Technology has taken centre stage in our daily lives and is making us more connected, efficient and smart. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are 2 of the biggest technological boons that are bringing a revolution to how we live, interact and basically every other thing that we, as human beings, do. AR & VR have brought forth self-driving cars, gaming headsets, and other commodities that are transforming human lives in a faster and better way. 

“I do think that a significant portion of the population of developed countries, and eventually all countries, will have AR experiences every day, almost like eating three meals a day. It will become that much a part of you.”- Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc. 

What are Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality? 

Augmented Reality (AR) implies augmenting or adding something extra to your existing environment like an overlay. On the other hand, Virtual Reality (VR) means creating an artificial environment with software that the user believes is a real environment. 

In addition to changing or transforming our lives, AR and VR are changing the modus operandi of businesses.

AR and VR in Businesses:

Let’s take you through a few industries and show you how AR and VR are transforming them: 

• Fashion: 

AR & VR can help brands provide enhanced customer experience with augmented reality and virtual reality. Customers can shop from virtual stores and go for a 3D try-on. This experience can be enjoyed from anywhere anytime in the world and gives a lot of free hand to enterprises to experiment without bearing the risk of fixed capital cost. 

• Healthcare:

AR and VR will turn out to be a boon for the healthcare industry with apps, software and devices that will expedite the treatment process and provide faster treatment. AR Apps are already in this game and are allowing doctors to diagnose the human body easily and view affected areas without incisions. 

The concept of virtual hospitals is also doing the rounds with the help of game technology and medical imaging processes. It will lead to hassle-free operative procedures. 

• Tourism:

AR will hugely impact the tourism industry by transforming the tours and sightseeing, local experiences, and others. The best example is how Google helps us with navigation and spots when you scan the street. 

Tourists can translate street signs, get sightseeing advice, indoor navigation, and others through AR. 

• Gaming:

Pokemon, Star Wars, Tetris, Minecraft, and the list goes on are the products of the booming gaming industry infused with VR. Gaming companies are coming up with ideas to make games interesting and help gamers to be “in the game”. AR/VR arcades are booming and provide a huge opportunity to be a billion-dollar industry. 

Conclusion

It’s not just these industries, but there are many which will reap the benefits of AR and VR. It will not only make businesses more accessible and competitive but also allow brands to explore new territories to provide a wholesome experience for their customers. 

The global AR is set to hit a record high valuation of more than USD 60 Billion, and on the other hand, the VR market will achieve more than USD 20 Billion during a couple of years. Businesses are looking to transform, and customers are gearing up for a better and smarter experience. AR and VR are bringing forth a revolution to how business should be done and making it an interesting space to watch out for. 

GoodWorkLabs is a leader in implementing cutting-edge AR and VR experiences for your business.

Reach out to us for a free consultation on your AR/VR strategy here. 

In the last decade, almost every day, we have witnessed an emerging usage of smartphones and applications that support them. The mobile application industry has reshaped the businesses, organisations, individuals, and customers. Irrespective of the domain or sector you are in, it is necessary to integrate the latest mobile application development to get more reach, conversion, and growth. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that smartphones today are transforming business models, customer behaviour, operation models, and marketplaces.

In a report by Statista, it is clear that the mobile application industry is expected to reach $693 billion in 2021. Meaning, there is a great opportunity for the mobile app developers, and the year will generate more and more demand to create mobile applications that stand out and see the day of light.

Let us look at some of the emerging trends in the mobile application industry that can help you build a mobile application that is with and ahead of times:

AI and ML apps to make smartphones smarter 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) go hand in hand while building a mobile application. They are taking a centre stage of almost all technological advancements and innovation for they ease the life of customers, businesses, and employees. Apart from making life easy, they also contribute to saving time, effort, and money for mobile app developers and businesses.

Using AI and ML has lead businesses to understand user behaviour at a much deeper level. This indeed helps them solve complex business problems which would have been tough to gauge without interacting with users/customers. The simplest (or to say commonest) example of AI and ML apps is the usage of chatbots, Siri, and google.

Selling an experience through AR and VR

Known as extended reality, Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) is here to stay. Widely used for mobile gaming applications, this trend is slowly set to change by bringing in more meaningful experiences for the users or customers. It is predicted that this technology will be widely used on social platforms for branding and targeting potential customers through AR/VR apps. For instance: Creating an Instagram filter to promote your brand and engage the audiences.

Also, today many real estate developers are providing AR/VR videos for the audiences to experience their upcoming projects and taking informed decisions. This has helped them to set clear expectations and get faster conversions.

Talking about the worldwide market of AR and VR technology, Statista predicts that the business value will hit to $209 billion in 2022.

Wearables, the emerging fad

Expected to reach $44.2 billion by 2020, the wearable industry will change the everyday lifestyle. From healthcare to e-commerce all are banking on this trend to increase the engagement and revenue. The integration of wearables serves as a key to innovation and technological development.

Apple watches have pioneered this trend, and with their latest WatchOS update, they have made it clear that the Apple Watch apps will no longer require a companion iOS app. Meaning, the world of smart wearables will now be just as wide as that of smartphones.

On-demand apps, a change maker

Today we have an application for almost all our daily needs and chores – from delivery to travel, OTT to banking, and home-spa to healthcare. This is all possible because of the on-demand application developers. To develop an application that brings in change, you need to vision problems from the end-user point-of-view, anticipate, research, and then develop a solution.

In a report by Shamika Ravi and Niam Yaraghi, it is predicted that the on-demand application industry is expected to generate $335 billion in revenue. Therefore, most industries will make use of this successful business model by embracing on-demand application in their businesses. On-demand mobile applications will disrupt the way we life, work, travel, shop, and relax!

IoT, enabling a seamless experience

Living in a world of interconnected smart gadgets, we can see that Internet of Things (IoT) has already become an industry that is here to deliver a real-time experience which is seamless, fast, and valuable. IoT’s integration with mobile applications has brought in a change in inventory management, buying behaviour, digital marketing, etc. As the demand for IoT gadgets is increasing day by day, there is going to be increased demands of IoT-enabled applications as well.

With many applications being developed each day, the mobile application industry will continue to expand at a rapid pace. This will lead to more disruption thereby making way for newer trends that will change the way we all live, work, and play! Having said that, to stand out in the market and be alive, the businesses will have to anticipate and stay updated with the latest technological developments.

Should you be planning to develop a mobile application that will engage your customers and increase your revenue by using the latest trends, then contact us at [email protected] or  +91- 9863077000.

Machines will take over our lives & How…

Electricity was one of the most incredible inventions of human after the fire, which changed human life in many ways. Now, after the electricity, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has drastically changed human lives. It is said that AI is yet to offer benefits to human. It was a prototype in the 1950s but has come up in many positive usages in recent times. What matters the most is the fact that we are getting encompassed with technology day-by-day and this is just the beginning of human’s much involvement in technology.

Everything has advantages and disadvantages, the case is no different for AI. The more we start making use of it, the more we will realize the negative impact of the AI. Just like when electricity is misused, we can even end up dying; AI is one of the most advanced things with its own set of disadvantages.

Setting aside the negativity, there is enough positive approach of the AI in the recent business set up. AI is said to decrease the workload and get the job done in one day which otherwise would have taken more than ten. Human intelligence created AI and it is expected to have a huge database that sets its own IQ. The evolution of the entire technology ecosystem has led to the free rise of the advanced and improved AI system that is bound to bring new changes in the present and future way of dealing with the business. Based on the ongoing trend, the future of AI-driven businesses will be something like this:

Digital business transformation

The megalith system that hid a lot of data is now being unleashed by the AI. It is bound to provide the best quality deals at an effective rate. The legacy of modernization has to lead to a lot of changes in the digitization process as well. AI is the next best option for us and so AI specialists are constantly finding a positive way out of it. There are chances that you will have to find a way to evolve your business with time on the lines of AI. The single work process is now shutting down. One business will have multiple users and multiple procedures based on the comfort of the people. With the onset of AI, the old process is going to break down or replaced by the new digital era.  

Tech democracy

The freedom to create a database of any size in today’s world has a bulk. The estimated creation of data can be taken into account of 2.5 quintillion bytes. Thanks to this estimate that the AI found its way. The human’s constant contact with the machines has given way to the creation of artificial intelligence that can make the lives and the work of the humans a lot easier. AI is believed to lessen the task and offer freedom to create a database and make use of everything.

Harnessing the data

With the launch of AI, the data has been easily preserved. The data that we are harnessing has its own limitations and that has always been a problem which obstructs the smooth work process. Therefore, you will have to make sure that you find a good option to make sure that at no point the work creates a problem. The AI is the next best thing that technology has gifted the world and this can be the option to harness the data in a better way.  

The future of the business

Given the capability of AI, it has the potential to impact our future. It is about to change the history of innovation and can make sure that you get the best solution when it comes to getting the work quickly and efficiently. The AI market is rapidly growing, but when it comes to helping any layman, it is still to take up that place. The change is the most constant factor for any future and given the fact that AI is about to bring the most impressive and noteworthy change in the history of technology.

AI to Science

In 2013, MD Anderson Cancer Center set forth a “moon shot” project that estimates a cost of $62 million. It was believed to diagnose cancer and offer a suggestion of treatment. However, the project has stopped because of the exceeding budget, but it is still being worked on. We can say that it is not only the business that AI is about to touch but it is sure to awe human lives in every way possible. We will have to wait for the AI to come into the real being and how it will affect our lives. There are many trial and error methods that are in the picture, but we are yet to find the real usefulness of the AI.

The invention of computers, telephones, and mobiles has globalized the world, but to keep up with the pace of technological updates, AI is the gift that the masters have given. It is about to provide new wide scopes to the future of the business and it is always better to stay updated with the new things to know about the changes that we are going to see in the recent future.

There are always a set of doubts, bias, and worries that come with the AI, it is going to support the basic information. But making it adaptable to the environment matters the most. It is true that it is “Artificial” after all. There will be drawbacks and biases towards the creator. Therefore, AI might take a lot of time to come into the picture but the bell is already ringing.

AI is one of the best sources to create a stronger bond between human and machine. We will have to simply wait and what the result is and how the machine will take over our lives. It is important to make sure that machines do not take over us and that we have control over it. The AI for the future business is a prototype and can promise to offer the best quality result when it comes into practical usage.

To know more about how AI can help your business, reach out to us:

AR and VR in Media Industry

The 2017 Global Entertainment and Media outlook forecast unveiled a ground-breaking fact that in entertainment and media space, virtual reality (VR) continues to be the fastest-growing segments.  The projection further states that within 3 years from now 68 million VR headsets will be used in the U.S. which will increase the VR content revenue to $5.0 billion.

These predictions show the growing interest of the industry in the adoption of immersive VR experiences in delivering content which is engaging to the audience. Though this might sound very promising, yet the stature of journalism is questionable as of now.

With the widespread use of social media, a wave of fake news spreads like wildfire and this puts a question mark on the credibility of the whole news industry. People are double checking every link posted on social media, every video they watch, and every news they read. The manipulation in still and moving images has ruined it for the news industry. People don’t trust when an image is presented as an evidence for something. As we are evolving and becoming complex beings so are our problems.

Virtual reality is now used by the news industry to regain their credibility.

The reason why VR is essentially recommended is that it puts a supplementary sense of participation in the minds of viewers. To fix the broken trust, putting viewers at the center of events which make them feel like they are directly participating in the event, is a wise way out. But is it as easy as it sounds?

Challenges for Journalists

The introduction of VR has brought challenges to the job of journalists. In the ongoing communication flow between the news organizations and the general public, the job of a journalist is to remain unbiased and present the opinions of all the parties involved.

Now with the introduction of VR in the news industry, the role of the journalist is even more challenging. For example, while shooting with a VR camera, cropping a scene or zooming in will create bias. How far can you stretch the definition of transparency for a journalist in the VR world is the main question here. You might crop something because it was irrelevant but it might be an essential element for the viewer.

There would be some ethical challenges as well. For example, in a world which is increasingly violent, how appropriate is it to make the viewers virtually experience a scene of gore, death and other disturbing news events?

Opportunities in Augmented Reality (AR)

The good news for the news industry is life-like and immersive experiences are not just limited to the VR. In the media and entertainment world, AR can also be used for content delivery.

AR is a charm for those who prefer to explore the world and experience action with AR technology to intensify their real-life experiences. While to those who choose to stay at home and enter another world with their VR headset, VR is still the best.

Let’s recollect AR with your Snapchat filters or the Pokemon Go game, where selfies had overlays of animated filters, now AR can be used to augment the various other aspects of our environment and experience as well.

This a promising start for the news industry as AR is already well accepted by the audience in the form of motion pictures, television, and apps. The concept is already well-accepted by the audience. The most important aspect is that the capabilities of AR to augment the relevant aspects of the environment while subsiding the irrelevant ones can create engaging and convincing content.

Are AR and VR diminishing social interactions?

It is a common perception that AR/VR are isolating individuals from the real world rather than connecting them to it. The main purpose of the news industry is to keep an individual connected to the events that are happening around him. This perception can be a natural hindrance to the news industry but this perception is not accurate.

There is a VR movie theatre operating in the world right now which lets people with any VR headset sign in and sit with a virtual audience in a virtual movie theatre. It also allows them to chat with other individuals before the movie begins. This example clearly explains why VR is not isolating but connecting individuals from distant locations and letting them share experiences.

What is in the future of the news industry?

The media and news industry never lag behind in the adoption of an innovative technology in order to reach out to their audiences. With AR and VR, the audience can be drawn deeper into the news content. Also, they will be able to experience the news story as a first-person. This is a big transformation for the conventional news mediums and should be taken seriously.

Deborah Bothun, PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Leader, quote “The next era of differentiation in entertainment and media is being defined and propelled by the consumers’ increased demand for live, immersive, shareable experiences. Consumers want to get closer, more engaged and better connected with the stories they love – both in the physical and digital worlds.”

Final words

This brings us to the conclusion that the potential of virtual reality is very powerful and if used to connect people to stories it will raise the level of empathy for events occurring in distant corners of the world. It has the power to pull the strings and make people put efforts beyond their comfort levels. In the current world scenario, all we need is mutual support and empathy. This will solve 50% problems in the world we live in.

The media and the entertainment industry now need to rethink the potential of weaving their current system around AR and VR.

How industries are reaping benefits from Virtual Reality technology

Virtual Reality technology has provided the much needed visual impetus to have a second look at products or services. It comes as no surprise at how companies these days are vying to incorporate VR tech considering the number of possibilities and the revenue markets this technology opens up.

One of the prime reasons estimated behind the immensely popular VR tech is the freedom it renders to the person using it. You no longer are bound to where the camera angle goes or what your physical environment is. VR has the power to transport you to an altogether new world that transcends the boundaries of the real world.

In this post, you will get to know how and which industries are benefiting from VR.

1. The retail sector

Retail showrooms are all about the glitz and the finesse of visual appeal. How about having something that gives the same impression but at half the cost? VR makes that possible for retail outlets everywhere.

Showrooms can now play to their strengths and display things in every shade possible and offering combination suggestions would not be that difficult a process now.

This would also give retailers an insight into what is it that pleases their customers the most and then make necessary changes.

2. Architecture

The one thing you visualize when you hear the word architecture or architects is them working on huge blue sheets with scales and high-end pens etc. With the insurgence of VR, this would be far less a hassle.

It also allows them to experiment with the various fundamentals of erecting towers by using visual layouts and lighting and discuss the various outcomes of it all. This, in turn, saves building companies a lot as they come to know of problems before the actual construction takes place.

3. Travel & Tourism

Visualising the corners of the world would no longer require going there. And that explains why this technology is a phenomenal boon to travel & tourism companies.

The tourists get to virtually visit the location even before they actually travel there, thus aiding their planning. Tourists can finalize accommodations based on the proximity of where they’d want to stay, what view they’d prefer, etc.

4. Education sector

Out of all the sectors that rely on visualization for accuracy, the education sector would be considered to be the most important. It could be any branch of education for that matter.

From engineering to medicals, from linguistics to humanities to history and even geography. Bringing in VR would aid better understanding and recollection of concepts, thus making learning a wholesome experience.

5. Healthcare

Not only would VR aid learning about the human anatomy, but it would also benefit healing it. Getting to the root cause of the matter would bring in better treatment.

Accurate VR-oriented diagnosis brings about better prognosis and this itself would improve the quality of medicine and healthcare all over the globe. This explains why the value of the virtual reality healthcare market in the U.S. has grown from $525 million (2012) to $976 million (2017).

The benefits that VR technology imparts are multifarious and more than what could be enlisted in one article. It is a wonderful era to live in and VR adds essence to existence.

How to use Virtual Reality for your Marketing Campaigns

Virtual reality has already obtained a huge visibility in the marketing sector. The smart marketers have already started designing their marketing campaigns keeping VR in focus. However, there are still many who don’t have any idea on how to approach marketing through VR technology.

In this article, we tell you how you can unleash the power of virtual reality in your marketing campaigns with these 5 hygiene checks.

1. Make Virtual Reality campaigns mobile-focused

When you are investing in the technology, ensure its success by targeting the right platform. Between desktop and mobile, it is very clear that mobile that wins every race these days. Almost 90% of your users use smartphones and have access to a mobile device more than anything else. Hence, it is both practical and necessary to target your marketing campaigns for mobile platforms.

2. Evolve the content you provide through technology

Having a great VR technology is not enough. You need to ensure that the consumers are getting engaging content. The campaign that you strategize should focus immensely on the content quality. Only then, you can expect people to embrace it. A high-quality app won’t mean anything if the associated content doesn’t address the core problems of the users.

So, keep the content quality in mind while planning your marketing strategy with virtual reality. To do so, you need to analyze your target market. Analyze their core issues and create a VR marketing plan that can resonate with their needs.

3. Let users perform

With the availability of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, every digital consumer has gained the ability to perform. You can tap into this trend with virtual reality and create a community around your brand. The marketing plan can leverage virtual reality to present an application of gear that allows the consumers to perform in some manner. However, that whole plan needs to be relevant to your business and marketing goals.

4. Be very thorough about the craft

Virtual reality is something that engages multiple senses of the users. So, you don’t want to mess the marketing plan due to low performance of the created craft. Complete testing of the technology is the key to ensure the success. Audi’s virtual car showroom is a great point in case.

For this, it is important to conduct practical tests on the VR technology before implementing it in your marketing strategy. Without that, unwanted situations and bad response can ruin the whole effort.

5. Make it easily accessible to people

The VR technology has become much more visible in the world of marketing. The consumers now have access to gear and other devices to obtain such technologies. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that the content you create complements the VR platforms that your target market uses.

Hence, it is important that you need to strategize your campaign and test the technology. Plus, the content creation and the interactive nature of the VR will also decide the success rate of the marketing plan.

So, keep all the above five points in mind in order to leverage virtual reality as a game-changing tool for your marketing plan.

Why is VR Still A Virtual Dream?

“This is a TV that you can strap to your face to make you think you’re somewhere else. Here, try it. I’ll hold your drink.”

This is what virtual reality promised us.

Some would say that it is yet to take off and its progress has been real slow. We got pondering about the same and have come up with a few reasons that justify the same.

1. Hardware limitations. Remember that VR devices have double screens, one per eye. Now add a monitor with a relatively high resolution. This is the equivalent of rendering in three screens. On top of that, you need a steady 60 fps or more at least. Add the inherent latency between input devices or controllers, and in some cases like the VIVE the player’s position tracking, and most computers will struggle.

2. As a developer you reduce your market size greatly, as now you need a computer with VR capable specs and a lot more power on top of it for the game itself.

3. There may be projects already working on this, but those will not be indie developers. These projects usually take 2+ years for completion. Given VR devices hit the consumer market about a year ago, there is still some time.

4. Notable exceptions are AAA games that were or are being ported to VR, such as Fallout 4 or Resident Evil 7, but these were games successful on their own, so the companies are not taking a major risk with the ports.

To Summarise it up, “ Photo realistic VR experiences take a considerable amount of money to pull off. Firstly, you need a high enough resolution screen, and what we have is about 1/10th the resolution of where we need to be. Secondly, along with the higher resolution screen you’d need to be able to push a realistic graphics simulation to a headset at 90+fps consistently, otherwise you run the risk of ruining the immersion.

The hardware just isn’t there yet, as there isn’t a graphics card in existence today with the horsepower and driver software to pilot something as crazy as photo-realistic VR.”

The hardware requirements for a given level of graphics are much higher for VR than they are for a single monitor (or even a triple monitor). To put this in perspective, for VR you need to render probably 5x as many raw pixels as you do for the output of a current console at 1080p, you need to do additional post processing on them when you’re done, and you need to do it three times as fast (90+ vs 30fps). S

o you’re talking about (in an oversimplified way) 10 to 15x hardware requirements for the same content vs a console fame. And you can never have dropped frames or stutter (things like Time Warp mitigate the impact but it’s still critical). So this right away means you won’t be able to use the same poly counts and do the same shaders – the secret sauce – that make modern games look amazing.

The total VR market right now is in the low single digit millions across all platforms (Vive, Rift, PSVR) and it’s tricky to do cross-platform yet. So you need to pay for your development with 1/50th or less the potential audience you have with a conventional game. That means you’re not going to have $100m budgets and the offices full of texture artists, shader makers, and modelers required to build the detailed worlds you see in big AAA titles. So if you want to make a game, you need to focus your limited budget on the kind of titles and content that you can execute well with the team your market size will support.

And that doesn’t tend to be the photo-realistic, precisely-rendered environments you can do with big budgets and lower pixel/frame rate requirements.

VR will arrive and make it big soon, just not now.

Give it some time.

Marketing Applications Of Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality holds tremendous promise across the business landscape. Irrespective of the industry vertical, it will be hard to not think VR as a significant tech disruptor in todays’ times. It is no wonder then that the immersive virtual reality device market is expected to grow to $407.51 million by 2018.

For business this opens up tremendous avenues to improve their service quality. VR is increasingly seen as a tool to elevate customer experience. But did you know that it can be put to innovative uses within the marketing function too? Want to know how, then read on

Tracking the application of Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality has been used by quite a few reputed brands and is fast emerging as an integral part of their marketing initiatives. Here are some of the notable uses:

• Developing innovative dimensions for successful interactions with audience
• Illustrating and presenting a product with all its remarkable features
• Expressing the motto or objectives of a brand
• Engaging consumers in the entire branding process
• Creating standalone product displays that attract your target consumers
• Demonstrating how an item or product can become an inseparable part of your lifestyle

These are some of the innovative ways brand marketers are leveraging VR. It has become a crucial tool for advertising which gives the right impetus for growth and development.

The applications of Virtual Reality

When you opt for a service or purchase a product, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Almost every consumer or buyer think about the utility of that item and its use in his life. VR taps into this particular area thus unlocking new avenues for targeted marketing. Check out these inspiring examples:

1 – Test Drives

Car and automobile brands will have to consider consumer choices and experiences. VR can help them and how! Volvo sets the most prominent example for their XC90 SUV model. The company offered a VR test-drive to prospective buyers and let them get a feel, of the actual experience.

2 – Happy VR

The VR technology is making way for itself and working through various industrial sectors. McDonald’s happens to the best instance in this context. The food chain brand has introduced their new ‘Happy Meal Box’ which is also a ‘Google Cardboard VR Headset.’ When children finish eating their lunch, they can engage in exciting sessions of a skiing game known as ‘Slope Stars.’ That’s one of the best ways of promoting the brand.

 3 – Get there

Travel operators and hospitality partners should take a cue from Marriot Hotels. The company planned beyond the traditional hotel views and leveraged the VR technology to offer the taste of the real travel experience. You will get a comprehensive picture of how your tour’s going to be, without even showing up at the place!

Signing off

VR is making a great name for itself, as far as brand marketing is concerned. Which practical application of VR has caught your attention of late? Do write to us and let us know.