What is augmented and virtual reality?
What is Augmented Reality (AR)?
Integrating advanced technologies helps improve business competitiveness. With Augmented Reality (AR), a connection can be created between the real and digital worlds to better guide and train employees, solve problems faster, increase efficiency, improve productivity and collaboration, and be better prepared for future growth Prepare.
Learn about Augmented Reality
What is AR? Augmented reality is an enhanced, interactive version of a real-world environment, enabled holographically through digital visual elements, sound and other sensory stimuli. AR incorporates the following three characteristics: the integration of the digital world and the real world, interaction in real time, and accurate 3D identification of virtual and real objects.
Augmented reality provides a better way to design, build and present instructions by overlaying digital content onto the real work environment. When a business understands what AR is and how to successfully leverage it, everyone can work remotely and collaborate effectively.
AR vs. Virtual Reality vs. Mixed Reality vs. Extended Reality
As the genres of virtual reality have continued to evolve in recent years, and the differences between the genres are not clear, it can be difficult to keep up with this development. Various types of digital reality include:
- Augmented Reality (AR) – aims to add digital elements on top of the view of the real environment with limited interaction.
- Virtual Reality (VR) – An immersive experience that removes the user from the real-world environment, usually through a head-mounted display device and headsets designed for such activities.
- Mixed Reality (MR) – Blends elements of AR and VR so that digital objects can interact with real-world environments, meaning businesses can design elements that are positioned in real-world environments.
- Extended Reality (XR) – Covers all types of technology used to augment our senses, including the three previously mentioned.
As various technologies blur the lines between realities, it’s critical to identify use cases that are right for your business. For many businesses, AR is often the easiest to integrate into a company’s processes.
Types of Augmented Reality
When deciding which type of AR technology to choose for your business, you must first decide which AR to use. There are two types of augmented reality: marker-based and marker-less. Choosing one of these AR options will determine how you can display images and information.
Marker-based AR is created using image recognition technology to identify objects that have been programmatically incorporated into your AR device or application. When these objects are placed into the view as points of reference, they help your AR device determine the position and orientation of the camera. The way to do this is usually to switch the camera to a grayscale image and detect the location of the marker, and then compare that marker with all other markers in the information library. After your device finds a match, it uses this data to mathematically determine the form and place the AR image in the correct location.
Markerless AR is more complicated because there is no point on which the device can focus. Therefore, your device must recognize related objects as soon as they appear in view. Using recognition algorithms, the device looks for colors, patterns, and similar features to determine what the object is, then uses time, accelerometer, GPS, and compass information to localize itself and use the camera to superimpose images of the desired content on the real-world environment middle.
How Augmented Reality Works
Augmented reality creates an immersive experience for all its users. Although the most common form of AR is through glasses or camera lenses, as society’s attention to AR continues to grow, many companies have introduced more types of lenses and hardware in the market. AR has five important building blocks:
- artificial intelligence. Most augmented reality solutions require artificial intelligence (AI) to work properly and allow users to complete actions using voice prompts. In addition, AI can also process information from your AR application.
- AR software. These are tools and apps for accessing AR. Some businesses can create corresponding forms of AR software according to their own requirements.
- deal with. You’ll need some processing power for AR technology to work, which typically takes advantage of the device’s internal operating system.
- lens. You will need lenses or image platforms to view your content or images. The better the screen quality, the more realistic the displayed image will be.
- sensor. AR systems need to obtain summarized data about their environment in order to align the real world with the digital world. When your camera captures information, it sends it through software for processing.
Integrate AR into employee training and education
In the workplace, adding augmented reality to your processes and procedures can help enhance employee learning and understanding. AR training is an educational experience delivered through software on an AR device designed to help employees acquire important professional skills. This type of training experience can be initiated anytime, anywhere with the right software.
AR can also provide guidance and support to workers wherever they are, leading to better collaboration and a safer work environment in your workplace. This approach can augment traditional learning methods, providing more information for a more comprehensive understanding. Some of the ways your team can use AR include:
- performance support
- Learning and Training Modules
- New employee orientation
- On-Demand Training Opportunities
- Customer Service and Experience
Many industries and domains are already using AR for business processes, including:
- retail. Employees can use AR for onboarding and regular course training. AR can help new employees understand what they will face in the future, such as sales training, walking sales stores, and preparing retail environments. It can also help customers test products before buying them, or understand how to use them in their environment. product. This can create better interactions or help customers solve problems by providing actionable information in real-world situations.
- manufacturing. Technology can provide step-by-step instructions so trainers can provide feedback during practice, increasing retention. In addition, employees can also use mixed reality to learn during work, allowing them to work without manual intervention.
- healthcare industry. Gaining hands-on experience performing procedures risk-free is critical for healthcare professionals. AR provides guidance for learning anatomy and surgery in a practical and safe manner.
- military. AR has been integrated into combat training to simulate situational environments and operational environments, enabling Soldiers to understand their time, space and military power situation.
- Automotive industry. AR can be used in conjunction with internal systems to provide training to experts and help experts explore current and future models.
In addition to industry-specific uses, many industries currently use AR applications to identify, track, and resolve technical issues. In addition, it can also help in other non-real-world program cases, such as marketing, entertainment and event tools for the form of advertising, allowing users to easily obtain information through the phone.
Work with AR tools that guide you and your team
As your teams move to integrating technology into your workflows and processes, adding an augmented reality solution can improve the overall productivity of your business while using data-driven insights to maximize efficiency.
Dynamics 365 Guides incorporates AR to help you solve problems in real time. With the ability to conduct training or daily processes through training guides, you can quickly resolve issues and optimize your operations with on-the-job coaching.