Top 5 Industries Adopting AR in 2021

April 15, 2021

What happens when a business does not evolve with technology? It cannot keep up with its competitors and will fail in the long run. This is because in this era no business can withstand without embracing new technologies. Various technologies are being introduced each day and one such technology that is being adopted by many businesses is Augmented Reality (AR).

Augmented reality has gained traction over the years making many enterprises invest in it. From aiding remote technicians, helping businesses carry out operations smoothly to helping them deal with customers, AR brings a lot of benefits to industries in various sectors.

According to Global Market Insights, the AR market is predicted to grow beyond $50 billion by 2024. But looking at the surge in which AR is embraced post COVID-19, this figure is sure to be outgrown.

Many prominent industries have already chosen augmented reality to provide a personalized experience for their customers as well as to support their workforce. So, which are some top industries that are benefiting from AR right now? Let’s check out.

Industries that use Augmented Reality (AR)

Education

Even though some educational institutions had embraced AR already to provide an immersive learning experience for their students, it was widely adopted during the pandemic.

Most students showed signs of boredom with virtual classes when they had to glue onto their laptops all day. So, many schools, universities, colleges, and institutions started thinking of taking a new approach to the learning process. This was how AR was introduced to the online learning classes to the extent we see today. Adopting AR for sure made learning an engaging and fun process.

An AR app that many educational institutions adopted during the pandemic is UniteAR which can be easily incorporated into the commonly used video streaming services like Zoom, Google Meet, etc. Teachers could easily convey complex information with students using 3D images. Students could easily interact with these 3D images which makes teaching easier and learning more easy, understandable, and engaging for students. This indeed helps to create a knowledgeable generation for the future.

Healthcare

The use of augmented reality in healthcare has been in the headlines for quite some time especially since its usage during COVID-19. AR has helped the healthcare industry strive during the pandemic especially when there was a shortage of skilled workers. And doctors were able to deliver remote care to patients irrespective of the location. Apart from these, AR helps in training new medical and nursing students, in surgery, better understanding diseases, and in many more areas.

Automotive

Automotive is one of the fastest-growing industries. To match the pace at which this industry is moving forward, many brands are already using augmented reality applications in vehicle concept and prototype engineering.

AR is indeed driving today’s automotive industry. Though AR is used in automotive manufacturing from the designing and assembly process to helping mechanics in the repair and maintenance process, AR is used in sales and marketing efforts as well to provide an immersive experience for customers. To know more on how AR has been acting as a game changer for the automotive industry, read our blog here.

Manufacturing

Another industry to which AR has brought drastic change is the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing is the backbone of every business and AR finds its application in the manufacturing industry especially in the training and remote assistance applications.

AR based remote assistance software can enable technicians to perform self-service by displaying all the needed information right in front of them through AR wearables. If the technician at any point finds it difficult to solve the issue despite the instructions given, he/she can connect to a remote expert at any time, and together they can resolve the issue faster. This solves the problem of unnecessary downtime, helps the technician to concentrate on their tasks with minimal distraction, and minimizes costs associated with frequent travel of experts.

Retail

The retail industry is one among the first that has incorporated AR to meet the changing demands of the customers and AR has redefined the retail sector since then. An example of this is the IKEA Place app, Room Decorator tool from Amazon, Kohl’s AR Virtual Closet, etc.

The integration of AR has brought many advantages into the retail sector including improved conversion rates, reduced return rates, and a boost in sales. Recent research from Shopify states that interactions with products having AR contents showed a 94% higher conversion rate.

As said earlier, the pandemic has acted as a catalyst to digital transformation and has proved to be a game-changer for many industries. AR technology will continue to advance and will be adopted by more and more industries in the coming years. So, to not fall back in this competitive environment, make use of this technology for your business today! Send us a mail to info@iboson.io or just fill our contact form. We are always happy to offer AR solutions for your needs.