Category: AR

Best AR Glasses for 2023

With the rise of AR continuing, there are going to plenty of hardware options to make it a part of your life. One of the most common, and easiest to use, platforms is AR glasses. There are a few different companies making them and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you’re looking for the best AR glasses for 2023 then this is where you should start. These are some of the most successful brands on the market and they’re going to be well-worth the investment that it takes to get them onto your face.

Google Glass Enterprise 2

The Google Glass has been around for a while and has enjoyed some success. There’s a new version that might just make it a household item. The Google Glass Enterprise 2 takes the original Glass and turns it into a version fit for professional users. Its main goal is to make the glasses perfect for wearing all day long without feeling it. They’re lightweight and have an 8 MP camera for some decent resolution. They can connect to both WiFi and Bluetooth and are currently on sale for about $1,009 per pair of glasses.

Microsoft HoloLens 2

The Microsoft HoloLens 2 isn’t an inexpensive pair of glasses and there’s a reason for that. This is the same technology that Audi uses in its cars. It’s built to work well and that’s exactly what it does. These glasses have two IR cameras to track your eye movements. They can also capture 8MP images as well as 1080p video. These are going to cost you between $3,500 and $5,000. HoloLens is about interacting with mixed reality via holographic projections that the user can manipulate. Without the need for gloves, the device allows for fully articulated hand tracking so users can touch, grasp, and move holograms in ways that feel natural.

Lenovo ThinkReality A3

If the HoloLens is built to be fully immersive and the Google Glass is made to be used in the real world, the Lenovo ThinkReality A3 is right in between the two of them. You have to use it while it’s plugged into a computer, so you can’t really take it outside. That makes it seem like a con, but it makes it perfect for gaming and things of that nature. It also gives it lots and lots of power that you can’t get from the other guys.

Vuzix Blade Upgraded

The Vuzix Blade Upgraded headset is intended for remote access to multimedia content at work, whether that’s distributed field techs or workers on the line. That means that it’s built for the workplace and can be used by employees out in the field. It doesn’t matter what the profession happens to be. If there’s content that field workers need to have, this is how they can get them. It’s also built to be durable, so falling to the ground shouldn’t be an issue at all. It can change the way we work and that’s very exciting.

What is AR?

There’s no way that you can talk about virtual reality without talking about its closest relative, AR. AR stands for augmented reality and it can be just as much fun as VR. What separates it is one major difference that makes the both of them stand out. It also makes each one ideal for different uses. While one is perfect for transporting you to a completely different time and space, the other is best used when it enhances the time and space that you’re already in. Here are some the major differences and a rundown of what AR actually is.

Augmented Reality

According to Wikipedia, “Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be defined as a system that incorporates three basic features: a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects.” That basically means that AR overlays virtual information over the real world while VR is a totally virtual environment that’s independent from the real one. AR is also known as mixed reality, which better explains it.

AR Hardware

Since it uses real world data to create its experience, AR is best used with its own hardware. These hardware components for augmented reality are a processor, display, sensors and input devices. Modern mobile computing devices like smartphones and tablet computers contain these elements, which often include a camera and microelectromechanical systems sensors such as an accelerometer, GPS, and solid-state compass, making them suitable AR platforms. The more of the outside world you can incorporate into your AR experience, the better it’s going to be. That makes it perfect for learning applications as well as some gaming platforms.

AR in Learning

In educational settings, AR has been used to complement a standard curriculum. Text, graphics, video, and audio may be superimposed into a student’s real-time environment. Textbooks, flashcards and other educational reading material may contain embedded “markers” or triggers that, when scanned by an AR device, produced supplementary information to the student rendered in a multimedia format. That can allow a student to visit an actual historical site, for example, and learn through AR information provided as he or she explores the area. Its possibilities are really endless as the technology continues to evolve.

Archaeology

On top of that, AR has been used to aid archaeological research. By augmenting archaeological features onto the modern landscape, AR allows archaeologists to formulate possible site configurations from extant structures. Computer generated models of ruins, buildings, landscapes or even ancient people have been recycled into early archaeological AR applications. For example, implementing a system like VITA (Visual Interaction Tool for Archaeology) will allow users to imagine and investigate instant excavation results without leaving their home. Each user can collaborate by mutually navigating, searching, and viewing data. Just think of being able to walk through Roman ruins and see all of their structures standing around you, just as they did 2,000 years ago.

Art

AR in the visual arts allows objects or places to trigger artistic experiences and interpretations of reality. Augmented reality can aid in the progression of visual art in museums by allowing museum visitors to view artwork in galleries in a multidimensional way through their phone screens. The Museum of Modern Art in New York has created an AR exhibit in their art museum showcasing AR features that viewers can see using an app on their smartphone. The museum has developed their personal app, called MoMAR Gallery, that museum guests can download and use in the augmented reality specialized gallery in order to view the museum’s paintings in an enhanced way.

Future of AR

There’s really no end to how far AR will be able to go as it gets developed further. There are no limits to the types of information that you can add to an everyday experience. It’s also being used more and more for simple entertainment. Just think about Snapchat filters that add effects to a person’s face in real time. That’s nothing more than a form of AR working right in front of you. There’s only space for it to grow as it begins to incorporate different types of media around the world. It may soon be a daily part of your life, just like your smartphone or your smart watch. Only time will tell, but the future of AR look pretty bright!

AR Companies to watch in 2023

There are many different companies around the world taking advantage of AR and using to its fullest current capabilities. The Motley Fool recently released a report on the best stocks to watch that are using AR in their business practices. There’s no telling what’s actually going to happen to these stocks, but they’re more than worth keeping an eye on. Naturally, none of this is stock market advice. It’s simply a look at companies making AR a part of their business. Even if you don’t care about stocks, you can still learn about brand new AR technologies to check out.

Etsy

Etsy is a platform that lets people sell handmade crafts to anyone who wants them. This isn’t a typical marketplace because everything is made by hand and shipped directly by the sellers. They’re also AR to let shoppers view the pieces in their homes. All they have to do is point their camera where they want the piece to go and they’ll be able to see what it will look like. While this is best suited to wall art, they’re working to expand it into other categories for a fully AR experience on the app.

Alphabet

Alphabet is one of the biggest companies on the internet. They not only own YouTube, but also Google, which has dozens of its own holdings as well. Live View on Google Maps allows users to quickly orient themselves to the area around them and know which way to go via directions overlaid on the live screen of their surroundings. Meanwhile, Google Lens allows users to search what they see. They can scan and translate text, search for an item that caught their eye, or identify plants and animals. The company’s AR technology is making it easier for people to discover the world around them.

Apple

Apple is another giant on the internet that owns the biggest sites and apps around. These guys own many different platforms that are using AR on a steadily increasing basis. Some of the most popular are Snapchat, IKEA place, and iScape. They’re also exploring many ways to use virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality. For example, they’re developing wearable computing technology. It’s also constantly working on its Apple Glasses to varying degrees of success. There’s no telling if they’ll ever take off, but they’re certainly gaining more traction as time goes on.

Nintendo

Nintendo has been in the AR game for quite some time. In fact, they were one of the early adopters. Pokémon Go brought AR to the masses and it’s still being played to this day. They also allow their 3DS users to play AR games wherever they want. The newest AR game in their stable is Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit with more of them always on the way. They’ve partnered with Niantic to develop more titles that can bring them the same success they enjoyed with Go. It’s only a matter of time before they outpace AR apps.

Snap

Snap is the company that developed Snachat and most people don’t realize that. Most believe that Snapchat is its own company, but that’s not the case. Snap has used Snapchat to create lenses, which are AR animations that can change the sound of a person’s voice or their appearance as they move on a screen. More than 170 million people use this feature, so it’s not going to be disappearing any time soon. They’re also developing Spectacles which will be the “first pair of glasses that bring augmented reality to life.” Their technology is set to improve over time.

Nvidia

Nvidia is also working on the technology needed to make AR a reality. For example, Nvidia Cloud RX delivers VR and AR across 5G and Wi-Fi networks. It allows users to stream AR through devices without using wires. Nvidia is also developing technology that incorporates AR into cars. The Nvidia Drive AR processor gathers information and displays it for a driver using AR. The system will show things such as driving stats, points of interest, alerts, and other information. It’s the best chance at having AR streaming seamlessly to anyone who wants to use it for any purpose.

Embrace AR

AR is here to stay and it’s evolving right alongside VR. It can used on any hardware and enhance the entire world around you. It can be used for anything from gaming to learning and you can’t get any better than that. Keep an eye on these stocks if you want to see just how far it can go.