A better view

In the 1970s and 80s, attempts were made to build immersive systems or wearable computers, but the development of these solutions was slowed for a number of different factors, including the size and cost of the equipment.  

However, today no such problems exist thanks to the increasing affordability and ubiquity of smartphones and tablet computers that have allowed AR applications to become an ever greater part of our everyday lives.

An AR system essentially depends on four key elements:  a user, a physical environment, a display and some digital information relevant to the environment. Typically, its use involves taking live video and then blending new information into it – as is the case with Pokémon Go.

Thales Eye works by dispatching a local technician to the piece of equipment that needs repairing. They are then – through the use of an AR headset or tablet computer – connected to an expert who is also equipped with a tablet. Even though the expert is located remotely, they can see exactly the same thing that the technician sees and they can then vocally guide the operator through the repair. This service is still at the prototype phase, but the company thinks that Thales Eye has the potential to be groundbreaking.

“We are clearly taking a service-oriented approach, with the goal being to improve to a maximum the comfort and simplicity of the user experience, and this across all domains,” says Dr Amine Arezki, product line manager at Thales Germany.

Another area where AR has really made its mark is in the marketing field. In the Netherlands, Thales’ sales and marketing teams in Above Water Systems wanted to come up with a marketing tool targeted at clients in the naval sector that reflected the company’s progressive technological outlook while promoting and explaining some of the complex technologies and service concepts that Thales offers. The solution to this conundrum was an AR tablet application called the Thales Naval App  (www.thalesgroup.com/nl/app).  

When the camera lens of a tablet fitted with the app is pointed at a specific recognisable marker – a digital 3D representation of the Thales solution appears on the device’s screen, as it would appear in the real world. A marker that looks like seawater can be printed on a brochure, leaflet or business card, for example. “It stimulates the audiences to keep the printed media for a longer time than they would normally because the marker is their access to a new and interesting way to see says Jeroen van der Wel, innovation manager for Thales in the Netherlands.  Since the app launched it’s been a tremendous success and provided a valuable analytical insight, according to van der Wel, who says that more than 3,000 users have downloaded the app on iPads and Android tablets in 74 countries worldwide. It is expected to reach even more users when a smartphone version is released.  

Those developments are not without their challenges. Experts felt that some of the early AR applications created information overload and hindered rather than aided users. There are also potential privacy issues surrounding the use of AR technology in the public and private arena.

But none of these issues are insurmountable and with the rapid development and increasing affordability of new wearable tech, the potential future uses of AR will make Pokémon Go look like child’s play.