Augmented Reality Use Cases 2025
As AR enthusiasts, we've put together an overview of current use cases and trends in Augmented Reality sorted by industry. Whether you want to be inspired or are looking for concrete ideas to improve your product or marketing, this collection will certainly help.
Art is interesting, even for people who are not professionals. But art can also be confusing, and sometimes it would be great to learn more about the piece in question. The idea of ‘Artist Explains’ is that while walking through an exhibition, visitors can pull out their phone to have the artist appear next to their artwork, explaining their ideas and processes or even reacting to questions. Users could scan a QR code with an app or let it recognize the artwork visually.
Events like festivals and concerts could be made more accessible and exciting through the use of AR technology. It could also help to add more interactive features for the audience.
Board games can be brought to life with, for example, a dedicated app that could detect moves, player positions, game status, etc. Information, animations, or suggested moves could be displayed right on the board. Another possibility would be a fully AR-based approach, that ‘projects’ the whole game for every player onto the table.
Live Interactive Filters can 'project' funny hats, lipstick, and other gimmicks onto the face when looking into a selfie camera. Usually combined with markerless (face) tracking, these filters can even react to facial expressions and other predefined motions.
Audio guides in museums are boring as hell! It is certainly time for a big change. Augmented reality could provide a way to visualize aspects audio guides just can’t provide.
Print media hasn’t changed much in decades, which is probably part of its slow downfall. But the use of AR could bring new possibilities for print. Especially magazines could augment their content and add more information or reference older content through AR. Furthermore, common posters, books, brochures, and anything else printed could be made more interesting with AR. Depending on the application, an app could bring text and images to life. Modern image-recognition technology allows for markerless tracking.
Pretty much any outdoor game imaginable can be enhanced by augmented reality. Digital 3D markers could show objectives, scores, and other player’s positions. How this would work is highly dependent on the game, but it can be implemented in almost all of them.
All sorts of print media can get AR functionality through apps or goggles. This obviously includes books, magazines, and everything else text-related that is marketed towards children. Images in books could get explained, 3D graphics could be displayed, the characters of the story be brought to life with 3D animations right on the pages.
Zoos are one of the most classic ways of family entertainment. While controversial, and rightfully so, the animals and their behaviors are fascinating.
Mixed reality fashion shows allow for the display of clothes and other fashion items in the comfort of the customers own home. Through augmented reality models appear right in the bedroom, showing off the pieces.
Want to know what you can do with augmented reality (AR)? Then you've come to the right place. We have selected and explained numerous application examples for you. You'll also find out what the advantages and disadvantages of using it can be.
If you've already looked into AR, you'll know that the technology is already well established in some industries. These include gaming, marketing and industry in particular, where AR applications are already being used in real life. However, as you can see from our list, there are countless other application examples and ideas. Ikea's AR app, for example, is also very well known.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality (AR for short) is a technology that can be used to virtually expand reality with digital elements. This is usually done using AR glasses or a smartphone. Smartphones in particular make augmented reality accessible to almost everyone. It falls under the larger umbrella of "mixed reality", where the perception of reality is enhanced by digital elements.
So, what is augmented reality?
Unlike virtual reality, the user still sees the real world in AR. Both can be summarized under the term "immersive media". We have selected a number of real-world examples to help you understand them better.
AR Marketing
The marketing industry has been quick to recognize the benefits of Augmented Reality. In the future, marketing will go hand in hand with augmented reality because the benefits are simply overwhelming.
There are virtually no limits to creativity in the virtual world. This means that marketing campaigns can be made much more exciting and interactive. Engagement with advertising is extremely difficult, but with AR it is very possible.
Want to know more? Read the full article on Augmented Reality in Marketing.
AR Gaming
A few years ago, everyone was talking about Pokémon Go. The game was wildly popular and the first major success in AR gaming. The game brought a virtual world into the real world. The fact that it did not require an AR headset, just a smartphone, made it a viral success. Augmented reality technology in its simplest form.
If you are interested in games today, you will find numerous games that rely on augmented reality. The examples are endless. For example, virtual objects have to be moved or found in the real environment. Users can find such an AR application in the Play Store (Android) or the App Store (Apple).
AR Industry
There are an incredible number of applications for AR in industry. For example, the technology is already being used extensively in machine maintenance. Augmented Reality provides technicians with live information about the function or problems that occur directly on the object.
Pros and Cons of Augmented Reality
The list of benefits is long, but each application example is different. For example, Augmented Reality (AR) can ensure that users are provided with information in different situations. Whether for navigation or as a work aid: AR delivers visual information and objects where they are needed. AR is also highly entertaining, which is why it is used in games. See the examples for more benefits.
Every technology has its challenges, and this is no different. Software is only helpful if the user is technically equipped to use it. For companies that want to use AR, there may be additional costs involved. AR glasses (e.g. Hololens) are often still too expensive for private users, which excludes some possible applications. This will no doubt change in a few years.
AR apps, glasses, and camera - what does augmented reality need?
Most applications use individual AR apps on the smartphone. However, augmented reality applications with WebAR can now be run directly through a browser. In addition, most new phones now have excellent cameras, so AR glasses are not necessary in most cases. Augmented reality has become mainstream, partly because almost every user now has the necessary equipment in their pocket.
WebAR: Thanks to this standard, it is no longer necessary to build an augmented reality application or use third-party platforms (such as Facebook or Snapchat). This significantly lowers the barrier to entry for users.
Types of Augmented Reality
There are two types of AR: marker-based and marker-independent. The choice determines how images and information are displayed. Marker-based AR uses image recognition to generate objects that are already programmed into your AR device or application.
The Future of Augmented Reality
A 360-degree view of the environment clarifies it that the sky's the limit. The world's biggest tech companies are working flat out on solutions. Google, Apple, and Facebook are heavily involved in development, and Microsoft has already released HoloLens hardware that is being used in the real world every day. Facebook has also taken massive steps towards AR (and virtual reality) with the so-called Metaverse. This year will be dominated by AR in the technology world.
About us:
Hi, I'm Matthias! I've been working with augmented reality and other immersive technologies for years. During this time, I have implemented numerous projects for well-known companies.
About this list:
On this page, you will find an extensive list of augmented reality examples. Augmented Reality offers many possibilities today, and if you are keen to learn what an AR application can do, you can find information here. We have described each application and added a video. If you have your smartphone ready, you can install an app and try it out. For example, take a look at the apps in the Games category. Try augmented reality and find out which application you can use in your environment.
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