Augmented Reality: The New Normal

Majority of the mankind is in a quarantine state right now, having a limited access, only to the essentials. Venturing outdoors has become a huge risk leaving no alternative to people, but to spend a large amount of their time indoors. We, humans, are social creatures who just need an excuse to spend our time outdoors, may it be shopping for essential supplies or be it just to socialize.

Over the recent months, the pandemic, COVID has taken over and has impacted global businesses. A lot of countries have tried implementing different strategies in the form of a lockdown, restricting human interactions, compelling employees to work from home and also terminating business operations altogether. Restraining and recovering from COVID are two different circumstances.

This pandemic and its aftereffects are likely to last even after COVID is restrained, leading to a “new normal”, that is, even after the lockdown and other restrictions are lifted, people will be compelled to remain socially distant due to the fear psychosis but using technologies, it will bridge the gap between the people and the businesses.

Humankind is finding ways to get productive digitally. Various activities, including entertainment, working from home, e-education, contactless delivery services & payments, online shopping have exponentially increased. However, the question is, are we ready to support such activities digitally and do we have the right infrastructure to do so?

As people are hesitant to visit stores due to the products sanitization, contactless business sectors are booming in the COVID pandemic. But the world’s economy has been affected drastically as majority of the businesses are not contactless. What if we try to onboard these non-contactless services into the digital world? Augmented Reality (AR) seems the most likely technology that can address challenges and also support As people are hesitant to visit stores due to the products sanitization, contactless business sectors are booming in the COVID pandemic. But the world’s economy has been affected drastically as majority of the businesses are not contactless. What if we try to onboard these non-contactless services into the digital world? Augmented Reality (AR) seems the most likely technology that can address challenges and also support business continuity through the pandemic. It acts as an instrument to mediate a transformation of the current circumstances in various fields like work, entertainment, medical facilities, and so on.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO WHAT AUGMENTED REALITY OFFERS

In simple terms, Augmented Reality or AR is when digital information is overlayed onto the real physical world. When you point the camera, the AR application detects a target image, and can figure out how close or far, and at what angle, the target image is from the camera using sensors. It then projects digital information onto that target image.

There are three major aspects of the Augmented Reality experience and they are :-

1. Visualisation, allows businesses to bring a concept into reality that is usually imagined and intangible and, have an immersive experience for its consumers to interact with their products well.

2. Annotation, is the process of adding information to an object virtually to guide you through the new environment and it also provides with real time descriptions of the happenings around you.

3. Storytelling, and creative expressions provide the applications with an unique experience and engages users to the fullest by providing a different outlook.

Augmented Reality during the COVID times is no longer just about the technology but about how one can be productive indoors and how businesses can upsurge. The emotional relations people have with brands, through audio and visuals are indisputable. The former has already been proven with television sets, smartphones and other smart devices too. But with time and as the need of the hour, customer experiences are drifting away from the stereotypical and plunging into a new whole world.

MAJOR SECTORS ADAPTING AND MOVING TOWARDS AUGMENTED REALITY

1. Entertainment

Entertainment is a broad term. It can vary from games, movies and even online concerts. Augmented reality applications made for entertainment usage have always been popular among the youth and have paved their way into the marketplace successfully.

Since people have nowhere to go and staying indoors is the only option nowadays, the usage of these entertainment applications have exponentially increased during the COVID times. There also have been various new concepts and new advanced applications introduced into the market. Lately, many social media features revolve around the use of augmented reality.

Games and Movies: - One of the major entertainment domains revolves around the gaming and the movie sectors. These have always been famous and are widely being used to kill boredom. Developing augmented reality game applications that can involve multiple users at a time, can bring the people together.

Music and Online Concerts: - Due to COVID, social gatherings are to be strictly avoided leading to the closures of clubs, and also music festivals. The concept of augmented reality can bring together like minded people over an application and provide similar experiences and settings like that of a club or a concert at home or a private surrounding.

Online music concerts can also be held over a mobile application giving the vibes of physically being present. This helps the viewers or the application users to have an one of a kind experience, getting involved and closely interact with their favourite performers.

2. Sports and outdoor trainings

Using Augmented Reality in sports and outdoor trainings, can provide experiences for entertainment purposes, educative learnings and also in marketing products and services.

Training Sessions:- Trainings play an important role to every sports player, may he be a novice or a professional player. With augmented reality, it would provide an ease and a better understanding of the sport and also enhances the user’s interaction and experience. It can also offer notable analytics for professional players and their coaches to improve their playing skills as well as adopt better techniques.

This technology can also be used to study and make strategies and plan counteractive methodologies. Also, having augmented reality being involved, the chances of injuries are minimised. Other sport activities like yoga, workouts can also be taught over applications using augmented reality.

Entertainment: - Most of the people all over the world enjoy watching sport broadcasts than playing sports themselves. Augmented reality can enhance the interactive experiences for all the fans. Sports entertainment can also be in the form of online sports fantasy leagues that connect people around the globe and give them an interactive platform to play and engage themselves more realistically.

Marketing: - Advertisement placements in sports related events is an excellent medium to promote and showcase products and services. Augmented reality can help showcase promotions interactively and let the audience engage thoroughly. As the audience retention increases, the sales of the business is more likely to increase.

3. Shopping

Shopping is a broad term, it can include purchasing clothing, accessories, electronics to even household furniture, medicines and vehicles. Shopping has gone online for years now, but majority of the people still prefer buying from physical stores due to various reasons like size mismatch, colours and also probably because the clothing does not fit well. There are two kinds of shopping experiences, online and in-store. Integrating Augmented Reality can let consumers examine the products up close and also enhance and make its user’s experience seamless.

In-store: During such COVID times, many physical stores are shut down whereas some of them are open to public but with restrictions on their trial policies or even the number of customers allowed at once in the store. Integrating AR technology in stores by fixing devices that virtually let you try on clothing or shoes help reduce the interactions and engagement of multiple customers at once. Due to this, the worry of the products being sanitised no longer exists.

Online: Similar experiences like the in-store AR integration can be applied to online purchases. Mobile applications and websites can let customers virtually try on items before their purchase.

Choosing and buying household items and furniture at the ease of sitting at home brings in a lot of convenience. Every customer always imagines about how the chosen furniture piece would fit into their house, integrating AR can help the customer. This also avoids multiple touches and keeps its sanitary intact.

Struggles of choosing the right car model are real. During COVID times, a test drive also might not be possible. Browsing through a vehicle catalogue integrated with augmented reality and making an appropriate purchase also will give its customers a seamless experience.

4. Medical Consultations

Lately, people are suggested to get themselves diagnosed and treated at home for basic illnesses as there is a lack of facilities at hospitals and clinics due to the rise of COVID patients.

Medical consultations for treatments like physiotherapy, general consultations can have augmented reality integrated. In such scenarios, augmented reality applications can help patients by providing the right guidance and medications virtually. A step by step guide and information can be provided to patients with illustrations about the usage of the medications and physical exercises.

5. Education

The coronavirus has created a large disruption of the education systems. Most of the educational institutes are closed worldwide because of lockdowns and social distancing norms due to which institutions are moving towards online education systems. Introducing AR in e-books can help mitigate the damage caused by COVID.

They can be equipped with interactive sessions, visualisations of characters, and also probably a narrative voice to explain the concepts. Education can be categorised broadly into two forms:

Schooling: - Age groups of students vary widely, from pre schooling 6 years old to 20 years old university students. All of them have been directly affected by the closures of the educational institutes. To bridge the gap caused by the pandemic, teachers are trying to put in their best to conduct online lectures, upload study materials and other productive ways of educating students.

However, it is still different compared to attending classes in person. Visuals are always better than just audio. Having AR technology, the studies can be made interactive and entertaining thus helping students increase their concentration time span.

Professional: - Training sessions for professional studies, or for corporate workers is as important as for a school going student. The higher the level of studies, the more practical it gets. Occupations like doctors, engineers, field or onsite workers need a lot of demonstrations and practice before they can actually begin working.

This can be fulfilled by having augmented reality training sessions which teach them in depth without going to an educational institute. This helps in maintaining social distancing as well as in making the learning process fun and interesting.

6. Food Ordering

Like apparel shopping, food ordering services have been fulfilled online. One of the major industries that was highly affected was the food and beverages industry. With almost all hotels and restaurants being closed, the public had to rely only on home or instant packeted food items. With a bit of COVID regulations being relaxed, restaurants are gradually opening up to public although most of them provide only a take-out service.

To have a contactless experience at the restaurants, online food ordering has been promoted. This can be implemented onsite as well as mobile applications. Adding AR technology additionally to the online process, can give a lively experience to the users and attract more customers. Virtually adding visuals can attract more customers as well as reduce the interaction between the customer themself and the restaurant staff.

7. Promotion and sales

8. Social events and celebrations

Man is, by nature a social animal. Social gatherings and events play a vital role in one’s life specially in such pandemic times where interacting with people has been restrained. People have no alternative but to spend their time indoors due to which they are missing out on many social events and gatherings they wish to be a part of.

People are adapting to social distancing and connecting with their loved ones over video calls, but what if augmented reality was implemented as well? India celebrates its heritage, culture, history and traditions in the form of festivals and large social gatherings. Celebrations like religious festivals involve priests and without whom people would not know the rituals.

With AR technology being implemented, priests can remotely guide along with simulations and virtualisations of the rituals. Weddings and private celebrations, and political gatherings can be organised and conducted with involving augmented reality technologies. Also, large scale exhibitions like automobile expos, etc can have demonstrations and catalogue displays over an application.

CONCLUSION

When the world starts afresh, it still will be very unpredictable as to how mankind will recover from the COVID shock. Currently, many business firms are looking for temporary solutions to revive their operations, however for a longer term, Augmented Reality seems by far the best alternative to the real physical world.

The potential of Augmented Reality can stir everyone’s willingness to adopt new technologies and survive in this pandemic. This new ecosystem might not be successful in all ways, but majority of the industries will definitely shift towards Augmented Reality.

Hence, it is rational to conclude that businesses will need to adopt new tech-friendly environments to strive in this industry and get accustomed to the new normal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR