Earlier this week, e27 released a summary article detailing the role that Augmented Reality technology can play in business as well as gaming and entertainment. The article also mentions that AR can aid the growth of various industries, such as travel and retail.

Applications of AR addressed in the article are as follows:

• Employee training and on-boarding: engaging and interactive training sessions can be created via AR technology. An overlay of graphics or on-screen instructions can be displayed from a headset or smart glasses to train employees. Remote training can also be given.
• Virtual tours / showrooms: businesses can utilize AR to show consumers their products virtually, enabling an in-person experience.
• Project prototyping: project owners can virtually present their product to investors and demonstrate its features.
• Navigation and routing: heads-up displays allow drivers who are transporting products for their business to navigate their way to the desired location in the fastest time possible.

A recent post on The Detroit Bureau reported on the future of BMW, based on comments that the company’s CEO, Harald Krueger, made in Los Angeles during a media gathering. Augmented Reality is playing a big part in new BMW products.

Significant points mentioned by Krueger include:

•  New technology, regulations, and competitors will change the way in which cars are designed
•  Augmented Reality displays and other technologies will be integrated into more BMW products in the near future
•  Consumers are becoming more interested in technology as prices reduce, range develops, and charging vehicles becomes easier
•  The four areas of change will be: zero-emissions vehicles, connectivity, autonomous driving, and vehicle sharing
•  Giving drivers the option to switch the technology on and off is important

Other key points mentioned in the article include:

•  The BMW Vision Next 100 motorcycle has been introduced to emphasise BMW’s plans. This consists of Augmented Reality goggles to replace displays and dials, in addition to other high tech features
•  Other concepts were a BMW sedan with an Augmented Reality windscreen, an all-electric Mini with AR technology, and the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100
•  BMW is committed to hydrogen power as well as zero-emissions

A recent post on itpro.co.uk has emphasised the impact of wearables within businesses of all shapes and sizes. With 70 million wearable devices shipped worldwide last year, and that statistic set to grow to 237 million by 2020, wearables are not only being enjoyed by consumers, but are also providing innovation within a range of businesses. Cloud company Rackspace reported that employees using wearables saw an 8.5% increase in productivity and a 3.5% rise in job satisfaction.

• Head of Crown Workplace Relocations, Shaun Baker, predicts that businesses will continue to bring wearable tech into their operations, and says that we are heading into an era of workplace technology. Baker speaks of Cicret, a French start-up company working with wristbands that enable users to project content onto their arms; “the concept is to do exactly what you do with a tablet- but on your skin…it’s one to look out for”.
• Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are contributing more wearables. Revolutionizing the wearable sector, AR and VR are being used in the form of headsets launched by companies such as Samsung, Microsoft and Oculus. Georgina Wilczek, VR & AR World’s Conference Manager, says that, “augmented reality technology can now fulfil many essential business needs across a vast range of sectors”.
• Data obtained from wearables can be hugely valuable to businesses, as firms can use such data in order to learn more about their customers and offer them personalised experiences.
• “Wearables such as smart watches, glasses and clothing, are transforming the way businesses communicate, as well as helping to boost productivity, streamline businesses processes and maximise efficiencies,” says Matt Hunt, CEO of Apadmi Enterprise. Hunt explains how wearables are already creating benefits in the workplace.

A press release on BusinessWire reported on the additional release of the “Global Smart Glass and Window Market – By Technology, Application, and Geography” report, by Research and Markets. In 2014, the market was valued at $2.3 billion, and is forecast to be worth over $5.80 billion by 2020. It will increase by a CAGR of 15.7% during this period.

Key topics covered in the report include:

• Market overview
• Market segmentation, forecast, and trends: by technology, application, and geography
• Industry structure
• Future proposals
• Company profiles
• Vendor market share analysis
• Market dynamics
Companies mentioned in the report include:
• Glass Apps
• Research Frontiers, Inc
• Sage Electrochromics
• Scienstry Inc.
• Gentex Corporation
• Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
The article also states that the market is mainly fuelled by an increased demand for global energy, as smart glasses will reduce costs for heating and lighting, etc. Development of technology and government mandates for energy conservation are the main factors of market growth in North America, which was the leading country in the global smart glass market in 2014.

A recent article on the BrainXChange website discusses the potential for Augmented and Virtual Reality in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, particularly head-mounted displays. It explains how current visualization technologies are limited and confined to two-dimensional screens, therefore more advanced tech such as Augmented Reality is significantly more of an advantage in the field. Ways in which AR/VR technology could be useful in the AEC industry mentioned in the article include:

• Helping project managers to view schematics overlaid onto physical structures
• Allowing workers to view instructions for how to install tech
• Training future operators of a building
• Can help at all stages of a building project (design and actual construction)
• Improving both individual and group processes
• Eliminating inefficiencies
• Bridging knowledge gaps
• Streamlining processes
• Enables engineers and designers to easily visualize ideas and make more informed decisions
• Helps avoid rework during construction and customer dissatisfaction
• Can design buildings – e.g. recreating a physical structure using Virtual Reality
• Can remotely test out different design concepts
• Can virtually explore and assess an architectural plan
• Allowing the customer and construction team to thoroughly understand the building design
• Enhancing and speeding up the design process
• Enabling the design team to collaborate remotely
The article concludes by stating that AR/VR tech will be a game-changer for the AEC industry, and will increase innovation in engineers and designers.

AREA member BrainXChange recently interviewed Sam Murley, Digital Acceleration Designer at General Electric (GE). [Link to full interview].

Key points from the interview include:

•  Wearable technology improves productivity and efficiency
•  Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and wearable tech are best applied by streamlining the transfer of knowledge and offering vital information in context
• Anywhere information is accessed has the potential to be transformed by wearable tech
• Reducing risk and adding efficiencies are key focuses for pilot programs
• Main challenges of developing tech include:
• Keeping variables consistent (running a pilot as a scientific experiment)
• Scaling down a project without removing key features
• Meeting procedures and policies (e.g. IT security)
• Figuring out which is the best technology to fit the environment/end user
• Prioritising projects
• Researching emerging tech and partnering with new adopters of technology is important
• Smart glasses are key in transforming and mobilizing the workplace
• In future, we will no longer be limited to communicating, connecting, and creating information via physical screens
• Currently, the main issue with wearables is interoperability
• The change from mobile to digital assistants will soon arrive
• Part of the digital innovation strategy of companies should be to cover aspects beyond the interfaces and take calculated risks
• It is predicted that humans and robots will work in collaboration while using wearables at some point in the future

A recent article by Forbes discusses future opportunities for Augmented Reality in the workplace, and mentions how AR will be a key advantage for organisations in term of competition. The technology brings a potential high level of efficiency and creativity that would greatly benefit companies. Uses of AR in the workplace include:

• Thorough training
• Hands-on experience minus the costs and risks of real life experience
• Placing employees in a virtual situation that can’t be created in real life
• Creating hazardous virtual conditions
• Teaching employees correct protocol
• Preparing employees for real life scenarios
Advantages of using AR as part of your business’ strategy include:
• Saving time and money
• Shorter learning curves
• Better trained employees
• More efficient workplace
• Increasing the power of your remote workforce
• Improving productivity
• Making personal connections
• Gaining a competitive edge
The article concludes by recommending that companies allocate a budget for AR technology, as it will soon become widely accessible for enterprises to use.

An article on Futureofbusinessandtech.com provides a neat summary on enterprise Augmented Reality: mainly that AR can boost operational efficiency, reducing time, costs and mistakes, therefore improving effectiveness of employees.

• Organisations adopting AR may expect procedural steps in order to fix machinery, or check the status of industrial equipment. An operator can see such information by pointing a device at an object and viewing the data overlaid on the object; this could be via hand held equipment or worn on the body. Enabling operators to instantly view instructions in this way without having to refer to a manual allows for greater workplace productivity. AR-enabled devices are subsequently expected to speed up tasks and reduce errors.

• Augmented Reality in the workplace allows companies to deliver real-time and up-to-date information to employees. Devices will recognise a physical target object and display appropriate images and text; this may take 2D or 3D form, and can be either stored on the device or carried through a network. AR may also be embedded into existing workflows, with asset and product life-cycle management systems having the ability to incorporate AR information into streamline presentation and delivery of data on products and parts.

• Production and maintenance costs are assured to be reduced with work being done faster and errors being less frequent. Instructions are displayed immediately, banishing the need for operators to search for manuals or call for help. Cognitive load is reduced, consequently so are mistakes, by having the right information in the right place at the right time.

Recent news has alluded to Tim Cook’s interest in Augmented Reality. This summary article has been taken from a blog on redcode.net regarding plans for the iPhone 7.
Dual-camera technology of the iPhone 7 enables a range of software capabilities which could result in remarkably improved photos for users. Apple, therefore, obtains the ability to use the dual cameras in order to capture information about objects and the space in front of the cameras. Having two cameras will allow devices to capture and create depth-mapping information. This is a step in the right direction in terms of creating an iPhone with AR capabilities.
Apple has recently purchased companies Metaio and PrimeSense, another clue that they may be moving towards a handheld AR future. See original article for more information on the history of these companies.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, is an Augmented Reality enthusiast. The most recent Apple earnings call saw Cook stating that there is a massive opportunity in AR, particularly with commercial use cases. His recent interview on “Good Morning America” spelled out his enthusiasm for AR, with Cook putting forward that Augmented Reality allows two people to share a common experience, whereas in VR this may not be so easy.

An article on itnewsafrica.com has provided information on Dell and Intel’s Future Workforce Study, which reported that nearly half of employees in Europe and South African regions feel as though their present employer is not implementing new technology advances.

Research firm PSB used the study to survey almost 4000 fulltime employees from a range of business sizes. Results determined that those polled in the UK, France, Germany and South Africa do not think they will be working in a smart office within the next five years. The article weighs Chris Buchanan, Client Solutions Director at Dell South Africa, in on the subject, “today’s workforce has a growing expectation that their employers integrate the latest technologies seamlessly and securely into their working lives”. Buchanan goes on to say that adding new technologies is, “a business-critical opportunity for companies to be at the forefront of the future workplace and enable the future workforce”.

Itnewsafrica.com names some highlights from the Study:
• Augmented Reality, along with Virtual Reality, may be present in the workplace sooner than expected; with 61% of South Africans stating that they would be willing to use such technologies in their professional lives. Training on new skills in realistic virtual environments, problem solving or coming up with new ideas via 3D visualisation and presenting to clients using immersive technologies are stated as the most frequently cited user cases for new technologies.
• Technology is significant if employers want to keep talented millennial employees, with 1 in 3 South Africans being inclined to leave their jobs if technology provided by their employer is not up to standard.