Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with augmented reality (AR) has undoubtedly impacted customer experience in recent years, creating new and exciting solutions and experiences. While the goal of AI is to replicate human intelligence, AR and virtual reality (VR) focus on creating an artificial world in either a virtual world or as a part of our physical environment.
Though these advanced technologies are distinct, they can easily be combined and integrated into various applications creating a sum of the parts that is greater than the whole. Numerous possibilities exist for extending client experience from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Applications of AI in AR
Traditional AR methods empowered with AI deep learning and machine learning adapt to broader scene variations and user preferences, raising the bar for AR implementations. A few AI applications in the AR arena that create a robust and immersive experience for customers include
Object, image, and scene labeling
Data labeling and annotation leverage machine learning to classify objects and images and trigger an AR label to be displayed. The objects, images, and scenes are matched with predefined labels in the user’s classification library and this label overlays the physical object or scene in the AR environment. For example, check out the video below of how Bosch Auto Tools has incorporated AI and AR technologies as a convenient way to assess necessary repairs of vehicles at a glance and make automotive workshops much more efficient.
Object detection and recognition
Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are applied to detect and recognize objects and estimate their position and extent. Once the objects are detected, AR renders digital objects to overlay the physical ones and facilitate interactions between the two as demonstrated in this YouTube video.
Text recognition and translation
Detect, read, and translate text from images with AI’s OCR techniques along with a few text-to-text translation engines and visual trackers that allow the translations to overlay the AR environment.
Audio and speech recognition
Neural network audiovisual speech recognition is an algorithm to extract text by relying on image processing and is applied in automatic speech recognition as it helps recognize the keywords and trigger AR effects.
Industries leading the AI and AR charge
AR experiences combined with AI technologies are already demonstrating results in quite a few industries. These industries have successfully created incomparable engagement opportunities for their customers and users with diversified approaches and creative applications.
Retail and fashion
AR technology is redefining the try-before-you-buy concept in the retail sector as many fashion retailers opt for smart mirrors, which allow their customers to try outfits virtually before making a purchase decision.
Recently IKEA enthralled its customers with IKEA Place, an iPhone/iPad app that allows users to virtually place furniture in their homes so that the potential buyer can preview a furniture item in the intended location inside the home before making the purchase.
EduTech
EduTech is beginning to reap the benefits of AI and AR technologies with unparalleled learning opportunities and personalized experiences. With AR’s broad presence in experiential learning, students can interact within virtual reality and via a hands-on learning experience.
For instance, Visual Body turns anatomy education into an interesting and interactive experience with its AR-powered human anatomy atlas app, where students visualize and interact with a life-sized, 3D, and a holographic version of a human body.
Industries like construction, real-estate, entertainment, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, defense, etc., are a few others that can benefit by combining AI and AR technologies.
AR is one of the few nascent technologies whose full potential is yet to be discovered and leveraged within many industries. Enterprises that combine AI with AR will build better and fully immersive AR products and services where AI models offer powerful and scalable solutions with seamless and impressive AR experiences.
If you are interested in creating an AI + AR solution, email intellect2@intellect2.ai with your query. Intellect Data, Inc. is a software solutions company incorporating data science and artificial intelligence into modern digital products with Intellect2TM. IntellectDataTM develops and implements software, software components, and software as a service (SaaS) for enterprise, desktop, web, mobile, cloud, IoT, wearables, and AR/VR environments. Locate us on the web at www.intellect2.ai.