Real-World Applications of Upcoming Augmented Reality Technologies

Whether it’s in AI, IoT, or automation, there are plenty of unrealized ideas for invention makers. Among this list is the often overlooked but never forgotten technology called augmented reality – currently the less popular sibling to virtual reality. Virtual reality has been a huge hit as a form of entertainment and a training tool. AR product design companies, on the other hand, have not received the same kind of fanfare.

And that’s largely due to the marketing, rather, the lack of it. In truth, we already use augmented reality on a day-to-day basis. We just don’t call it augmented reality (AR) or even mixed reality. We know them commonly as filters or effects. Many of us use them heavily in social media to augment, distort or enhance appearances in an entertaining way. Turn on Snapchat or Instagram and many of the tools available to transform our pictures and video uses some form of AR tech.

But what about beyond social media? We hear you, Google Glass came as quickly as it went. But part of the reason it fell off so quickly is that there wasn’t a clear pain point the product was solving. The good news is there is still plenty of other promising technology in development. Here are some examples from AR product design companies to help spark your interest.

Lenovo ThinkReality A3

These smart glasses aim to increase productivity in the workplace. They physically connect to your PC to expand the capabilities of your workstation. When you put on these smart glasses, you enter a customized office with virtual monitors. These monitors are quite deceptive in that look just as clear as real monitors. So even if you’re at home or at the park, you can fix, expand or pull up to five virtual monitors to manage multiple applications and software simultaneously.

Mojo Lens

Not a big deal, this AR product takes us one step closer to becoming part-machine. Mojo Vision and Menicon, Japan’s first and largest contact lens manufacturer, are partnering to create the world’s first AR contact lens. Whether it’s the weather, emails, or music, the Mojo Lens aims to seamlessly display information and images right in front of you.

No need for any extra accessories or equipment like glasses or headsets. To achieve this, Mojo uses custom-built microelectronics and the world’s densest microdisplay to see more information, more clearly without any obstructions. To put it into perspective, it’s a display as big as a grain of sand that projects 70,000 pixels directly into a specific part of your retina in the back of your eye.

Panasonic AR HUD for Vehicles

Short for a heads-up display. The AR product design company Panasonic is creating an AR HUD in vehicles to help reduce the time drivers need to look away from the road while driving. Unlike traditional HUDs, AR HUDs will open up the windshield. This increases the field of view and displays intuitive graphical cues as it interacts with the world around you.

They use AI to identify lane edges, height clearance, pedestrians, objects, vehicles, and other important information that will help contribute to a safer overall driving experience. Expect to see this technology integrated into your cars in 2024.

If you have a great new invention and you’d like to learn more about this process, get in touch with MAKO today and visit our website to find out more. Or feel free to give us a call at 1-888-MAKO, and we can set you up on a call with our product strategist!

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!