It’s hard to find two technologies more endlessly discussed than artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR). AI has been topping headlines in every industry from healthcare to communications as more and more programs and updates have been released. But implementing AR solutions is challenging for many people and industries because the technology requires huge data sets to operate – including information gained from depth and light sensors, accelerometers, cameras and gyroscopes – and the barrier to entry can be quite costly.
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However, there is a way to develop AR quickly while merging it with other technology that is poised to revolutionize the way we work, collaborate, create, and communicate.
Using AI as a starting point can lower the barrier to entry for individuals and companies who want to create AR-based experiences. By training AI programs to process data for AR, AR programs can recognize objects, record data for personalization, recognize voices and more. AI can act as the foundation for organizations interested in making use of AR, and this starting point can help AR superimpose digital content atop the real world through sensory input from multiple sources.
Object recognition and labeling
Artificial intelligence can recognize objects in images and video, including live video feeds. When utilizing AI in the context of AR — where an individual wearing AR glasses is passively cataloging objects while simply moving about their world — it facilitates the rapid creation of AR elements, including 2D images and 3D models. As the machine learning model grows in complexity and accuracy, its ability to label everything it sees is heightened.
The applications for this are broad; custom software development can benefit nearly every industry.
Some especially exciting use cases include:
Medical imaging
AI-powered disease diagnosis via imagery is an exciting new area of research — especially in the context of skin cancer and other maladies that require a visual inspection — and one can easily see how augmented reality platforms may leverage this in the near future.
Data analysis
Insights extracted from images can be used for research and analysis, which will be especially useful for scientists across a wide range of disciplines. Wearing augmented reality glasses for a walk through the forest could allow researchers to rapidly catalog plant or animal species, highlight points of interest the wearer might not pick up on, and even gauge the health of the surrounding environment based on what is seen.
Facial expression analysis
Some individuals struggle with interpreting facial expressions and other non-verbal cues that the rest of us take for granted. Others with speech impairments rely heavily on expressions to communicate. In both cases, real-time analysis of your conversation partner’s expression during a discussion could alleviate any associated anxieties and enhance conflict resolution.
Personalized recommendations
Content personalization is likely not a new concept. Advertisers, marketing companies and media organizations have been doing it for years. But thanks to AI, people using AR can enjoy a more customized experience than ever before.
This will revolutionize the world of marketing on several key fronts. Companies like Delta airlines are personalizing their user experiences by creating screens that show custom views to each individual customer at the drive-through or flight check-in platforms. AR can also help people view clothing items and accessories and even virtually try them on before making any purchases. Additionally, the AR functionality can be toggled to suit users’ needs, ensuring their privacy protection and sensitive data remains in their hands.
Quickly generating images
For gamers, designers, and other creatives, the ability to speak to an AR creation platform paired with generative AI and have images and 3D models come to life before their eyes is a massive time-saver. They can imagine storylines, visualize environments, and even plot AR elements in the real world much faster than ever before. Generative AI can draw on training from millions of images in a matter of moments, and with AR glasses that support speech recognition, altering the world around you has never been easier.
Recognizing and translating languages
Right now, healthcare organizations and advocacy groups are examining how to use AR text recognition and translation tools, as well as automatic speech recognition assets. These functionalities automatically translate words spoken aloud or written down so that everyone reading or listening hears the same words in the language they’re the most comfortable with. AR can also use optical character recognition techniques to help people read signs in languages they’re not familiar with or, with object recognition capabilities, navigate in cities they’ve never visited where they don’t know the dialect.
Augmenting live event experiences
AI and AR are a boon for people unable to access live sporting or music events or to add an entirely new dimension to entertainment. AR can provide real-time information from sports arenas while users watch the game on television, or it can bring people right into their concert venue of choice for a concert viewed by people around the world. Vendors won’t miss out either; they can sponsor interactive ads or games that utilize AI elements. Google is becoming an early leader in this particular area with its Geospatial Creator, which allows developers to place AR elements in real-world locations.
Augmented Reality and AI are two technologies best paired with one another for the ultimate fusion of accessibility, function and cost. Leveraging AR to enhance the experiences people can have through AR can pay dividends across every industry from entertainment to medicine and more. The possibilities are truly endless for the technologies and experiences these combined technologies can grant us.
[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]
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