In mid-2016, Pokemon GO took the mobile world by storm as the first mainstream augmented reality app. But today, nearly a year and a half later, we’ve seen the arrival of hundreds of different mobile app project ideas that feature augmented reality technology.
Companies worldwide are using augmented reality apps in remarkable ways, and this trend is only expected to continue now that Apple has released its newest ARKit framework for augmented reality app developers. So let’s take a look at some cool augmented reality apps that feature innovative uses for this cutting-edge technology. These clever AR ideas can serve as inspiration for anyone who is preparing to begin their own AR app development project.
The Houzz App
The Houzz app is ideal for anyone in the process of redecorating or moving, as it gives you access to virtual versions of over 500,000 different furniture and decorative items from a range of different retailers. These virtual items can then be placed inside a digital rendering of a room in your home. The app even features zoom capabilities that allow you to compare and examine textures and finishes.
IKEA led the pack as a pioneer of this type of application, but Houzz is amongst the first apps to offer items from multiple retailers. Interior designers have long used this technology to provide clients with mockups and projections. The real estate industry also uses augmented reality technology to virtually decorate a home—a practice known as digital home staging—in an attempt to depict the property’s true potential. The Houzz app is currently available for both iOS and Android.
The JigSpace App
The JigSpace app is ideal for the person who’s perpetually wondering, “How does that work?” A unique and innovative app concept, JigSpace answers your questions with 3D digital renderings of everything from the lock mechanism in your car door to the faucet in your bathroom, the toaster in your kitchen or the trees in your yard.
In addition to serving as an “AR Wikipedia” of sorts, JigSpace also gives tech-savvy folks the power to create new jigs. This means the JigSpace 3D library will only grow with time. This app is currently available for iOS-powered Apple devices and it’s fair to surmise that this app concept will inspire lots of new augmented reality project ideas in the future.
The Surgical Navigation Advanced Platform (SNAP)
The Surgical Navigation Advanced Platform (SNAP) is designed for physicians who use augmented reality technology to replicate an individual’s anatomy in a 3D environment. The digital body is created using high-tech medical scans. Then, the surgical team can perform a walk-through of the operation, exploring the patient’s unique anatomy through a number of different 3D perspectives, ranging from a microscopic view to a broader macroscopic view. Surgeons can also adjust the transparency level of different layers and structures. For instance, a tumor may be made semi-transparent so the physician can observe the vessel structure within the mass.
This AR medical application is FDA-cleared and is now in use by medical teams who are planning complex surgical procedures. This healthcare app also has lots of potential for use in an educational environment.
GAP’s The DressingRoom App
GAP’s The DressingRoom app could drive online clothing sales since many shoppers cite the inability to try on apparel as the number one reason for shopping in brick and mortar stores instead of buying online. This technology may eventually make in-store fitting rooms—and even the stores themselves—obsolete.
Unveiled in January 2017, The DressingRoom app allows users to select a virtual body, available in a range of different heights and body shapes. But it’s conceivable that we could see more accurate, custom-generated avatars thanks to advances in AR app development. In fact, developers are already using Apple’s new ARKit framework to build new, improved measuring apps. These range from tape measure apps to cool AR apps that measure you for custom-fitted clothing. From a developer’s perspective, it’s a relatively small jump to create an app that can use those measurements to create a personalized digital avatar for a virtual fitting room environment.
GAP’s app is now available for iOS and Android devices.
The World Brush App
The World Brush app is a fun creative app that allows users to draw pictures in thin air. The images are then made visible to all app users, with each drawing attached to the location where it was created.
This app’s creative potential is tremendous, as it’s conceivable that the tool could be used for everything from marriage proposals to scavenger hunt clues. It’s one application that holds the power to add an entirely new digital dimension to our world. World Brush is available for iOS and Android.
If you’re looking to find inspiration in other creativity apps that use augmented reality technology, look into a couple of the many AR tracing apps that allow users to refine their perspective drawing abilities. The potential is really limitless when it comes to AR projects, especially in the realm of artwork and creativity apps.
Do You Have an Idea for a Cool AR App?
AR projects are rapidly gaining popularity as more and more companies come up with innovative ways to leverage this technology. If you have a cool augmented reality app idea—whether it’s an enterprise app for internal use at your company, a B2C app or a stand-alone application that would be available to the general public—it’s vital that you pick an experienced AR developer. That’s precisely where 7T can assist, as we specialize in emerging technologies such as augmented reality, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and natural language processing.
Our headquarters are located in Dallas, with regional offices in Austin and Houston, although our clientele spans the entire United States. If you’re ready to turn your AR idea into a digital reality, contact our team today.
