AR – you ready for this?

Innovation and imagination often go hand in hand to bring new technologies into being and into the mainstream.  Augmented Reality (AR) is one technology that is on the cusp of dramatically expanding its mainstream presence.  Many of us remember how AR burst into the mainstream with Nintendo’s Smartphone game, Pokémon Go.  This “activity” game showed us all how AR can integrate digital images with reality, but can AR go beyond entertainment, can it be put to use in other ways to enhance and improve the human condition?  Here are some of the latest ideas and projects that aim to do just that, in a wide range of fields:

Medicine:  There are many imaging technologies that provide information for medical practitioners, such as X-Ray, MRI, CT scan, Mammography, and Ultrasound.  As digital images, they can be fed into an AR system to display in the real setting, such as in the Operating Room, hovering just above the patient undergoing surgery.  The surgeon, wearing AR lens technology, can view these helpful images without taking his/her eyes off the surgical site – no need to look away at a nearby screen.  Not looking away during critical moments is seen as one of the key benefits of many AR technology applications.  Other healthcare applications in use or development include:

• showing nearby defibrillators on your Smartphone (more critical than Pokémon)
• showing phlebotomists and nurses the image of exact vein locations right on the patient’s arm
• showing patients what their medical condition would look like if left untreated, such as the consequences of cataracts

Military Defense:  The safety of soldiers on a field of battle can be enhanced with the use of AR technology.  “Radio Silence” is a lifesaver on the battlefield because modern scanning technologies can find and locate all radio frequency (RF) transmissions.  The saying goes that” If you’re transmitting, you can be found”, so ensuring that you are NOT transmitting can be a lifesaver.  The US Navy is testing a prototype AR system that can detect and display any RF transmission.  This allows the user to detect and turn off transmitting sources located on themselves, as well as detecting all other RF transmission sources.  The system uses a specially designed AR heads-up display, which superimposes RF waves over heavy sunglasses in the real-world environment.  This replaces older, bulky portable tablet type devices that located RF signal sources.  This hands-free display allows the user to keep his eyes on the battlefield at all times, a critical need in dangerous situations.  The system responds to voice commands or hand gestures to navigate through various bits of information about the detected RF signals, helping to locate and deactivate the transmission source.

Sports Training:  Amateurs and professionals in various sports are always looking for more and better ways to train and get motivated, with the goal of enhancing performance.  One of the interesting and somewhat amusing AR applications for sport and fitness is a game called ZOMBIES, RUN.  This game plays on the knowledge that fear can motivate, and that turning a boring activity like running into a game can make it seem like fun.  The game runs on your phone and provides various ZOMBIE Missions, with scary audio sounds and narrations (use your earphones),  as well as visuals on your phone screen if you have the nerve or time to look at your phone while running from Zombies.  Other sports could have other motivators, such as being presented with the Stanley Cup or an Olympic medal.  With AR technology all kinds of visual and audio elements can be added to your surrounding reality, such as bicycle riding with Tour de France competitors nipping at your rear wheel or passing you by.  The possibilities are many and varied – just use some imagination.

Technology can be empowering and beneficial in many other facets of our life, helping us to unwind, decompress, relax, and enjoy life.  AR gaming and entertainment is making huge advances, and Virtual Reality (VR) gaming is already a big industry.

Trend Disruptors keeps a close eye on new technology developments, and recommends companies to invest in that will lead to success for the well informed investor.

Stay tuned!