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Pepsi Max UK/YouTube

Is Augmented Reality here to stay this time?

The technology has been around for years, but after a false start, 2014 could be the year it finally makes a breakthrough.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE a few years make. The concept and idea of Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for a while, but it didn’t make quite the impact expected of it when it first arrived in people’s hands.

Essentially a technology which uses images and object recognition to add extra elements like graphics, animations, or video, it was billed as the next big thing when the concept begun appearing on smartphones in 2009.

But devices at the time weren’t powerful enough to cope with the demands of AR – the technology means it uses all aspects of your phone like the processor, GPS, and camera – and few practical uses of it meant it was seen as a gimmick, its use boiling down to advertising campaigns.

Pepsi Max UK / YouTube

Fast forward to today and things are a little different. Smartphones are now far more powerful then they were back then, more diverse and original applications for the technology like Google Ingress and Theodolite have emerged, and a number of companies who have been working in AR are making significant progress.

One of which is DAQRI, one of the world’s leading AR developers which provides custom software, allowing companies, groups and individuals to create their own versions.

Before he founded the company, Brian Mullins’ career was rooted in the very principles of AR, having specialised in human machine interface and computer vision technologies.

His career saw him working as an engineer at the Computer-Aided Operational Research Facility, operated by the US Department of Transportation, and as a consultant to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.

But it was an event during the summer of 2010 which convinced Mullins to dedicate all his time towards AR.

“When the iPhone 4 came out, four years ago in June, I dropped everything and started DAQRI,” explained Mullins. “I realised you could do with what you had in your pocket what it took a supercomputer to do back in the late ’90s, back when I got my start in simulation. That was really the ‘aha’ moment.”

The company focuses on three main industries: storytelling (mainly entertainment and advertising), education and industry.

While all areas are important, it’s industry which sees the greatest potential for expansion now since the level of practicality it has for certain jobs makes it useful. If you combine it technology like Google Glass – which has already seen a number of practical uses in the workplace – it would make AR an essential tool.

DAQRI / YouTube

Instead of having to go away and look something up, AR could show you what parts of a machine need to be changed and where those parts are located, or superimpose objects into an area to show how it would look in real-life.

Unsurprisingly, it’s DAQRI’s largest and fastest-growing sector and one that could kick start the AR concept for the general public as it gives the technology a clear purpose.

Developing it for industries will in turn help familiarise people with the concept, which will inevitably make its way back to the consumer. To Mullins, it’s “very clear it [AR] will come full circle,” returning to the general public with new ways for the technology to be used.

For now, DAQRI is working on developing its third version of 4D Studios, its developer kit which allows anyone to create their own AR experience. Currently, it’s invite-only but Mullins said the aim was to make it as accessible as possible so that anyone who has an interesting idea for it can make it a reality.

“If it requires a programmer, or if the tool is bossed into making adverts, then I don’t think you’ll ever open people’s imaginations. I wanted to tap into the same creative passions that get channelled through tools like Photoshop, but for our medium.”

Overall, Mullins is looking forward to seeing how the industry will evolve this year. There are still a number of issues to sort before it becomes common place, but it’s a challenge he’s looking forward to.

“We really have a long way to go, it’s a new tool and medium but I’m really excited to see where it goes,” says Mullins. “I think in five years, you wouldn’t be able to imagine a world without it.”

We can only wait and see.

Brian Mullins will be giving a keynote speech at the Augmented Reality Conference taking place at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin on Tuesday, 15th April. Details about the event can be found here.

Read: Land Rover’s transparent bonnet concept lets you see what’s under the car >

Read: Google will let anyone buy Glass for one day only >

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22 Comments
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    Mute Jason Davis
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    Apr 13th 2014, 7:57 AM

    2009 is back then?? Old age is really creeping up so! Other than that I didn’t understand the article at all.

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    Mute James St John Smith
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:29 AM

    I had some serious Augmented Reality last night after a rake of pints.

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    Mute Fergal Barry
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:30 AM

    Imagine hooking up a diagnostic computer to your car to see what’s wrong wit the engine, then use your smartphone wit an AR app to look at the engine, the screen would show you where the broken part is and links to where to purchase them… Now imagine that on a much bigger scale for big machinery. Using a 3d software like Solidworks you could superimpose a component/s into something to see how it looks/ works before spending a cent making it.

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    Mute James St John Smith
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:42 AM

    … or to see bewbs.

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    Mute Jason Davis
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:54 AM

    @Fergal, thank you. Why didn’t he just say that?

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    Mute Vince O'Shea
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    Apr 13th 2014, 4:25 PM

    yea and imagine how awkward it would be to use it, sign in here, give your location. its why we have mechanics, its technical. you dont learn it in an hour espeically not now as theres many electronics involved. mechanics have these tools already, makes no difference for you have them, you’ll still need to get someone to fix it, unless of course? you’re a mechanic.

    ah you mean, it will tell you where to find them, who charges what? sure thats already avaiable, not exactly innovative, just something to include wthin the app thats already there, not to mention ‘fake’ reviews to get you buy it here rather than there.

    nobody trusts the place anymore i.e. the internet. full of deceiving wannabe sales people, affiliates, parasites, all fighting for you pocket.

    i’ve used several apps, the amount of time it takes to work something out, finding buttons, the SHUT DOWN button on Windows 8 for example! ha my go, it tooks my friends 6 hours to find it. Awkwards swipes, poor reaction time. Bored. Shut off app, try another.

    Life is meant be easy, this ain’t

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    Mute Vince O'Shea
    Favourite Vince O'Shea
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    Apr 13th 2014, 4:28 PM

    even now, predictive text, notice my words missing? it f**** up everything, TURN IT OFF! its bad enough having poorer hand writing now after years of keyboard use now this. One persons idea of making things easier is not the same for the millions you hope will use it because theyve spent all their hours using it and forget how difficult it might be for new users.

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    Mute Fergal Barry
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:50 AM

    It was meant as an example to help explain the article, I don’t expect ppl to know how to change a timing belt because an app tells them that’s what’s wrong wit your car, but it would be nice to know what your talking about when leaving a car to a mechanic rather than taking their word over a bill.
    On the Win 8, I could not agree more and paid to have my machine have Win 7 put back on!

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    Cpm
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    Mute Cpm
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    Apr 14th 2014, 2:07 PM

    Those horseless carriages are dreadful too, aren’t the, Vince? It’s all gone downhill since the Spinning Jenny.

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    Mute Ann Mcwilliams
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:55 AM

    Thank you for explanation that I was able to understand well done

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    Mute James O Donoghue
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    Apr 13th 2014, 9:42 AM

    Its still expensive tech. Google glass is over 1k to buy and I don’t think its that good yet.

    Saying that I had a brill app on phone couple if years ago. Anything in another language just point phone at it and it changes to English. Now that’s handy. Word lens I think it was called

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    Mute Bob Murphy
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    Apr 13th 2014, 9:33 AM

    I was lost after ” what a difference a few years make” in this article …..

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    Mute Darragh Kenny
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    Apr 13th 2014, 9:42 AM

    A great AR app out there too is ‘iTagged’ its irish too so check it out!!

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    Mute Vince O'Shea
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    Apr 13th 2014, 4:44 PM

    looked at it there, 10sec vid, share, add tag, people see and read (if they have time). kinda like Facebook and other services, just different name, funky orange graphics and logo. whats augmented here? the video and the tag? is that it?

    90% of these things are STILL heavily based on geo-location ideas, they’re really taking advantage of it but theres only so much one can do with it. Same with Soundwave, without geo-location allowed on your phone, this thing is nothing. iTunes doesnt need it, Spotify doesnt need it, Dropbox doesnt need it, Paypal doesnt need it, ebay doesnt need it. Bottom line is, people DO NOT TRUST it. They want privacy.

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    Mute Vince O'Shea
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    Apr 13th 2014, 4:55 PM

    having said that, those that we do use online and that i’ve mentioned, we already have a hard time trusting so to put trust in an little known company is going to be even harder. heartbleed recently, ios issue last month, every time someone signs into iTunes now they’re becoming more and more nervous. whats updated? what needs to be updated? how big this file size of the update? will it eat much data? ( it will when mobile providers up their fees), find my device/iphone… is it working? can i rely on it? smartphones stolen, expect more google glass to be stolen. Not exactly something one wants to attract. Too much hassle, email, browse internet, use non-smartphone to make calls and text. Its all we really need. Course people need to make money of course, they keep bringing out product after product, YOU NEED THIS, people buy in, some ‘smart’ enough don’t, and the cycle continues.
    People need to be more productive, other than wasting too much time on entertainment and reading blogs.

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    Mute Vince O'Shea
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    Apr 13th 2014, 4:55 PM

    = obesity

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    Mute Darragh Kenny
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    Apr 17th 2014, 12:12 PM

    Alright Vinny, calm down….

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    Mute Vince O'Shea
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    Apr 13th 2014, 4:32 PM

    all the phone companies are smacking their lips, i can see your data plans rising now after the EU ruling on roaming. They’ll get you this way.

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    Mute Donal Costello
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    Apr 13th 2014, 1:41 PM

    “I never asked for this”

    /waits to see if anyone gets the reference

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    Mute Jeebus xrist
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    Apr 13th 2014, 12:38 PM

    All of a sudden I want a Pepsi…

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    Mute Alex Gibson
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    Apr 13th 2014, 6:35 PM

    I think AR has passed the zone of disillusionment in terms of the Hype Cycle a couple of years ago….companies like DAQRI are really in the zone where AR will have huge impact in industrial contexts…for early adoption by consumers we really will have to wait for a single killer app to emerge ….perhaps looking at what retailers are doing with Virtual Wardrobes will be one way that it will spread quickly as there’s no need for consumers to buy any hardware or download one of the hundreds of apps out there..one Irish company that’s in the lead in this area is Von Bismark

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    Mute Wayne Kerr
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    Apr 14th 2014, 3:27 AM

    “Hype Cycle”, “killer App”. The nineties called, they want their vocab back.

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