In 2021, the market for mobile augmented reality (AR) was estimated to be worth roughly $12.45 billion. By 2026, this addressable market is projected to reach a value of about US$ 36 billion. With smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices all falling under this category, there are a ton of options for mobile augmented reality.
This blog provides an overview of how to create augmented reality android development apps as well as the business potential they bring. This is especially important for company decision-makers and business owners who are exploring augmented reality for their mobile channels.
Development of Smartphone Apps with Augmented Reality
A technology called augmented reality combines virtual content with the physical surroundings. This provides consumers with a mobile experience in which virtual items coexist with them in the real world as seen through the camera of their device. In order to improve the mobile experience, augmented reality basically adds digital aspects to the user’s actual environment.
While virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two distinct technologies, the terms are occasionally used interchangeably. Without the visual overlay of the actual world, virtual reality creates computer-generated content that users encounter through a headset.
These are some of the most prevalent mobile AR kinds so you can see how they commonly function in mobile applications. They can aid in your conceptualization of how you wish to offer your customers a distinctive mobile experience.
AR Using Markers
Smartphone applications that use marker-based AR can overlay virtual things over real-world objects by detecting them in the environment. The smartphone interprets the camera’s visual input to decide where to position virtual content (i.e. marking).
The virtual item is lost when the camera loses track of the marker (for example, when the user moves the phone), and it reappears when the marker is once again in the camera’s field of vision. The most prevalent application of marker-based AR is face filters. The placement of the face filters is determined by the positions of the user’s eyes, nose, mouth, and other facial markers as detected by the apps.
Location-based AR apps don’t need to use location-based AR Markers. They place virtual objects using GPS and other location inputs. Because the camera has been configured to be in particular places, it scans the actual world and displays objects. The most well-known instance of a location-based augmented reality app is Pokémon Go.
Marker-Free AR
Several methods exist besides location-based AR for positioning virtual objects without the need for markers. Several sensors are used in markerless augmented reality to determine a mobile device’s location and orientation. These sensors come in the following varieties:
- Accelerometer: This sensor gauges the force being applied to the mobile device during acceleration.
- Gyroscope:monitors the angular velocity in three-dimensional space around all axes.
- Magnetometer: It gauges the overall magnetic field in the surrounding area.
The type of augmented reality you intend to use in your product concept will influence the mobile app’s technological stack and the development team’s level of experience. It’s also feasible that you’ll need to integrate marker-based and markerless features for more sophisticated AR apps.
How to Create Smartphone Apps for Augmented Reality
Similar to constructing any other mobile app, establishing an AR application starts with defining your company goals, creating user personas, researching your market and rivals, identifying critical features, and so on.
It appears that the secret to figuring out what you want to do with your augmented reality service is to align it with the commercial objectives of your app. Making your augmented reality feature engaging, entertaining, and interactive is one thing; making it contribute to real-world business outcomes is quite another.
If your product vision is best served by marker-based AR, location-based AR, other types of markerless AR, or a combination of these, talk to your technology team (whether an in-house team or from a consultancy) about the exact functionality of the actual AR feature.
IT Services Provider in California should advise you on the best technological strategies, but it is your responsibility to make sure that they are consistent with your business’s strategic and economic goals. The AR functionality, for instance, should support a certain stage of your marketing or sales funnel.
Maximizing Capabilities Based On the Hardware
Selecting the appropriate tools to be included in your technological stack is the next step after deciding on the functionality for your augmented reality android development. How your augmented reality software will be able to leverage the hardware capabilities of your consumers’ smartphones or tablets is a crucial aspect for you to take into account.
You must be able to fully utilize the device’s camera feature, GPS, and movement detection capabilities (and possibly even Bluetooth and the microphone) when developing augmented reality mobile applications for Android or iOS (or both). These hardware features are frequently required to make augmented reality possible.
Consider using Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile, a software development kit (SDK) that streamlines app development by enabling developers to write the same business logic for both iOS and Android, whether you’re designing your product as a native app or a cross-platform app.
Technology Stack for AR
Augmented reality applications need a backend framework, a frontend framework, a database, cloud services, and testing tools for quality assurance much like any other mobile app. Many of these are undoubtedly familiar to you already.
The special requirement for AR applications is that they have a strong backend programming architecture that enables them to identify actual environments and overlay virtual items over them. Only AR-specific tools, the majority of which (but not all) are neither open-source nor free, can power this.
You should concentrate on augmented reality software development kits (SDK), which plays the role of fusing virtual content with the actual environment, when choosing technologies for your AR tech stack.
AR’s Advantages for Mobile Apps
Some people might be quick to label augmented reality as a gimmick or a fad. But, as I’ll show below, the advantages for firms have not only been palpable but also quantified. Even though it is still a novelty, augmented reality has already shown that it can produce important economic outcomes.
AR piques interest and can be entertaining and engaging for consumers. In a NielsenIQ poll, 56% of consumers stated that AR increases their level of product confidence, and 61% indicated they would prefer to shop at stores that provide an augmented reality experience.
Another study found that users of the AR feature viewed 28% more products and spent 20.7% more time on the mobile app overall.
More significantly, this enhanced user engagement may result in higher sales. Customers who used the augmented reality features were 19.8% more likely to make a purchase than those who didn’t, according to a 19-month study that examined user behavior of more than 160,000 customers for 800,000 mobile app sessions. This finding suggests that AR can help businesses increase revenue.
A wide range of industries’ businesses have already integrated augmented reality into their digital platforms. For instance, healthcare providers employ AR to improve the patient experience during procedures.
The experience of buying a home and making renovations is improved by the use of augmented reality by real estate developers, brokers, interior designers, and internet markets. For online characters and avatars in video games, the real world serves as their habitat.
Possibilities for Augmented Reality in E-Commerce Applications
The specific application of augmented reality android development that I’d like to draw attention to is the way that Virtual Try-On has transformed e-commerce, retail, and the online buying experience (VTO). Virtual try-on allows customers to digitally sample or “try on” things including clothing, accessories, and makeup through augmented reality.
With VTO, the customer’s appearance is superimposed with the goods to see how the clothing would fit or how an accessory would appear if they were wearing them.
Those who have used virtual try-on can attest that it increases the fun and engagement factor of online shopping while also increasing its effectiveness. Customers can test-drive the newest styles and trends that they might not have otherwise even thought about. This is partly because virtual try-on makes it easier for customers to move between products.
When strategically implemented into the sales funnel of an online store, VTO may be a great tool for boosting sales by more efficiently converting customers from interest to actual purchase.
This AR retail use case’s potential to increase sales is due to:
- Increased Individualization
- Increased User Interest
- Geographical Independence
- Brand Distinction
Virtual try-ons have also been observed to lower expenses due to fewer item returns and improved inventory control. Because to these advantages, augmented reality is already being used by several well-known fashion businesses.
Conclusion
According to trends, business data, and consumer popularity, augmented reality will likely play a bigger role in our online interactions, whether they are personal or professional. This indicates that company opportunities are still in their infancy and will only expand.
If the transition to augmented reality seems frightening, keep in mind that technology should align with your corporate goals. Whether you want to attract new customers, encourage them to make a purchase, hold their attention for a longer period of time, or improve their experience with your business, the AR feature must align with your priorities. Furthermore if you are looking for IT services provider in California, for enterprise software development the get in touch with Sky Potential.
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