It’s no secret that in our technology-filled world, we’re becoming more and more engaged in an interconnected digital landscape.
This era of innovation isn’t planning on ending soon. If anything, it creates opportunities for “The Next Big Thing” in technology to take the world by storm.
We’re seeing this happen in the high-tech space, with immersive technology such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality or AR/VR. These are some of the latest rising stars in interactive experiences that are making significant waves in industries across the board and changing the way we interact with the world around us.
To understand this tech phenomenon, it’s easiest to start with what this immersive technology is:
Augmented Reality (AR) is defined as adding in computerized elements to the real world to enhance a user’s experience (think Pokémon Go or Stack AR).
Virtual Reality (VR), on the other hand, is a digital stimulation that immerses the user in an entirely different environment which can be controlled with a device such as a headset (think Skyrim VR).
Here at Dom and Tom, we’re always on the lookout for the latest in immersive tech and how it can be integrated with your product.
These immersive technologies are no exception. As a digital product agency, we’re experts in this area (if you’re as excited about this work as well are, contact us today to help jumpstart your AR/VR product) and we’re especially excited to see how the future of AR/VR is creating an impression in our everyday lives.
These are relatively new technologies that are still being explored, but to give some insight into its impact, we’ve outlined tech industry trends within 3 fields that are integrating this immersive technology:
Healthcare
This established industry is experimenting with AR/VR and how it can save lives every day:
- The growth of AR/VR in the healthcare industry is predicted to reach $117 billion by 2024
- Hospitals are utilizing these technologies in their daily routines, such as in surgery, where they’re transforming the medical imaging scene. With the accessibility of pulling up 3-D images for better visualization, surgeons are able to understand the anatomy of a body with more detail, thereby ensuring that medical procedures are completed with precision
- Each day that AR/VR is implemented in this space, we’re seeing the impact in hospitals across the country as it reshapes the surgical process, and is increasingly becoming more accepted in healthcare settings across the country.
Education
The use of AR/VR within this industry is something that has recently become a huge hit in the classroom:
- Estimates from ABI Research predict that by 2023, AR will grow up to $5.3 billion and VR will grow to $640 million in the education space
- One of the biggest investments that we’ve seen in this industry is with virtual field trips. Think The Magic School Bus but in real time. With a vast range of awesome AR/VR tools (like Google Expedition), students have the opportunity to enhance their immersive experiences by traveling to the surface of the moon, touring an anatomical body, and exploring the inside of an atom–just to name a few–in an affordable and accessible way
- Integrating AR/VR into the classroom will bring in new opportunities and transform the way that students learn. These interactive tools will increase engagement and allow students to experience new places that they would not have access to otherwise
Gaming
One of the biggest industries that AR/VR is impacting is entertainment, specifically the gaming industry:
- It’s predicted that by the end of 2019, VR gaming will bring in $4 billion, while AR gaming will bring in $616 million
- While there’s still a long way to go for VR to fully impact mobile applications, the use of both on consoles and PCs is booming. Gaming VR headsets are projected to grow up to 82 million users by 2020
- Having players immersed in new environments, or to have them be able to interact in an added, simulated environment will only continue to transform the gaming industry and the way players interact with their surroundings; it adds new opportunities like never seen before
As we become more engaged with technology, these interactive simulations will continue to impact various industries in the future, even coming to a point of creating the next big thing in tech.
Here at Dom and Tom, we offer creative and engineering services in AR/VR and would love to help you with a product that integrates these technologies. Schedule some time with one of our strategists today.
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