AR refers to any experience that is artificial which adds to the existing reality. It includes anything from filters and games on Snapchat to the QR codes you scan using your phone when buying your evening snacks.  

Augmented Reality (AR) is used to change the environment visually or to provide additional information to the users. AR is an interactive experience that combines the real world with computer-generated content. In other words, it integrates digital information with the user’s environment in real-time. 

It is a system that incorporates three basic features-combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction from users and accurate 3-dimensional registration of virtual and real objects. 

AR delivers visual, sound and other sensory elements to the user via smartphones or glasses. The information is overlaid onto the device to create an interwoven experience where the digital information transforms the user’s perception of the real world. 

Types of AR 

Superimposed AR uses object recognition to create the virtual experience. Let’s say you’re getting ready to take a selfie on Snapchat and you decide to use filters; your face is recognised as the object and the app scans it and places a filter. The filter is placed either partially or completely. 

There are two main types of superimposed AR:

• Marker-based AR
• Marker-less AR: This type of AR has four more categories- 

Marker-based AR uses target images to position objects in each space. These markers determine where the application will place the 3- dimensional content within the user’s view.  

This includes anything from filters from Instagram to QR codes and product packaging. 

Marker-based AR consists of several modules like camera, image capturing, processing and rendering as well as marker tracking. 

This is generally a simple and inexpensive system to implement through a custom application to recognise specific patterns through a camera. This type of AR is already introduced in the daily life of humans as they are part of social activities. 

Disadvantage: Though marker-based AR was groundbreaking, it has some limitations. This type of AR can typically only be used on a smartphone or tablet. The user also must download the application or software to experience the content, so it doesn’t have the immediate charm we’ve become accustomed to in the modern digital age. 

This type of software usually relies on the hardware of the smartphone such as the camera, GPS, accelerometer and so on.  

Marker-less AR doesn’t require image recognition to produce visual effects.  It places virtual 3- dimensional objects in a real-life environment by examining the features present in real-time data. 

There is no need for an object-tracking system due to the advancement in cameras, sensors and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms.   

This technology usually calls upon the wizards of the software- Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM). Its “magic” can scan the environment and create appropriate maps on which virtual objects can be placed. The wizards then display the AR content on top of the real world and are observable from any position and angle, even if the objects are not in the user’s field of view.  

A popular example of such AR is Pokémon GO! This game had become wildly popular back in 2016- fans would spend hours under the sun and walk around their cities trying to catch every Pokémon they could find. 

This technology can detect and create objects without any previous knowledge of the environment. This technology is characterised by its association with the visual effects of combining real-world images with computer graphics. 

There are four additional categories under marker-less AR:  

Projection-based AR: Projection-based AR focuses on rendering virtual 3D objects within the user’s physical space. 

Imagine you’re attending a show where a company is showcasing their new line of furniture. Instead of having physical furniture pieces on display, they utilise projection-based AR to display their products. 

As you enter the booth, you see an empty space with a blank wall. For a moment, you feel as though your time was wasted. That is, until they hand you a pair of AR glasses. When you put them on, you feel as though you entered a new world. You feel like you’ve entered a new world, watching as high-quality 3D models of their furniture appear seemingly out of thin air.  

You can walk around and view the furniture from different angles, and as you move, the perspective of the projected objects changes accordingly. You can visualise how the furniture would look in your own home as if it were there.

The projection-based AR also allows you to interact with the virtual furniture. You can tap on a projected chair to see its different colours or use gestures to rotate, resize or even move the virtual objects within the projected space. It can also offer additional information on the objects you interact with, such as materials, dimensions and pricing.  

Location-based AR: Location-based AR works with the aim of fusing 3- dimensional virtual objects in the space where the user is present. 

Let’s say you’re on vacation with family and are visiting popular areas in the locality. As you approach a famous historical building, the app detects your location and displays an augmented reality overlay on your screen.

You see a label or marker hovering over the building, providing its name, historical significance and other relevant details. You can also tap on the label to access more in-depth information, historical photos and even an audio guide! 

Superimposition AR: Superimposition AR is used either for the partial or full- replacement of the original view of the object with an augmented view for the human eye. 

Imagine you have a smartphone with an AR app that lets you try out different hairstyles before going to the salon.  

You open the app and activate the camera. The app analyses your face and detects your facial features. It then offers a variety of hairstyles for you to try on.  

As you move your head and adjust the angle, the virtual hair follows your motions, giving you a realistic preview of how the hairstyle would look on you. You can even experiment with different hair colours, lengths and styles! 

Outlining AR: Special cameras built for the human eye perform outlining of specified objects like boundaries and lines to help in certain situations. 

You are redecorating your living room and are unsure about the placement of your new furniture. You whip out your phone, download an app that provides furniture placement using AR. 

After opening the app and scanning your surroundings with the camera, the app analyses and detects the edges and boundaries of objects in your living room such as walls, windows and existing furniture.

You can play around with the app’s features, adding furniture from the virtual library and moving it around to let you know which angle would suit it best.  

AR Glasses 

Like other AR- compatible devices, augmented reality glasses fuse digital information with the real world. However, they are unique because they perform digital overlay directly into the user’s field of view, without them needing to do anything. 

It might seem like magic, but it is nothing more than science and the application of our mind’s ability to comprehend images and be duped by visual stimuli. AR glasses are made up of a few main components that work together to produce the illusion of objects being added into the real world.  

AR glasses vary in shape, size and design, but they share the common trait of enhancing reality with digital overlays. There are plenty of reasons why people might want to augment their real-world experiences with augmented data. 

For instance, while watching a cricket match the AR glasses can display the game scores, player data and so on. Similarly, while walking through the streets with your loved one looking for a place to eat, the glasses can display local spots along with ratings and reviews.  

Over the decade, AR glasses have evolved from being unreasonably expensive and experimental to being fashionable and highly functional. While it isn’t right to call any brand of AR glasses affordable, the cost has come down drastically. 

As more companies enter the marketplace, competing companies are expected to push innovation and design while also bringing down costs. 

Difference between AR Glasses and VR Glasses 

To most people, augmented reality glasses and virtual reality glasses may seem similar. But don’t let the fact that they’re both glasses fool you- they’re quite different from each other. 

VR glasses completely isolate the user from the real world, “teleporting” them to a new and digitally created environment. 

On the other hand, AR glasses overlay digital information over the real-world environment and provide additional information. 

How do Augmented Reality Glasses Work? 

AR glasses include sensors like lidar and cameras. Smart glasses analyse their surroundings, recognise the different events taking place and construct a virtual map of the environment where the user is with the help of the sensors. 

These glasses use software such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to develop a virtual map of the surroundings based on the data provided by the sensors. In addition to this, the glasses also track the user’s location. 

By placing a digital object on a virtual map, we can use AR glasses to place it in a real environment. The user sees this object as if it were real. 

How Augmented Reality Glasses can change the Future 

AR glasses have the potential to revolutionise the way we work and live in the future by enhancing our perception of reality and providing a wealth of information and interactive experiences. A few ways AR glasses can bring significant changes are mentioned below. 

• Improved productivity: AR glasses can display real-time information along with virtual interfaces directly in our field of view, eliminating the need for separate computers and screens. This results in streamlined workflow, improved multi-tasking and enables hands-free operation which leads to increased productivity in various industries.  

• Academic and Industrial Training: AR is changing educational and industrial businesses by making classes and training more interactive, emphasising practice over theory. AR in learning augments the real world with virtual objects, allowing students and workers to practise skills on physical devices. 

• Enhanced collaboration: AR glasses can enable remote collaboration by overlaying virtual objects onto the real world, allowing people from different locations of the world to interact and work together, as if they were physically present. This can improve global collaboration, reduce travel costs and facilitate sharing of knowledge across vast distances. 

• Healthcare Surgery: The use of augmented reality glasses to perform real- time surgery is changing the healthcare landscape. The personnel required to help a surgeon in the operating room wouldn’t be required. With the help of augmented reality, they can use speech and movement of eyes to give commands and work efficiently. 

• Improved in-store shopping: AR focuses on improving the shopper’s experience with the actual product. AR glasses can act as your personal assistant, providing real-time contextual information and guidance. They can recognise objects, faces and locations, and provide relevant information to the user. This includes language translation and providing tips on trending styles and fashion. 

• Entertainment and gaming: AR glasses can enhance entertainment by merging virtual with physical realities. Users can experience immersive gaming, where the characters and objects interact with the real world. They can also experience enhanced experiences in places like live events, museums, theme parks and so on. 

While these are just a few examples, the potential of AR glasses is tremendous. AR glasses connect people, the environment and machines, allowing for efficient work operations. With the increasing networking of all devices on the Internet of Things, the potential applications for smart glasses are also expanding. With their ability to merge virtual and physical realities seamlessly, AR glasses hold promise of a more connected, immersive and augmented future for individuals and society.