Augmented reality will transform city life
It’s understandable to feel underwhelmed by augmented reality thus far; AR won’t really become interesting and practical in a mass market way until it can do more than just place 3D objects on tables. Despite this, AR is already changing our urban lives, even if the technology’s effects aren’t being felt at a mass scale yet. I’ve interviewed three AR entrepreneurs who explain three key ways that AR is set to transform urban living.
Google has undoubtedly changed billions of lives. By indexing the web, Google has enabled us to find virtually anything we need with the click of a button. However, as the internet evolves from 2D computer screens into a 3D internet that overlays the real world, an entirely new paradigm for navigating, identifying, and organizing data will be required. That is, trying to get information about the objects, places, and people in the space immediately around you is a complex process that is dramatically different from typing a search into Google on Firefox. However, once solved, this “indexing of the real world” will make our urban lives richer and easier to navigate.
Amir Adamov is the CEO of Fringefy, a connected-car focused platform that allows users to conduct visual searches for places in the real world. He expands on this point: “Humans naturally use vision to identify, process, and express information about the physical world. Similarly, smartphones can enhance our ability to use visual recognition to index unique points of interest in the urban environment. Although GPS allows us to identify where we are in a city, it does not enable us to actually augment visual information into our world.”
Adamov continues: “For example, if a tourist is in a park in Barcelona, she can pull out Google Maps and get a sense of what restaurants and bars are in the area. This isn’t a very engaging experience and provides limited utility to the user. However, augmenting this experience with sensors on AR-capable smartphones is a tipping point. This would enable the tourist’s phone to actually see what’s around her and provide her with real-time context. AR platforms will allow users to optimize their consumption of digital content in their urban environment in a way that is more engaging and personal.”
Despite the advances made in the automotive industry since its inception, traffic accidents remain a significant cause of injury and death worldwide. However, with the advent of AR-enabled smart devices, commuting will become increasingly safe and efficient. The rise of networked intelligent vehicles communicating with each other in real time, coupled with commuters wearing AR-enabled wearables, will result in dramatically improved urban transport systems.
Alfred Boyagdis is the CEO of Forcite, a company that builds smart helmet technology.
