Understand the affordances of existing and near-future AR platforms, in a tech-agnostic, audience-centric way.
This guide highlights the platforms available to you, defines world context, and identifies the key use cases and innovations which are shaping the future of Augmented Reality (AR).
Updated: October 2020
AR PLATFORMS
AR can be experienced on three core platforms, each one with unique affordances and capabilities which dictate the implementation of the experience.
What you need to think about
The core considerations for platform choice are (1) what is the lowest threshold to audience engagement and (2) what technical features do you want to utilise?
What is more important for your audience needs: reach or depth of experience?
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WEB AR
Basic AR experiences accessed online, via mobile browsers.
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MOBILE AR
App-based experiences making use of native AR functionality and devices' gyroscopes and GPS data.
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AR HEADSETS
Wearable devices utilising spatial computing to create hands-free, immersive experiences.
WORLD CONTEXT
Advancements in machine learning and computer vision are allowing devices to develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of our world.
What you need to think about
Greater world context allows AR to blur the lines between digital and physical worlds, and create experiences that meaningfully connect with the audience’s location and activity.
How can this context improve the experience you are creating?
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OBJECT CONTEXT
Context based on the objects and images the audience is looking at.
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HUMAN CONTEXT
Context based on human faces, bodies and gestures.
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SPATIAL CONTEXT
Context based on the physical surroundings of the audience.
AR USE CASES
The utility and experiential value of AR is far-reaching. These are the key use cases which are driving audience engagement today.
What you need to think about
The best use cases marry technical affordance with genuine audience need.
What needs does your audience have, and how can AR elegantly meet these, today or in the future?
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SOCIAL LENSES
AR filters that transform the way we share and communicate with friends, family and the world.
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PRODUCT ACTIVATION
Contextual experiences triggered by images or objects near you.
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DIGITAL LAYERS
Digital content that becomes part of your environment to deliver new forms of storytelling and gameplay.
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PLANET-SCALE
Planet-scale AR experiences encouraging active exploration using geospatial data.
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CONTEXTUAL SUPPORT
Intelligent, inline experiences that support you in the task you are doing.
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DIGITAL PREVIEW
A virtual step in the consumer journey to preview purchases and try before you buy.
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VISION+
AR enhancing what you are seeing in an informative and intelligent way.
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WAYFINDING
Creative ways of navigating indoor and outside spaces using geospatial data.
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ENHANCED LOCATIONS
Larger than life digital content that interacts with outdoor locations.
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WORLD-AWARE
Advanced computer vision that analyses your activities for insight and improvement.
AR Innovations
The pace of change in AR is breathtaking. The following innovations are the key areas we believe will be transformative to the medium, and open up new possibilities for audience adoption.
What you need to think about
The best implementations of new technology are invisible to audiences, simply allowing them to do new things better than before.
When considering using new technology, consider the value-add versus the threshold for engagement.
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LiDAR CAMERAS
The use of depth cameras to build a 3D mesh of our world.
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MACHINE LEARNING
The foundational technology that will be pivotal in the evolution of computer vision.
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SHARED REAL TIME
The pursuit of spatial computing experiences that everyone can see, share and interact with at the same time.
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GLASSES
Unintrusive, lightweight headsets that will create a hands-free, beyond-mobile standard of AR.
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NATURAL INPUTS
Hands, eyes, body and voice tracking technologies achieving interactions that feel real and intuitive.
ABOUT PRELOADED
PRELOADED is a BAFTA-winning games studio using emerging technologies to create playful, purposeful experiences for global partners.
We build immersive products to help organisations such as McDonald’s, LEGO and BBC reach mainstream audiences, and partner with technology platforms such as Niantic, Magic Leap, HTC and Google to imagine the future.