Augmented Reality in the Indian context

Augmented reality (AR) is an emerging technology that is fast gaining its foothold among users in India. What is Augmented Reality? Augmented Reality is a technology that superimposes visual information or other data in front of one’s view of the real world. It completely changes the perception of how we interact with technology.

Google Glass, a device that provides Augmented Reality experience, resembles a pair of glasses and displays information directly in the user’s field of vision. For example, if you are standing in front of a hill and wondering how much time it will take to reach the top? Which road to take? , then wear a Google glass to find out the answers. It will give you details like height of the hill, distance to the top, an alternative way etc.

In India, Augmented Reality is slowly but steadily establishing itself as the future of technology. For example, with declining print readership Times Group came up with an Augmented Reality application called Alive in early 2013. This was done to provide more innovation and interactivity to the readers. Since its launch the application has more than 1 million downloads, with readers spending more than 3 minutes per use and 300 advertisers signing on.

In the fashion industry, Shopper’s stop came up with an augmented reality app to create excitement and curiosity about their discount offers. This was one of the first Augmented Reality campaigns and was well received. KFC India used this technology to introduce KFC Fiery grilled. The innovative application that was created on Facebook captured the participant through a webcam and set the individual in fire on screen. These videos were then published on their walls for their friends to see.

Cadbury India introduced an Augmented Reality app to celebrate friendship day. Users sent specially developed friendship bands through Facebook. The app left a smile on 20,000 downloaders who had sent and received a friendship band. In the field of education, Augmented Reality apps like Inaki make learning easy for children.

In the Fashion industry, Augmented Reality apps can provide a real time experience of the products to customers and also for product comparisons and brochures. In the food industry, apps are being developed to make a Hotel or Restaurant incorporate AR in their desired campaigns to increase customer footfalls. A lot more AR apps that can provide the desired 3D experience for a growing network of Go-Digital organizations are being crafted.

The future of augmented reality seems to be more inclined towards haptics and tactile feedback (which uses sense of touch). With the technology, users will now be able to feel bumps and ridges, and also figure out which areas are rougher than others. So far, getting information on moving objects through augmented reality apps was not possible. Now Apps are being developed to overcome this limitation.

For consumers, it could one day be the ultimate in convenience – delivering information on everything you could ever want to know about people, places, objects, politics and anything else right in front of your eyes, on your wrist, or via any other kind of device. With applications of the technology now diversifying in many different directions, it’s clear that AR as an industry is making no bones about augmenting its own future.