Tech Forum focuses on augmented reality

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The Technology Forum of Delaware took a look at augmented reality.

Often associated with  Pokemon GGo phenomenon of a couple of years ago and the popular  Snapshot social media app,  the technology is moving into the commercial market.

Speakers from The advertising and technology agency  Archer Group, Wilmington and Allen & Gerritsen, Philadelphia discussed a variety of applications for augmented reality.

Microsoft and Wilmington University, the host for the Tech Forum event,  also offered demonstrations.

Simply stated, the technology adds images, virtual objects or information to the visual world through the use of location technology.

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The technology is commonly used on mobile devices but is expected to be used in glasses and even contact lenses.  

The technology can be used to measure space for furniture in homes and offices.

IKEA is already deploying the technology in the placement of furniture.

Sephora is using a mobile device to sell its products and show how a  cosmetics product would look on your face.  Ferrari uses the technology to show accessories look on its powerful cars, with Bosch using AR to show ways to install its auto parts.

More work needs to be done, with the next step forward being augmented reality glasses that could be used in shopping, museum visits, and the list goes on.

Potential business applications include crime and accident scene investigations, simulating medical procedures,  training, and installation of equipment and finding a restaurant or other businesses in a crowded downtown area.

Speakers noted the difficulty of communicating the potential of the technology and what some see as the boom and bust in commercial uses for visual reality (VR).

Another barrier is the amount of hardware and other equipment needed and the cost of translating the technology for more specialized applications.

None of this has stopped companies like Apple from rolling out technology for augmented reality developers.

Allen & Gerritsen has used the technology in a smartphone app for client Sunoco and NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson. Sunoco provides racing fuels and sponsorships for NASCAR.

The Technology Forum holds monthly networking and educational events in northern Delaware.

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