AR glasses that bring privacy to a laptop’s browsing capabilities, immersive museum exhibits, VR that helps artists create — writing, drawing and other works of art. The latest and greatest in Extended Reality (XR) was on display at this year’s Augmented World Expo (AWE) USA. The largest augmented and virtual reality focused event is now in its 15th year and bigger than ever. Thousands of attendees, 300 exhibitors, and 575 speakers turned out for engrossing discussions on the latest developments in XR and spatial computing.
Augmented reality has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 15 years. AWE was launched to help the XR community advance Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technology. Today, both AR and VR generate around $32.1 billion each year, and that market is only expected to grow. Projections say the space’s revenue will nearly double by 2028, bringing the total market value to $58.1 billion.
The technology has already changed the face of industries from retail to construction to architecture and design. Yet AR and VR hold even more groundbreaking potential — and that breadth of future possibilities was on display at AWE 2024.
Building healthier communities with VR
Health, science, and education are just a few of the sectors that will be revolutionized by XR. It’s being tapped to promote health equity, making teaching more efficient and producing jaw-dropping simulations to aid in research. Through AWE talks and demos, attendees got a glimpse at some of the innovation under way and its potential applications in the years ahead.
VR’s realism will help play a role in building healthier communities. On the healthcare stage, the art therapy organization, Creative Acts, shared its plans to help incarcerated people imagine the world beyond prison walls. Through its work with people who are imprisoned in the California Correctional System, the group has seen the technology’s ability to make prisons safer, and return people to their communities with the skills they need to reintegrate into the outside world after serving time. The results are transformative.
There were other healthcare applications on display. The Auggie Award for Best Healthcare & Wellness Solution, recognizing outstanding AR/VR achievements, went to the American Heart Association and collaborator Groove Jones for their Hands-Only CPR VR experience. True to its name, the immersive training program teaches users how to perform life-saving CPR using only their hands.
Breaking new scientific ground with 3D
Innovation is central to 3D technology, and it is undoubtedly carving a new path in scientific advances. Companies are finding ways to harness AR and VR (XR) technologies to help fight climate change by replacing wasteful material practices; visualizing the causes/impacts of climate change; and optimizing the design and execution of climate change solutions.
HENSOLDT’s team SAMARitan (Situational Awareness Monitoring using Augmented Reality) showcased their groundbreaking Extended Reality (XR) solution which improves situational and environmental awareness to avoid human-animal conflicts.
SAMARitan collects data from radar and camera sensors to recognize wild animals at an early stage and transmit warnings to people via AR glasses in real time. Users can receive information such as the position, distance, and speed of the approaching animal. The technology can help mitigate human-wildlife conflicts — one of the greatest threats to animal species.
AR’s role in advancing education
Giving users realistic, immersive experiences with 3D visualization is a game changer for training and educational applications. At AWE, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) shared how IMU sensors and infrared cameras can track a trainee’s behavior and posture in power energy fields in real time to prevent accidents like electric shock and falls.
Across industries, there are an increasing number of solutions that employ XR to educate and train. These advancements provide on-the-job-training without having to expose trainees to health and safety risks.
Powered by 3D content, XR is revolutionizing industries, and industry experts are projecting a breakout year for the technology in 2024.
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