Augmented Reality - Applications for general public

It's natural for man to want to improve his existence for a variety of reasons (survival, comfort, the pursuit of happiness, etc.). With the evolution of technology, man has been able to satisfy these needs by implementing increasingly complex concepts and techniques. Our desire to see the invisible and, more generally, to perceive the imperceptible or put into action the inaccessible, has led us to push back ever further the barriers set by nature itself. If virtual reality offers man a new space, it is augmented reality that gives him the opportunity to go beyond his own limitations in his natural environment.

Augmented Reality (AR) involves associating virtual (computer-generated) information with the natural environment in real time. Users perceive their environment (in terms of visual modality) through special glasses capable of displaying this virtual information. This is referred to as a direct vision AR system. If perception takes place via a screen (cell phone, tablet), we speak of an AR system in indirect vision.

Even though the first appearances of this technology date back almost 50 years, Augmented Reality (AR) for the general public has only recently become a reality, thanks to the miniaturization of electronic components, the increase in computing power and the autonomy of mobile systems. AR is a discipline that is highly dependent on technical and technological developments, and it is partly due to this dependence that it is still evolving.

AR is finding its way into a variety of sectors (medical, industrial, military, etc.). However, having perceived the possibility of offering consumers a new and spectacular experience, we are also seeing AR being used for advertising and events.

The aim here is not to cover all sectors of activity exhaustively, but to present a few AR applications linked to the implementation of this technology dedicated to the general public: two categories that group together systems that :

• increase reality;

• enable the user's action, or perception, to be enhanced.

We'll be taking a look at a few applications using augmented reality solutions. Readers interested in the definition of AR, its technical constraints and its implementation in other sectors are invited to refer to the article [TE 5 920] .