The "augmented reality" AR market will reach US$120 billion, far exceeding VR

Data from industry research institutions show that in the next five years, the market size of "augmented reality" technology will reach US$120 billion, far exceeding the US$30 billion of "virtual reality"(VR). Compared with "virtual reality", where is "augmented reality" technology "strong"?

Recently, a smart mobile games "Pokemon Go"(also known as "Pokemon Go", English name Pokemon Go) jointly developed by Japanese video game giant Nintendo and American software development company Niantic has become popular in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other places, drawing global attention to "augmented reality" technology (referred to as AR) and its industrial development potential.

Data from industry research institutions show that in the next five years, the market size of "augmented reality" technology will reach US$120 billion, far exceeding the US$30 billion of "virtual reality"(VR).

It is more realistic than "virtual reality" technology and brings user experience into the real world

. Nowadays,"augmented reality" technology is widely used in the game industry, such as using real scenes to add game characters, or adding special effects to real characters. or ability. For example,"Pokemon Go" is a game developer based on the Japanese comics of the same name in the 1990s, using "augmented reality" technology, global positioning system (GPS), mobile maps and cameras and other functions to enable players to capture "elves" in familiar scenes. Smart mobile games have greatly enhanced the authenticity of the game itself. Shortly after its release, the game climbed to the top of the Apple and Android mobile app rankings, and Nintendo's share price soared.

"Augmented reality" technology is a new technology that uses computer systems to generate three-dimensional information to enhance users 'perception of the real world. In short, users can expand their real world through "augmented reality" technology and directly see invisible virtual objects or information in the real world. It is generally believed that the emergence of "augmented reality" technology originated from the development of "virtual reality" technology, but there are obvious differences between the two. Traditional "virtual reality" technology can create another world for users and immerse them in the virtual world; while "augmented reality" technology brings computers into the user's real world, realizing the "people-oriented" technology.

In the early 1990s, Cowdle, a researcher at Boeing Company in the United States, first proposed the term "augmented reality". In the following years,"augmented reality" technology began to emerge in professional fields, such as the virtual help system developed by the U.S. Air Force in 1992 and the University of Colombia's KARMA Mechanic Repair Help System. It was not until 1998 that "augmented reality" technology first appeared on mass platforms. At that time, some TV stations used "augmented reality" technology to superimpose the score line on the field on the screen on the television broadcast of football games. Since then,"augmented reality" technology has been used for weather forecasting.

It has more market prospects than "virtual reality" technology. Related software and hardware research and development is accelerating.

With the development of technology and the promotion of enterprises, the application fields of "augmented reality" technology are becoming wider and wider, and software and hardware research and development have also exploded. In 2000, Bruce Thomas developed the first mobile outdoor "augmented reality" game-AR Quake at the Wearable Computer Laboratory of the University of South Australia in Australia; in 2008,"augmented reality" began to be used in mobile applications such as maps.

In 2013, Google released Google Glass; in 2015, Microsoft released HoloLens, a head-mounted "augmented reality" device that superimposes computer-generated images (holograms) on the world around users. It is with the emergence of these two products that more people are beginning to understand "augmented reality" technology.

The application areas of "augmented reality" technology are similar to those of "virtual reality" technology, including the development of cutting-edge weapons and aircraft, the visualization of data models, virtual training, entertainment and art. At the same time,"augmented reality" technology has been used in medical research and anatomy training, precision instrument manufacturing and maintenance, military aircraft navigation, engineering design and remote robot control and other fields, it has more obvious advantages than "virtual reality" technology.

"Augmented reality" technology has begun to show its talents in many industries in Japan. Japan Airlines has teamed up with Microsoft to develop a system that uses "augmented reality" technology to train pilots. For training pilots, the head-mounted display HoloLens can provide comprehensive cockpit information. Pilots can control the aircraft through virtual switches, and HoloLens can also provide voice prompts.

Hitachi Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is developing a system that uses "augmented reality" technology for factory equipment inspection. Staff only need to wear smart glasses to inspect the factory, and the inspection sequence of various machines will be presented in front of their eyes in graphic form, which can help staff quickly complete the inspection work.

"Augmented reality" technology is also being used to assist surgeons in performing operations. Masahiko Inami, an authority on "augmented reality" research in Japan and professor of the Graduate School of Media Design at Keio University, and researchers from the School of Science and Engineering and the School of Medicine of the same school jointly developed "virtual tomographic" technology to help doctors better grasp the correspondence between tomographic images taken with diagnostic devices and affected areas.

Hirohiko Nakamura of Japan's Mitsubishi Research Institute believes that "augmented reality" technology can superimpose information on objects and has broader application prospects than "virtual reality" technology. For example, in the near future, if the tourism industry vigorously introduces "augmented reality" technology, tourists can easily experience the changes of the four seasons of attractions and relive the glory of historical sites. We can use "augmented reality" technology to enhance our understanding of the physical world. Perception, related technologies will have more considerable market prospects in the future.

However, industry insiders generally believe that "augmented reality" technology is still in its infancy, because in practical applications, this technology is still hindered by the development of technologies in multiple fields such as imaging processing quality, power consumption, visualization and interactive experience. The rapid spread of "augmented reality" technology is restricted.

While "Pokemon Go" brings a new experience to players, accidents involving "low-headed people" who only care about looking for "elves" have been frequently reported in the news. There have even been incidents of robbing players of property by deceiving players to "elves" settlements. At the same time, when players log in to the game online, they must also accept the "overlord clause" that the game obtains full rights to their own Google account. This brings many risks to the privacy and personal safety of players.

Editor: vian