Augmented Reality: QR Code Implementation
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Welcome to MKI's Dev Lab! As technology changes, we love to explore, highlight, and test novel concepts and developments.
This article focuses on an emerging segment: augmented reality (AR).
Use Cases
AR introduces digital images, animations, or other elements into a physical environment. There are many applications for AR, but it is most commonly experienced in gaming, marketing, and entertainment industries. When we think of AR, many of us think first of popular games, like Pokémon Go that relies on geo-coded AR within a mobile app.
However, AR has an increasing variety of real world applications, such as in education for simulation-style training. In a curated list of expanded AR functions, James Paine highlights 10 AR use cases including medical training, classroom education, and field service. Many of these examples are focused on formal education or practical training, which we find especially relevant as education becomes more virtual.
Types of AR
There are a number of ways to technically implement AR.
Platform
First, is the mechanism for how the AR is accessed - whether through virtual reality headsets for a more immersive experience or as a component of a web or mobile app.
Triggers
Within these environments, AR can be triggered by QR codes, geocoding (using specific lat and long coordinates), programming within a specific environment, etc. As technology evolves, we expect to see more use of AR embedded into existing software and applications.
Interactivity
The level of interactivity will vary depending on the use case and how the technology is applied. In a mobile app, it may be an object that you can see or an object that you can interact with. In a more immersive environment, it may be an object that animates based on some kind of triggering event.
Implementation
Within our dev lab, we implemented AR within a test web app environment using QR codes. In this application, the QR code actually becomes the image, with some elements of interactivity applied.
Below are the QR codes, along with the AR objects that they create.
1: filled circle
2: dimensional cube [interactive element: it moves within the environment]
3: avocado [interactive element: it gets larger when you tap the screen]
Full Demonstration
Check out our video below for a complete demonstration.
Questions? Want to see more? Contact us at Master Key Interactive.