AR – What actually is it?

What actually is AR?

AR or Augmented Reality, is technology that uses the camera of a tablet or phone to show the real world environment on the screen and then rendering digital assets on the screen combining the digital world with the physical world. It is somewhat similar to Virtual Reality or VR, where you are fully immersed in a digital environment. The difference with AR is that it integrates the digital world with the physical world. This tech does not require heavy computing power such as gaming PC’s, we simply need a relatively recently released iOS device or Andriod device.

Hitting the mainstream

In June 2017, we saw Tim Cook from Apple, announce ARKit which is a developer framework allows for AR experiences. This has opened up our iPhones and iPads to what many out there think is the next leap forward in the current information revolution. There are now thousands and thousands of apps taking advantage of the ARKit. ARKit is now immersing us into the digital environment. You can Measure up your desk or lose yourself in Pokemon Go which was first big app to bring AR mainstream.

An example of AR

Here is a quick video for one of our projects in Nerang, Queensland. We scanned it onsite and modelled the interior of the warehouse in Revit. With our partners at Umbra, we created a AR experience.

This video used the common iPhone X to open the AR experience. Phones as old as the iPhone 6s and 5th Generation iPads can run this experience.

What industries can use AR?

Simple answer is all of them. Industries such as Education, Medical, eCommerce have all found special uses for AR experiences. Children can interact with planets floating in space, doctors can show you your broken arm through your skin and you can see how that couch looks in your room.

AR is perfect for our industry too. Architects, clients and contractors can interact with an existing structure, see proposed changes or walk through their new home before it is built. Experiencing the existing structure from miles away can save trips back to site, as the site is brought to you. Your clients can be kept happy with seeing the progress of their buildings and your contractors can see your exact vision.

How do we use AR?

We use our LiDAR scanners on site to scan the physical structure, or structure in progress and then take millions of measurements. From there we can easily and accurately build an immersive experience to bring your structure from the physical world into the digital world.

How much is too much digitalisation?

In this futuristic video below, we see a world taken over by digital experiences and it resembles the outside of a racing car. I’m not sure we’ll end up like this, however it is something to think about as we enter this next digital revolution.