AR smart glasses: Applications, Challenges & Future Potential [2022]

The technology is escalating at a rapid pace and bringing new technology aspects every day to enhance our everyday life activities. Businesses are getting huge boom by adopting the new-fangled technologies in their respective areas and increasing productivity. If we talk about Augmented Reality then it helps in creating real-world environment where the objects that resides inside the real world are improved by computer-generated information like in the form of visual, haptic, auditory and olfactory. AR is creating life-changing experiences in the lives of people when they are using any of the AR devices or tool.

Wearable technology is also called wearables which fall under the category of electronic devices that can be embedded in clothing, worn as accessories, implanted in the user’s body, or also it can be tattooed on the skin. All these devices are hands-free gadgets that have practical uses and are powered by microprocessors and improved with the ability to send and receive data using the Internet. 

The wearable market is growing at a rapid rate and everyone is after wearable technology app development. It has been expected that the number of wearable devices around the globe is expected to grow over 1.1 billion till 2020 and the telecom technology will change from 4G to 5G.

Adoption of wearable technology

Wearable devices have changed people’s lifestyle and enhance their well-being, behaviors and decisions as well as improve their core business processes. There is no doubt in saying that wearable devices have emerged globally as the rapidly growing developing technologies.

If we talk about the adoption of wearable devices then it has been marked that it is slow when compared to main technologies like smartphones. But manufacturers and designers show a great interest in understanding the major factors in adopting technology. It will help them to enhance the features and desirability of all these devices and customers will love these features to use.

Researchers from various disciplines have found out that consumer’s adoption of wearable technologies like smartwatches and smart glasses with the use of diverse theories and methodologies.

Market demand for wearable technology

The demand for wearable technology is expected to reach the market value of $57,653 million till 2022 from $19,633 that was in 2016 and still rising during the forecast period with a CAGR of 16.2%. Among all of the wearable devices, the smartwatches devices are expected to grow at a higher rate with a CGPR of 19.9%.

North America wearable technology market by application, 2012-2022 in USD Billion

Source - https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wearable-technology-market

Future trends of wearable technology

The wearable technology market is growing at a CAGR of 17.66% over the forecast period of 2019-2024. We all know that wearable technology is an emerging trend that will integrate electronics to the daily activities and also fits into the ever-changing lifestyles. Wearable devices can be worn on any part of the body and are usually used as an accessory. The ability to connect with the Internet and enable data exchange between a network and a device is the rising factor that is leading to the wearable technology trend.

• Smart clothing is transforming the healthcare practices and is expected that the growing adoption of smart clothing to monitor health or assistance with the treatment cloud lesser down the reliance on costlier equipment and healthcare system.

• The increasing R&D and wearable textile-based personal systems offers health monitor, protection and safety and a healthy lifestyle that has been gained strong investment in the past years.

• Smart fabric like specially-made garments is infused with sensors that collect data and integrate it with the smartphone and all these are getting traction owing to the functionality of the clothes.

• There is a huge advancement in the nano-technology and micro-fabrication technologies that have been enabled the miniaturization process that had made the smart sensors cost-effective and has led to the emergence of smart fabrics.

• With the advancement in chronic disease cases like respiratory disorders, diabetes, cancer, heart disease all over the world and it has boosted the number of surgeries performed in the mature healthcare markets like the United States and Europe where the smart fabric demand in healthcare has been grown exponentially.

Apple to Roll Out Augmented Reality Glasses

The latest report from Digitimes has been rolled out that Apple’s augmented reality glasses are going to make their debut in 2021. It has been heard that the product will be called by the name of Apple Glass and $499   USD will be its launch price.

Due to Covid-19, the delays are happening as Mark Gurman from Bloomberg was targeting a 2020 launch for the AR headset that would probably sync with an iPhone.

There are rumors that the Apple Glass will be announced at the iPhone 12 launch event that is going to happen in September or October this year or at March 2021 even, well it all depends on the in-person press events that would be possible at that time.

In one of the Twitter conversation, Gurman said that the Apple’s AR glass, it’s not going to arrive till the end of the 2022 and 2023 that too with a hybrid AR/VR headset that product will be announced in early 2021.

Let’s talk about AR Glasses and their history

There is no doubt in understanding that augmented reality takes back to the 60s. Augmented reality development is booming around the globe and it will be going to escalate more in the coming years.

Augmented reality can be defined as it is a view of the real or we can say the physical world in which elements are improved by computer-generated input. All these inputs may vary from sound to video and from graphics to GPS overlays and more such.

Talking about AR glasses reminds us of one name i.e. Blade which is the most adaptable smart glasses available in the market. It offers the flexibility to choose in between hands-free voice control for their users or smooth touchpad navigation. Also, there is waveguide optic which is another unique way to experience Augmented Reality Glasses and projecting real-time content for the continuous integration of the digital as well as real-world. Different AR development tools help in creating the best AR glass that will enhance user’s use towards it.

Augmented reality has traveled a long journey from a science-fiction to actual science-based reality. In 1901, the very first conception of augmented reality occurred in a novel that was done by Frank L Baum and in that a set of electronic glasses mapped data onto people and it was called a Character Marker.

3 AR technologies that are used for AR glass development

• SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)
• Recognition based
• Location based

The price of Apple Glass might be something around $499 and it would be less than Google Glass sold for.

Hardware for AR glasses are -

• Processor
• GPS
• Display
• Camera
• Microphone

With the growing essence of Augmented Reality Development, everything has become possible with AR glasses. So many AR development platforms that are available in the market assist to develop the best AR product.

Top uses cases of AR glasses are -

1. Workout path tracking

With the use of AR app, the fitness freaks have improve their workout experiences no matter of what is the weather that saves from exercising outside.

Top example of fitness app are -

Fitness AR that will help you explore the Strava bike rides and can runs in augmented reality.

Zombies Run is also called by the name of augmented audio app as the app gets you moving and fast.

Pokemon Go is the most trending and popular AR fitness app but most of the people has experienced it as a AR gaming app and there is no doubt in saying that Pokemon Go has made the young generation go out and mad to use the app.

2. In-store comparison shopping 

AR pays attention on improving shopper’s experience with your actual product. For this, the two important retailers that helps in providing virtual experience are virtual product testing and detailed product information. Also, it added gamification impact in such apps just for some fun and entertainment.

• Enhances store navigation using AR
• AI-driven personalization makes its mark
• Pays full effort in satisfying shoppers

3. Advertising

AR in advertising is a new buzz and it is making the whole advertising more interactive that is allowing the marketers and advertisers to reach as many customers as they want to in a total different way.

There are so many reasons to adopt AR in advertising that covers emotional connection with the audience, money-saving advertising modes, capability to boost sales, enhancing hyperlocal advertising, and more such.

Uses cases of AR in Advertising -

• IKEA AR Advertising Campaign
• Pepsi Bus Shelter AR Ad
• Toys “R” Us Campaign for Children
• Lacoste virtual Try-Ons
• Net-A-Porter Storefront AR Campaign

Also, it assist QR codes to trigger experiences and scan interactive ad.

4. Secure payment application 

There is no doubt in saying that AR and VR devices are becoming much affordable and easily available for customers, banks and payment companies that have more and more opportunities for engaging their customers in the virtual world.

• TD is making use of VR for teaching finance, mobile and bitcoin
• Fidelity tests which is a virtual agent
• RBC is using AR for making e-gift more personal
• Also, there are smart mirrors from Oak Labs
• Payscouts has put VR shopping in the app
• Samsung is investing in VR fintech

5. Smart shopping 

AR is creating miracle in the whole shopping experience. It helps to engage customers with diverse brands and products using digital experiences and that allow them to try on and try out and interact and even personalize their product virtually and these experiences helps to deliver detailed and intuitive product information rather than standard experiences.

• Easy trails and tryouts
• Personalized user content
• Combination of traditional retailers and online shopping
• Connect shoppers with printed content
• Boosting brand awareness and presence
• Helps to boost ROI
• Enhances the overall shopping experience

6. Location services

Using augmented reality for location-based services aids multiple benefits from user’s point of view. You can overlay digital data that will digitized animations, pictures and other data over real and physical space. Combining augmented reality technology with location-based sensors, geometers and GPS, you can actually its power.

Few examples -

• Magical Parks
• Live Guide
• Yelp Monocle
• Star Walk
• Wikitude
• Google Translate

7. Educational training

Augmented reality is transforming the education industry by making the classes more and more interactive and focusing on practice rather than just focusing on theory. AR adds virtual objects to the real world that allows students to get training skills using physical devices.

• Affordable learning tricks
• Variety of fields
• Secure training
• Engagement and interaction
• discover new things and learn
• Objects modeling

Some of the AR education apps are

• Quiver
• Elements 4D
• Arloon Plants
• Blippar
• Aurasma
• Math alive

8. Gaming

AR is working great in the gaming industry and it is around us from years. It is all about superimposing computer-generated images giving a real view. AR apps runs the gamut from interactive map that overlays and virtual showroom for massive multiplayer skirmishes.

Some of the top Augmented Reality apps are -

• Froggipedia
• BBC Civilisations AR
• Mondly
• SketchAR
• Pokemon Go
• Ink Hunter
• WallaMe
• Google Translate
• AmiKasa
• Just a Line
• Ingress Prime
• Knightfall

10. Business aid 

AR and VR has drawn lines in between the physical and digital world. They are famous on offering a new way of interaction with customers, colleagues and the world that is around us.

• A broader range of audience
• Noticeable technology
• Makes user experience memorable
• Interaction boosts customer retention
• Builds personalized content for enhancing engagement

Top AR Glass brands in the market

Google Glass 

Google Glass is a hands-free device that is used for smarter and faster hands-on work. Google Glass was developed by Google X providing the facility in Google dedicated to technological advancements like driverless cars.

Features of Google Glass -

• The Touchpad is available on the side of Google Glass that allows users to control the device just by swiping through a timeline-like interface that is displayed on the screen. Sliding back will let you know about the current events like weather, and sliding forward will show you past events like phone calls, updates and photos.
• Google Glass can take up to 5 MP pictures and can record up to 720p HD video. In the next Glass Enterprise Edition 2 there is an improved 8MP 80 degrees FOC camera.
• If we talk about its display then the explorer version of Google Glass makes use of a liquid crystal on silicon, field-sequential color system, LED illuminated display. The LED display illumination is the first P-polarized and shines through an in-coupling polarizing beam splitter to the LCoS. The panel can reflect the light and alters it to the S-polarization at the active pixel sensor sites. The in-coupling PBS can reflect the S-polarized areas of light at the 45 degrees through the out-coupling beam splitter til the collimating reflector at the end. The final out-coupling beam splitter can reflect the collimated light to the other 45 degrees and into the wearer’s eye.

North Focals 

North Focals after its launching become a successful AR product in the market. They come with a great look and consist of almost all the features that any other software of AR product has in it. It acts just like a smartwatch where it will serve as an extension of your phone by showing notifications and can access Alexa and auto-responding to the text messages. It feels like magic with North’s Focals. They look like any other normal glass and that is an incredible feat. The closes competitor of Focal is Vuzix Blade. You can perform every activity in Focal by using a Loop which is a separate accessory that comes along. It is a ring that has a pointed end with a joystick on top of it. It is very small that nobody can notice it on your finger and you can move the joystick for navigating through diverse columns in the interface and can tap it for executing actions.

Vuzix Blade 

Vuzix Blade is a See-through AR Smart Glasses that is powered by Industry-leading Waveguide optics. Vuzix blade balances an enterprise and prosumer demands. It is mainly built for maintaining industry operations and is designed as per all day-comfort. It can boost the accuracy and efficiency following the step by step instructions at the workplace. It consists of an HD Camera, Noise canceling mics, full-color, wireless wi-fi, UV protection lenses, dual haptic feedback, multilingual voice control and microSD expansion.

Solos 

Solos means, speed, power, cadence heart rate and coaching. Solo can merge your preferred performance data and puts them right in front of you. It helps you to keep your eye on the road and head at the moment and helps in no looking down, no breaking stride and no unsafe distraction. This way, you can stay focused and fully present in that moment.

Everysight Raptor 

Raptor is the world’s first cycling computer that was created for people and not for bikes. It is designed for enhancing everyday ride by projecting an unobstructed AR layer of information in front of the cyclist’s eyes. Having real-time information projected out in front of you that allows you to keep your eyes on the road ahead for increasing safety and focuses more on performance, body posture, and accomplishments soaking the views and enjoying an amazing bike ride. Raptor’s HD front-facing camera can the capacity to relieve your unforgettable moments with real-time metrics that are embedded in the videos.

Epson Moverio BT-300

Epson Moverio BT-300 provides a whole new way of seeing the world. It features Epson’s cutting edge silicon-based OLED digital display technology that makes the device the lightest binocular that sees through the smart glasses on the market with an OLED display1 with never-before achieved image quality. It has a high-resolution transparent display, Mover BT-300 that delivers the next level of FPV that enjoys your drone video feed while being able to see where it is.

• The new standard in drone piloting has Si-OLED display, enables full see-through experience for the FPV accessory with visual lime of sight.
• It has amazing image quality - HD display (720p) and high brightness ensure vivid colors and crisp images.
• HD front-facing camera that has 5MP front camera for taking hands-free HD-quality POV videos and pictures.
• It has cutting edge performance that has 1.44GHz Quad-Core CPU and 2GB RAM, coupled with a battery life till 6 hours.

Dream Glass 

Dream glass pioneers the future of Smart Glass innovation and design. It helps in creating innovative multi-functional spaces for valuable clients with cutting-edge smart glass technology, dedicated customer service and sleek aesthetic designs.

Top features of Dream Glass

• Maximum natural sunlight mandating UV protection
• Minimize cost of energy with reduced A/C cooling
• On the spot privacy and transparency with your motion sensors, mobile device and more such
• An innovative product development that brings cutting-edge glass technology for the products

The challenges and future potential of Augmented Reality

Augmented reality has come over a long way where it has seen up and down in the market. There are so many companies offering the top AR development solutions that help an organization to boost profit and business revenue by developing the best AR development tools.

The challenges of augmented reality -

• It consists of less proven business models
• It lacks in augmented reality app design and development standards
• It has some security and privacy issues
• There are possibilities of physical harm when using the AR
• It has a poor quality of content
• Social issues are yet another challenge that AR is facing
• AR has technology problems and limitations
• It has some ethical and legal issues

The future potential of augmented reality -

• AR has full potential in increasing the engagement and interaction and offers a rich user experience
• AR boosts the perceived value of brands and products
• A well-implemented AR activity transfers innovation and responsiveness from forward-thinking brands
• AR is mobile and has a personal feature that are helpful for accessing rapidly growing smartphone market
• AR is an inexpensive alternate option for other media platforms as there is no particular media needs to be bought
• Different brands have access to detailed analytics that enables them to truly know their audience

Global Augmented Reality Market, 2017-2023 (USD Billion)

Source - https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/augmented-reality-market-1143

Some of the top tech brand mentions for AR are

• ASOS – virtual catwalk
• Man City – AR-driven stadium tour
• Gucci – ‘try on’ shoes in AR
• Toyota – vehicle demo
• Ikea Place
• Dulux Visualiser
• Sephora – Virtual Artist
• Rekorderlig – mixed reality experiential marketing
• Modiface on Amazon
• Foot Locker – in-store poster
• Adidas – more virtual sneakers
• YouTube – Beauty Try-On
• Magnum and Benefit – pop up>
• VF – virtual mannequins

The need and scope of Augmented Reality are going to exceed in the coming years. So the AR Development needs will also increase in the future.

Beyond Glass

The future of Augmented Reality is bright and it has been clear in this article where we had discussed so many points about it. AR wearables are important for the next big leap forwarding for a final breakthrough and ensuring that the AR has become the mainstream. There are so many wearables that are being developed or enhanced in the public that are eagerly waiting.

feel free to connect with the experts who are patient to listen to a business’s requirements and provide relevant solutions in the form of intuitive AR mobile apps.