Developing augmented reality applications: a future perspective by Robert Prevel
Augmented reality (AR) applications, once
the public domain is to be encouraged, then
seen as a future technology, have in recent
our future hardware and software solutions
years become far more prevalent in the
must be affordable and readily available.
public domain. This is in large part due to
The quality of an AR experience depends on
the availability of affordable hardware that
both the hardware and software used to de-
can be used to facilitate many basic AR ap-
liver that experience. For example, a heads
plications, the most common example being
up display provides a far more immersive AR
the smartphone. These lightweight compact
experience than a hand held display. Unfor-
devices typically consist of a camera, on
tunately, unlike smartphones, AR headsets
board processing, a screen, and other use-
are not readily available. In addition, even
ful functions such as wireless capability. As
the cheapest self-assembled headsets are
smartphones and in particular smartphone
more costly than an average smartphone.
applications have become more widespread
As the hardware used in AR applications
in society, there has been a notable increase
develops, so too will the software allowing
in the number of AR applications and devel-
the best experience from the available hard-
opment companies.
ware. AR application development is a cycle where new applications require improved
This growth of augmented reality in the pub-
hardware, which allows for new software
lic domain is very positive. However, most
ideas that in turn require new hardware. We
existing commercial AR applications are con-
predict a number of ways in which both hard-
fined to small working environments, and
ware and software for AR applications will
provide a very basic AR experience; they
develop in order to improve on our current
allow you to play virtual ‘desktop’ games,
AR experiences.
or overlay a simple virtual object or image on top of a real world object. Many of these
In the future, hardware for AR will be far
‘desktop’ applications have very little knowl-
lighter and more comfortable, allowing for
edge of the working environment, and use
extended use. Devices capable of providing
what we would already consider ‘old technol-
a heads up display have already started to
ogy’ for tracking; namely a fiducial marker or
infiltrate the public domain, the most publi-
some equivalent. Future AR applications will
cised being Google Glass (GG). At present GG
most certainly require more detailed knowl-
is rather expensive and not a suitable display
edge of much larger working environments
for most existing AR applications (unless you’re
and more robust tracking solutions. If the
happy playing your desktop games in a small
continued expansion of AR applications into
box in the top right of your vision). Despite
86