AR/VR technology represents a dynamic frontier with exciting opportunities for a variety of industries.
Are you ready for the new reality?
Be sure to stay on the cutting-edge of AR/VR technology with Practical Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Business and Society, a user-friendly five-course program. This online training from IEEE is ideal for everyone from electrical, network, and data engineers to those involved in design, computers, systems, hardware, products, projects, and more!
Resources
Morgana Studios. (21 October 2020). 5G and the Future of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
(December 2022). AR and VR Market Report. Prescient & Strategic Intelligence.
O’Farrell, Josh. Augmented Reality and the Network. Spearline.
(November 2022). Video Games Worldwide.
The Future of Augmented and Virtual Reality Gaming: Taking the Tech Mainstream. Jabil.
Rothstein, Michael. (20 April 2022). NFL-licensed virtual reality game set for fall release. ESPN.
(27 January 2023). What is the Future of Augmented and Virtual Reality Technology? Jabil.
Joshi, Naveen. (5 August 2019). How Will New Developments in Virtual and Augmented Reality Technology Impact Smart Cities? Forbes.
Connolly, Aidan. (15 February 2022). How XR Tools Are Transforming Food, Farming. Forbes.
Brooks, Chad. (23 January 2023). How Virtual Reality Technology Is Changing Manufacturing. Business.com.
5 Benefits of Using Augmented Reality in The Manufacturing Industry. Pixerio.
Rogers, Sol. (30 January 2019). The Arrival Of 5G Will Unlock The Full Potential Of VR And AR. Forbes.
Not so long ago, the perception of virtual and augmented reality technologies was confined to science fiction. Movies like Avatar, The Matrix, and Total Recall painted a picture of what could be possible. Today’s virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology is not quite as immersive as these examples, but it is advancing rapidly. Today, many businesses are recognizing the benefits of using augmented and virtual realities to improve their operations. AR and VR are now being used for everything from prototyping and design to marketing, customer service, training, and productivity.
While experts are split about the evolution of a truly immersive “metaverse,” they do expect that augmented and mixed-reality enhancements will become more useful in people’s daily lives. This is especially true when it comes to smart cities that commonly use Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. However, according to Jamie Cameron, director of digital solutions at building security company Johnson Controls, “connectivity and technology are not the end goal for smart cities—they are the means to improving the quality of life for city residents.” And with virtual and augmented reality technologies, smart cities could be much smarter.
Making Smart Cities More Sustainable
With the UN projecting 68% of the world population to live in urban areas by 2050, the combined carbon footprint of the world’s different cities is only set to grow. Connected communities have an advantage because they can use IoT technology to understand the problem and then help solve it.
Smart cities can collect a wealth of data by installing different sensors around the community. These sensors can range from measuring air quality, as used by the London Air Quality Network; or detecting leaking water pipes, as Vodafone has recently partnered with SES Water to do. After collecting the data, the smart cities can decide what to do with all that information. A model of a city known as a digital twin can be used to simulate how different policies may affect a city. It can also provide insight into progress being made towards sustainability targets.
Creating Safer Smart Cities
The infrastructure and systems needed to successfully collect, analyze, and transmit information across a city are complex and comprehensive. Smart cities may represent a better way to plan and manage urban living, but they also serve as attractive new targets for cyber criminals. Digital enhancement enhances digital risk. To keep a smart city running smoothly, governments need tech-enabled support desks to help resolve problems. Smart cities are built from data, but what information is collected, who has access to it, and how it may be used are all highly contentious areas impacting public trust.
Enhancing the Quality of Life in Smart Cities
To improve the quality of life in urban spaces, city councils, urban planners, and developers are exploring cutting-edge digital solutions that can potentially power smart cities. Augmented reality technology is a promising solution. AR works by overlaying digital information in real-world environments: all you need is a smartphone and AR can provide constant feedback within smart cities, allowing everyone to make informed decisions in their day-to-day life. AR can make urban spaces more people centered and improve urban mobility, public safety, public health, and tourism.
Keep up with AR/VR Technology
Information and communication technologies have made smart cities a reality. However, augmented reality and virtual reality technologies have shifted the smart city paradigm. Practical Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Business and Society: The Case of Smart Cities will help keep you current with AR/VR technology.
Interested in the course? Visit the IEEE Learning Network.
Resources:
Anderson, Janna and Raine, Lee. (30 June 2022). The Metaverse in 2040. Pew Research Center.
Dumbell, Katherine. (18 July 2022). How smart technology can make cities more sustainable? Verdict.
Galil, Eran. (16 July 2022). Improving the customer experience with virtual and augmented reality. VentureBeat.
Imperial College London. (21 July 2022). About Londair. LondonAir.
Lee, Giacomo. (6 January 2022). Meet the tech CEO who survived a flood and built a digital twin of Earth. Verdict.
Manser, James. (5 June 2020). How IoT tech could save the UK three billion litres of water a day. Vodafone.
Milewa, Gergana. (12 September 2021). How Smart Cities Can Use Augmented Reality Technology. AR Post.
Rosenburg, Louis. (28 December 2021). Why AR, not VR, will be the heart of the metaverse. VentureBeat.
Open Access News. (15 November 2021). Connectivity: The fundamental ingredient of a successful smart city. Open Access Government.
Open Access News. (28 June 2022). The cities of the future are smart – but we must also make them secure. Open Access Government.
Most of us can only dream of playing professional sports. However, augmented reality (AR) could soon turn these dreams into reality — that is, a virtual one.
This fall, the National Football League (NFL) will release its first officially licensed game for virtual reality platforms, ESPN reported. The “NFL PRO ERA” game will give players the ability to experience — in virtual reality — what it is like to play pro football. Using a special AR headset, players will be able to experience the game on a virtual field.
The game, which will be available on Meta Quest and PlayStation VR, and licensed by the NFL Players Association, will turn NFL fans into virtual NFL quarterbacks. It gives them the ability to try to make plays they have seen real-life NFL quarterbacks make on television.
“When we think about this experience, you’re finally immersing yourself as the professional athlete for the first time ever. You are seeing it in a way that you’ve never seen it,” Troy Jones, co-founder of StatusPRO, the company that is developing the game, told ESPN. “It is the future, and we look at it as the new era of gaming and the next step in the way people will consume sports.”
How AR Gaming Will Improve Cognitive and Mental Health
The impact of AR gaming will be felt beyond entertainment. According to CNET, one area where it is already having an impact is on exergaming, a type of gaming that incorporates physical movement. Exergaming has been around for a while — with well-known brands like DanceDance Revolution, which made its debut in 1999. Researchers are looking into how to take the technology a step further by combining it with AR.
For example, the Pacific Brain Health Center’s “FitBrain” program aims to boost the mental function of seniors. It does so by merging cognitive exercises and physical exercise through stationary bikes and treadmills combined with 2D tablets or 3D VR headsets.
“Physical exercise is probably one if not the most well-validated interventions to improve both general health and also brain health. Or brain function or both,” Dr. David A. Merrill, an adult and geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Brain Health Center, told CNET.
Technological Advancements in AR Will Create a More Realistic, Immersive Experience
While AR has been around since the 1990s, the technology has become much more advanced in recent years. Improvements include features that allow players to better interact with the virtual environment. According to CNN Business, researchers at Salzburg University developed an AR mask. Players can breathe into it, allowing them to blow out candles, blow up balloons, and more in a virtual world. Meanwhile, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University equipped an Oculus Quest 2 headset with ultrasonic transducers. These produce ultrasonic energy, which points at a wearer’s mouth to generate unique sensations. Such as the feeling of wind on your lips, PC Gamer reported.
These AR advancements are only the beginning. With the rollout of 5G networks across the world – a development that will allow for faster internet speeds and the transferring of enormous amounts of data necessary to support advanced AR gaming – it is only a matter of time before AR gaming becomes widespread.
Practical Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Business and Society
One aspect of video gaming that makes it unique is that it has always been driven by the desire for maximum fun, not the need to solve a specific real-world problem. This has driven both the development and commercialization of new technologies.
Enroll in Practical Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Business and Society: The Case of Gaming on the IEEE Learning Network to discover the impact of video games as a $160 billion USD industry on the evolution of real world intelligent and immersive realities.
In this online course, we review the history and relevance of gaming while discussing unexpected use cases. We’ll explore what makes gaming unique and show how gaming has impacted the development of multiple technologies that are fundamental to immersive reality.
Resources
Rice, Andrea. (17 May 2022). VR Exercise Games Could Offer Hope for Delaying Dementia. CNET.
Corrigan, Hope. (9 May 2022). Scientists add mouth haptics to VR, complete with spiders. PC Gamer.
Rothstein, Michael. (20 April 2022). NFL-licensed virtual reality game set for fall release. ESPN.
This mask makes breathing in virtual reality more realistic. CNN Business.