5 Business Fields That Benefit From Augmented Reality

To lots of people, it sounds like words jumbled together; others might have heard about AR in passing, but just a few understand what Augmented Reality is about. One thing is sure; Augmented Reality is a huge trend in the mobile app development sector. Also, the augmented reality app development sector is growing rapidly as so many applications are based on its revolutionary technology.

Fields that benefit from Augmented Reality technologies

How can a business take advantage of AR in mobile app development? Some industries have already unlocked AR’s great potential. They include;

1. Entertainment

AR is always fun, and the gaming industry knows this. For example, Niantic was the first game company to use GPS-based AR gameplay in Ingress.

But however fascinating this game was, the most popular mobile AR game goes to Niantic’s most recent brainchild, the Pokémon GO. The new AR-powered game shook the world a few days after it was release.

Remarkably, Pokémon GO has managed to outdo Facebook in some ways such as time spent playing the game. It also surpassed Twitter in its number of active users on a daily basis.

Like any other app developer, Niantic does not hesitate to use its in-app purchases. However, it seems that the firm hopes to make more money using a different monetization strategy – the sponsored geotagged meetup locations.

Businesses pay to become different meetup spots because being a meetup spot will drive a high quantity of human traffic to their spot.

Another example of AR in entertainment is Snapchat’s Lens feature. Snapchat Lenses make use of facial detection and add some real-time effects to your snaps. But there is more potential for AR.

2. Retail

Augmented reality also helps the retail industry in solving numerous problems linked with selling merchandise. LEGO and Ikea are two retail firms that are using this technology.

In 2013, IKEA started allowing consumers to visualize any furniture piece in their own apartment. The AR Ikea app with a paper catalog is needed for that.

LEGO, on the other hand, uses an entirely different strategy targeted at increasing traffic. The company has an AR-driven app that allows users to take pictures with all their favorite LEGO constructions and characters.

3. Beauty

AR is also a great match with the beauty industry. Makeup Genius, which was created by L’Oréal, uses augmented reality to help consumers find their perfect makeup. Makeup Genius also provides a variety of looks you can test by holding up your phone like a small mirror.

4. Tourism

Pointing your mobile phone at a structure to find out its history is no longer a possible in sci-fi movies alone. Augmented reality app development has made this possible in the tourism industry.

Niantic has one of such apps. It allows you to travel and discover the world around you. It is called Field Trip, and it works on Android devices and was built by a well-known mobile app development company.

Another interesting AR app is Wikitude for both iOS and Android. It works like Field Trip and has broader abilities.

5. Science

Star Walk, created by Vito Technology is another progressive mobile app which has been built by app developers to the night sky. Astronomy lovers can enjoy this stargazing app. Using different built-in mobile sensors as well as geolocation data, this app offers insights into all the secrets of the sky and the objects around it. It can distinguish over 200,000 celestial bodies and also provide you with information about the planets, stars, satellites, and constellations.

As you can see, several applications are using augmented reality in their business model. This trend is expected to improve more in the coming years.