By eric on 04/11/2016
Augmented reality turns your smart device into the window to a world of possibilities. Plenty of apps have already harnessed this technology, all of which you can download and enjoy right now.
- Layar
How many times have you looked at a print ad and wanted to know more about the product? Layar gives you even more info just by scanning the ad; point your camera to access additional content like links to the company’s website, movie trailers, or even coupons.
- Augment
Aimed more towards businesses than the general consumer, Augment let’s you view 3D projects in the real world. This is especially helpful for visualizing floor plans for a showfloor to how everything will look when it’s finally assembled. Companies like Coca-Cola and Samsung have benefitted from using their service and it can be fun to explore the demos offered within the app.
- Google Translate
This is one of the more practical apps on this list. Just point your phone at any text in a foreign language to have it instantly translated into another language of your choosing. The translation can be hit or miss, but it’s still a neat app to have nonetheless.
- String
String shows off the fun side of AR by putting fantasy creatures right in your living room. Just print out the special scan cards from their website and you’ll be having fun in no time. The development team behind the app have been hard at work working on their next project, which is slated to be announced soon, so keep an eye out for that if you want to see what they’ve been up to.
- Crayola Color Alive
Bring your colored creations to life through the power of augmented reality. By scanning one of Crayola’s specialized coloring pages, it will display cute animations for you to enjoy. A few of the pages are available for free online, but additional activities can be purchased in-stores.
- IKEA
Visualizing new furniture in your home is easier than ever with IKEA’s AR experience. If you subscribe to their catalog, you can scan specific pages and place virtual furniture around the room to see how it will look. This function works especially well for seeing what colors will work with your current setup.
- ARBasketball
Simply put, play a quick game of hoops right on your desktop. Because who hasn’t wanted to do that? Just print out the scan card and you’ll be swishing those basketballs in no time.
Developers are finding new and exciting ways of implementing AR into their apps. There is plenty of untapped potential with this technology, so be on the lookout for more awesome examples of how it will be used in the future.
