Augmented reality or AR is both a concept and an actual technology that involves providing its users with an interactive computer-generated perceptual information and experience placed on top of a real-world environment. Some consider it as a subclass of a virtual reality or VR system. Others have argued for maintaining the difference between the two. VR draws its users into an artificial virtual or simulated environment while AR augments the existing natural environment with computer-generated perceptual information or superimposes digital elements onto the real world. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of augmented reality.
Pros: Advantages of Augmented Reality and Notable Applications
Central to the advantage of augmented reality over conventional human-to-computer interfacing is that it enables more interactive human-computer interactions and improves and enriches further computer-mediated human-to-human interactions. This translates to specific beneficial and practical applications or use cases.
One of the more specific advantages of AR is that it expands the features and capabilities of computers and other consumer electronic devices such as smartphones, gaming consoles, and wearable technologies, among others. It fundamentally supplements and enhances the user interface and user experience of these devices.
Another specific advantage of augmented reality is that it does not replace the real world or natural environment with a simulated one. It brings in elements from the digital world into the perception of the real world. This is advantageous over simulated virtual reality systems that draw users into a simulated environment.
The aforementioned advantages have brought forth novel and practical applications, introduced new means of interfacing with machines or computers, expanded the capabilities or features of these equipped devices, and allowed innovative forms of digital communications. Take note of the specific applications and examples:
1. Learning and Instruction
Augmented reality improves the learning environment and makes the learning experience more immersive. It encourages better participation and collaboration between learners and instructors. Learners can also become active participants rather than mere passive recipients of instructions because AR enables interaction with the content or digitized information.
Some examples of AR applications in the learning environment include visualization of anatomy for biology and medical classes, driving and flight simulation training, and design activities in engineering and architecture, among others. AR helps in visualizing abstract concepts, enables the gamification of learning, and provides interactive visual aids.
2. Communication and Interaction
Remember that one of the main benefits of augmented reality is that it introduces a new means for computer-mediated interactions between humans. It makes communication more interactive and provides a richer experience compared to phone calls, texts, and video messaging. This translates to specific applications in wireless digital communications.
Remote or distanced collaboration and communication become more immersive, engaging, and appealing through the addition of digital elements. Platforms for digital communications are also provided with additional features. Examples include overlain effects in Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, and filters in Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
3. Business Improvements
It also has several beneficial applications in business settings. AR can allow product developers to see and experience mockup designs before completion. It can also be used for developing and implementing interactive training programs. AR can also supplement virtual meetings and can improve remote work and collaboration between distanced team members.
There are also benefits to retailers. AR can improve or enhance the online shopping experience of retail customers. An example is a furniture retailer that uses AR for superimposing a digitized image of furniture on a particular real-world space or an online clothing retailer that allows its customers to preview clothing items as if they are in a real fitting room.
4. Navigation and Tourism
The ability of augmented reality to place digital elements in real environments can supplement navigation. Live visuals on actual locations can be overlaid with map data such as visualized directions and markers. Information such as map data, traffic status, weather conditions, and terrain can be shown on the windshields of automotive vehicles.
Several tourism-related agencies and companies have also used AR to supplement their tourism marketing activities. Several museums have been offering virtual tours. Other tourist attractions use AR to elevate the on-site experience of their visitors. There are also apps or devices that use natural language processing for real-time language translation.
5. Immersive Video Gaming
Remember that one of the main advantages of augmented reality is that it enables a richer and more interactive human-computer interaction. This has several and specific benefits in video gaming. Some developers have integrated AR into the actual gameplay. AR provides additional input-output features to make gameplay more immersive.
Pokémon Go and Star Wars: Jedi Challenges are popular examples. These video games have demonstrated how augmented reality can allow gamers to experience digital gameplay in the real world. The application of AR in video gaming involves mixing the virtual world with the natural world to provide a more interactive gaming experience.
Cons: Disadvantages of Augmented Reality and Important Issues
The biggest drawback or disadvantage of augmented reality centers on the offshoots that come from distorting the real-world environment or drawing users into a distorted natural world. This can look appealing in most cases but can also have backlashes and other negative implications affecting how users perceive their natural world and realities.
Remember that AR overlays digital elements onto the natural or real-world environment. This blurs the line between what is real and what is not. For example, when using camera or effect filters, this changes how a user perceives his or her world around him or her. This distortion of reality can create unrealistic expectations and overblown standards.
It is also important to note that AR depends on the generation and distribution of data in the form of computer-generated perceptual information and user-generated feedback information. This has raised several concerns and has also produced real consequences in several instances. AR shares these issues with other virtual reality systems and mixed reality.
Another notable disadvantage of augmented reality is that it is also dependent on hardware. It is not accessible to some people. Implementation of AR-based solutions also requires technical expertise. These create problems as regards applications in learning or instruction. The following are the more specific disadvantages and other important issues:
1. Issues About Privacy
It is important to highlight and reiterate the fact that the implementation of AR also involves the collection, processing, and redistribution of different data. This raises concerns over privacy and security. An example is an AR device that records the environment in real-time. This can raise legal inquiries in situations that prohibit video recording.
Some AR applications or services also collect data and information about their users. Examples are biometric data, device usage history, and digital self-portraits, among others. Nevertheless, in consideration of more stringent data protection laws, such as the GDPR of the European Union, there is a need for developers to follow standards regarding data usage.
2. Reality Modification Dangers
Another disadvantage of augmented reality is that it blurs the line between the real world and the digital world. This can have implications as well. An example is Pokémon Go which has stirred controversies at the height of its popularity. Superimposing digital elements onto the natural environment masks real-world dangers and makes users less cautious
The risks or dangers of reality modifications necessitate the creation of standards. Developers should not overload their AR products with digital elements. There is also a need to educate users to tell them not to become too dependent on a particular application or service to the point that they become passive toward important real-world cues
3. Content Quality and Relevance
The advantages of augmented reality are also dependent on the quality of a particular application or service and the quality of the augmented content. Specific applications or services with poor designs or irrelevant content can disrupt the user experience. A particular application or service should also work well or be compatible with specified classes of devices.
It is also worth mentioning that the applications of AR have expanded through smartphones and mobile apps. However, despite this fact, the selection of applications or services and features is still limited. It is not as popular as conventional content and the more common two-dimensional graphical user interface. The practical applications remain constrained.
4. Physical and Cognitive Effects
Some AR effects can produce visual strains and cause headaches. Prolonged use of AR headsets can cause discomfort due to focusing on digital information overlaid on the real world. Some of these headsets can also cause disorientation due to their narrow field of view. AR experiences that involve movement can trigger motion sickness in some users.
It is also worth noting that AR can bombard users with information and cause overstimulation and cognitive overload. The fact that it modifies realities can also have a psychological impact. The use of filters and specific effects in camera or photo editing apps and social media apps can create unrealistic standards about physical appearance.
5. Implementation Requirements
A particular AR application or service is also expensive and technologically taxing to develop and implement. The numerous advantages to organizations and users might offset these costs. However, in considering businesses and other organizations, those with fewer resources are at disadvantaged when compared to better-equipped organizations.
It also requires new technologies. Smartphones need capable hardware components such as a better image signal processor, additional sensors, or a dedicated artificial intelligence accelerator to run AR-related features. Running these features also has a higher power draw. Devices with older hardware might experience lags and overall performance setbacks.
Takeaways: Advantages and Disadvantages of Augmented Reality
Nevertheless, based on the discussions above, the core advantage of augmented reality is that it has provided a more interactive human-computer interaction and has enabled novel and more improved computer-mediated human-to-human interactions. This translates to several beneficial applications. However, despite its apparent popularity due to the mass adoption of smartphones, its actual applications remain limited and it appears that the current population still prefers the more common two-dimensional graphical user interface. It is also important to factor in the various disadvantages of augmented reality such as the privacy and safety concerns, possible psychological impacts, and its taxing implementation requirements.
