Reality Check: Looking Back at Augmented Reality in 2021

With 2021 now behind us, it is that time again when I look back at the AR trends I was watching out for that year to find out how they actually played out.

At the beginning of 2021, I published "21 Augmented Reality Trends to Keep an Eye on for 2021". The article you are reading now acts as a "Reality Check" to keep myself honest and close the loop on the AR trends I was expecting versus what actually happened in 2021. It is also a great refresher on the most important news in AR in 2021.

Hang on to your (virtual) hats! This article is a LONG read! But would you expect anything less when trying to recap an extremely active year for augmented reality?

This article is best enjoyed on LinkedIn, so if you just received this in your inbox, hit the "Open in LinkedIn" link for an optimal reading experience. I have also made this article available as a PDF which you can download here. The PDF version includes "Suggested Reading" with links from news stories which are referenced in each section.

Industry

#1 The pandemic has made virtual the new normal, accelerating the adoption of augmented reality

What I Thought Would Happen

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to stop how it was originally functioning and made it look for new ways to survive. Technology has become a lifeline for businesses and people alike, affording a way to continue to do work and stay connected with friends and family. This new need for technologies that enable virtual moments, as well as a demand for these virtual experiences to feel more real, has accelerated the adoption of augmented reality which had already been on a steady trajectory to become the next wave of computing. Virtual has become the new normal.

What Really Happened

With 2021 moving us into the second year of the pandemic, technology continued to play a vital role in our new way of living, changing how we work and learn, keep fit, socialize and everything in between. According to a Pew Research study published in September 2021, "90% of US adults say the internet has been essential or important for them personally during the coronavirus outbreak". This in turn has accelerated the adoption of augmented reality both by users and organizations. According to that same Pew Research survey "40% say they used digital technology or the internet in new or different ways compared with before the beginning of the outbreak." An April 2021 XR Industry survey from Perkins Coie in partnership with XRA found that "83% of respondents say investment in immersive technology will increase in 2021". And, as published in the Wall Street Journal article "Augmented Reality Gets Pandemic Boost", Mercedes-Benz and L'Oréal are just a few of the companies reporting that AR has "became more valuable" for their organizations because of the pandemic.

But perhaps the loudest signal that the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in 2021 was the rise of the Metaverse. A term that means different things to different people but typically used to encompass all things "virtual" from NFTs to virtual worlds (AR/VR included), "metaverse" became the buzzword of 2021. The level of activity around the metaverse this year was intense and hit a tipping point when Facebook rebranded as Meta and debuted its own vision of the metaverse at Connect in October 2021. You can see how the search activity for "metaverse" on Google Trends spiked at that exact moment in the screenshot below.

Love it or hate it, "metaverse" injected a massive amount of attention, development and investment in virtual technologies. According to data from corporate research company Sentieo reported in November 2021, the word "metaverse" was mentioned 128 times during investor presentations, compared to just 7 times last year. We also saw many major brands and tech companies reposition themselves as "metaverse" companies, hire key metaverse leads and acquire metaverse companies.

While 2021 left the Metaverse still relatively ambiguous, both in definition as well as to whether or not we have actually arrived, one thing was clear: virtual has become the new normal.

Hardware 

#2 Consumers get fashionable smartglasses this year but this is more a return of Google Glass than HoloLens for the masses 

What I Thought Would Happen

2021 will be a significant year for consumer smartglasses as we are expecting to see a number of options become available to the mainstream. These devices, however, will most likely be more like the return of Google Glass rather than the rollout of HoloLens to the masses. The smartglasses of 2021 will be more wearable than ever before, with technology players partnering up with fashion brands to make them more fashionable, and some focused on not just being connected but being better glasses, with lenses which automatically adjust to environmental conditions and a users’ changing prescription. All of these offerings will most likely be smartphone accessories, possibly connecting to other wearables such as smartwatches, and many will be sold through major carriers as a way to market 5G.

What Really Happened

Consumers did get a number of new connected eyewear to choose from in 2021. While these glasses were more wearable and fashionable than ever before, they also hit home just how far away we are from a pair of a consumer-ready all-day, everyday pair of AR glasses. 

Meta (formally Facebook) launched its anticipated glasses in partnership with EssilorLuxottica called the Ray-Ban Stories. The camera-enabled eyewear is being marketed to consumers as a hands-free way to create and share memories. While there is no display nor are there the necessary sensors to facilitate AR, this device is playing a significant role in our eventual wearable AR future in that it is acclimating consumers to wearing tech on their face, including a camera which is creating a necessary starting point for next generation AR-enabled options to evolve from. 

We also saw a ton of activity with heads-up displays (or the return of Google Glass as I put it above). Xioami, Huawei, TCL and Oppo all unveiled smartglasses in 2021, many with no launch date. All were heads-up displays aimed at bringing information up to eye level. 

The closest thing we got in 2021 to real consumer AR glasses came from Nreal and Snap. Nreal continued with their global roll-out of its Nreal Light, a mixed reality headset now sold in Japan, Germany, Korea and most recently the US. Nreal also debuted a scaled-down and cheaper headset option, the Nreal Air, which are essentially glasses that extend the smartphone screen optimal for watching video or playing smartphone games. Snap debuted its next-gen Spectacles. This fourth generation version now offers augmented reality capabilities with front-facing cameras and a dual waveguide display which is a huge change from previous generations which were more like Ray-Ban Stories in that they were only able to capture photos and videos. Unlike Nreal who has its glasses for sale, Snap released its next generation Spectacles to select Creators who are using Snap's Lens Studio to create Lenses for the device.

#3 Spatial sensors demonstrate AR beyond the camera and illustrate how a series of sensors will be needed for immersion

What I Thought Would Happen

In 2020, we saw LiDAR depth sensors, spatially aware ultra wideband (UWB) radio waves and spatial audio fueled by dynamic head tracking take center stage in tablets, smartphones, smart speakers and hearables. With devices now equipped with these ingredients (and possibly more to come), 2021 will start to see developers make use of these sensors to create new ways to augment our reality such as AR experiences which have a better understanding of our environments including the people and things within it, those that sound more “real”, as well as audio-only AR solutions, or what is also known as augmented audio.

What Really Happened

While we saw spatial sensors make their way into new devices and used in applications and AR experiences in 2021, I wouldn't say that this trend fully materialized as I had expected. There is still a need for more devices to support these sensors and continued efforts to provide more resources for developers, including greater access to APIs, in order for immersive experiences on the smartphone to move beyond the camera.   

While it was rumored that Apple would roll-out LiDAR across its entire lineup of iPhone 13 devices in 2021, Apple continued to include this as a feature only in its iPhone 13 Pro models. Samsung meanwhile dropped its use of LiDAR in its newer devices while Google focused on advancements in ARCore including a new Raw Depth API and support for dual camera setup in devices like newer models of the Pixel. Snap also debuted its beta World Mesh feature to let Creators use depth information and world geometry to reconstruct their environment directly through Lenses for LiDAR and non-LiDAR devices. 

Depth information was used in a number of AR experiences this year. Apple updated its Clips app to make use of LiDAR for its new "AR Spaces" effects which lets users scan their rooms in order to apply AR to the scene. TikTok launched its first LiDAR-enabled effect. Snap and Google collaborated with a group of Snap Creators to make use of Google ARCore's Depth API to create lenses for Earth Week. And Snap also announced it will soon enable Creators to create their own custom Landmarker Lens by scanning landmarks using the LiDAR sensor. 

UWB or ultra wideband made its way into more devices in 2021 including the Pixel 6, Samsung's flagship smartphones such as the Galaxy S21, Apple's HomePod mini and flagship iPhones and Apple Watches. But 2021 was the year of the connected tracker as we saw the launch of Samsung's SmartTag+, Apple's AirTag and Tile announcing the Tile Ultra–all of which have companion applications which use AR to visualize how to find objects. We also saw some early experimentation from developers using UWB, including a demo with Apple's U1 chip and Nearby API to precisely turn off lights in a home.

In looking at the spatial audio activity in 2021, W3C, Dolby and High Fidelity all joined Apple in providing spatial audio APIs for developers to use. We saw a number of non-AR apps make use of these APIs to create a greater sense of immersion and presence including Netflix, Clubhouse and even Roblox. We also saw a number of developers create AR experiences with spatial audio including Matt Bierner's Beatsy augmented reality music visualizer app; a space-themed scene built with Reality Composer by Paul Hamilton; and a meditation experiment created by SPACE 10 in partnership with IKEA.   

#4 Enabled with 5G, powerful chips and better displays and cameras, the smartphone has never been more ready for AR than now

What I Thought Would Happen

5G has long promised to usher in AR and VR in a very similar way that 3G did for mobile video and 4G for social media and apps. While there is still work to be done on the roll-out of networks, 2021 is one of the first years everyday smartphone users will have access to the benefits of this network. With phones in hand, and networks coming together–we should expect to see 5G-enabled AR experiences rolled out to a wider audience this year. But 5G is not the only way that smartphones are becoming even more powerful augmented reality devices. New chips, higher resolution displays and displays that offer wider field of view such as those that are foldable (or even rollable), and regular improvements in both the front and rear facing camera have all made the smartphone even more ready for AR. 

What Really Happened

Whereas 2020 felt like 5G was still a promise, 2021 was definitely the year when we started to see 5G actually become a reality. 2021 saw all three networks in the USA have nationwide 5G coverage, although not evenly spread out across the country.  As well, all of the marquee smartphones launched in 2021 boasted 5G support including the latest flagship smartphones from Google, Samsung and Apple. And with Qualcomm's latest 5G-capable processor, Snapdragon 480, even budget-friendly Android phones are now able to make use of the network. In fact, most of the users who upgraded or bought a new phone in 2021 had access to 5G. To demonstrate the power of 5G, carriers teamed up with platforms and developers to create AR experiences that made use of the network including a 5G-powered Landmarker Snapchat Lens in LA and a 5G-enabled Buccaneers Lens which pushed the typical file size limit of a Snapchat Lens to 50MB. While 5G was definitely on the road to deliver on its promise of a faster, low-latency network in 2021, the nationwide coverage was still not all equal, and we are still waiting for the newer spectrums, such as the C-Band, to provide more consistent and performant connectivity. The good news is that there are major plans to tackle these challenges in 2022. 

In addition to getting 5G support, the flagship phones also saw major improvements in processing power, battery life, new spatial sensors and the camera and received the necessary software updates to make use of these upgrades. The iPhone 13's A15 Bionic processor, for example, has a 16-core neural engine dedicated to speeding up AI tasks using machine learning with the ability to handle 15.8 trillion operations per second. According to Apple this chip is 50% faster than its competitors. Combined with new graphics capabilities and high-performance processing cores, the A15 Bionic chip makes Apple's new flagship device the most powerful smartphone with snappier performance and improved battery life.  

An improved smartphone creates an even more solid foundation for augmented reality experiences. The smartphone has become an even more powerful AR machine. Apple's iOS 15 update, for example, brought with it support for WebGL 2.0 and WebGL via Metal which in turn increased the performance for WebAR. 8th Wall, the leading WebAR platform, found some 8th Wall experiences had a 36% increase in frame rate for devices running iOS 15. 

#5 Video passthrough mixed reality HMD makes its way to the consumer as a living room device for social, gaming and next generation entertainment 

What I Thought Would Happen

We have seen mixed reality devices capable of both virtual reality and augmented reality using video passthrough technology for the enterprise but have yet to see one dedicated to the consumer market. 2021 may be the year this changes. This year we may see a video passthrough AR device introduced to the consumer market. This device will most likely not be a sleek all-day, every-day pair of glasses meant to be worn outside but rather a larger HMD similar to the VR devices today that is meant to be used indoors and may even require a smartphone, PC or a dedicated console as part of the overall system. As such, it will be marketed as a living room device for gaming, entertainment and social applications and possibly at-home productivity for work and school.

What Really Happened

While I may have been overly bullish in my 2021 outlook on a consumer video passthrough AR device, this was a big year for passthrough with signs that this type of AR hardware is making its way to the mainstream soon. 

The most significant activity came from Meta who unlocked AR capabilities for developers on the Quest 2 through an experimental Passthrough API. This experimental API lets developers start to build and test Passthrough experiences in preparation for the production API which would allow these experiences to eventually ship to users. Meta also teased its upcoming AR/VR device, Project Cambria, a higher end device with new sensors and a focus on mixed reality experiences. Project Cambria is expected to be released next year and third-party developers are already working on experiences for the device.   

French startup, Lynx, launched a Kickstarter campaign for its standalone mixed reality headset the Lynx R-1 which passed its funding goal in under 15 hours, reaching over $800,000. The company is now taking pre-orders for its $600 consumer device which is capable of both VR and passthrough AR.   

2021 was another year filled with Apple headset rumors. All reports suggest that Apple is readying a AR/VR headset featuring video passthrough which could ship as early as the latter half of 2022. Like Meta's Project Cambria, the device is expected to be on the high-end, with robust sensors and a higher price point than current consumer VR hardware on the market. And while these rumors are scarce on details, there are also reports of a new AR device from Google and one from a partnership between Samsung and Microsoft.

#6 Augmented reality becomes a battleground technology for automotive manufacturers starting with luxury vehicles 

What I Thought Would Happen

Luxury vehicles looking to differentiate themselves have turned to augmented reality to do so. We can expect to see AR become a standard feature in high end vehicles before this feature trickles down to the rest of the automotive market. Expect AR to be a battleground technology for car manufacturers as they roll-out proprietary solutions they have either developed or invested in that differ in user experience and feature sets.

What Really Happened

The auto industry has indeed embraced augmented reality as a new selling feature for its latest models. In 2021, we saw AR make its way into upcoming vehicles from Lexus, Audi, Kia, Hyundai and Volkswagen, just to name a few. The most common use of augmented reality in automotive today is as a heads-up display on the windshield to provide relevant driver information including directions. But as these systems get more advanced, using AI, they will evolve into driver-assistance systems such as the one Panasonic debuted at CES 2021 where, in addition to showing the road ahead, the system detects and informs the driver about foreign objects, other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. AR features could also greatly expand as car manufacturers open themselves up to third-party app development, similar to what Volvo has done with its new “Innovation Portal” which gives developers access to resources including vehicle APIs for development. 

2021 also showed us how smartglasses could play a role in enhancing the driving experience. BMW teamed up with Meta to test its Project Aria glasses to help drivers navigate their surroundings while Chinese electric car company, Nio, teamed up with Nreal for glasses that will go with its new sedan, the ET5.

#7 Enterprise AR hardware continues to improve with new sensors aimed at a post-pandemic world

What I Thought Would Happen

2021 will continue to see existing enterprise headworn AR devices improve and we may possibly see some new hardware players be introduced as well. Next generation devices will most likely get lighter and smaller, offer an increased field of view and higher resolution displays and cameras as well as an improved design better suited for wearability and use in a work environment. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon reference design will play a major role in these upgrades. In addition we may continue to see COVID-19 related features such as the integration of thermal imaging solutions in these devices to equip the enterprise, especially healthcare and frontline workers, with a means to monitor body temperatures from a distance.

What Really Happened

As expected, 2021 saw new and next generation headworn AR devices meant for use in the enterprise. 2021 started off with Lenovo's debut of its ThinkReality A3 smartglasses at CES 2021. This next generation device is designed for companies looking to increase efficiencies, lower downtimes and improve remote collaboration. The device makes use of the Qualcomm XR1 smart viewer reference design which was also launched earlier in 2021. 

We also saw new heads-up displays from Iristick and RealWear which aim to upskill frontline workers. As well as an explosion-proof headband from Rokid called the X-Craft. 

Perhaps the most exciting hardware launch in 2021 was Campfire which emerged from stealth to introduce its AR/VR headset which features a 92-degree field of view and is targeted at design and engineering professionals. 

In addition, the now enterprise-focused Magic Leap also unveiled its next generation device, the Magic Leap 2, which is being touted as "the industry’s smallest and lightest device built for enterprise adoption". Set to launch in 2022, Magic Leap 2 features improved optics, a larger field of view and dimming – a first-to-market innovation that enables the headset to be used in brightly lit settings, in addition to a significantly smaller and lighter form factor. I had the chance to demo Magic Leap 2 at AWE USA 2021 and left certain that this will be a game changing device for the enterprise.

Platforms, Tools & Infrastructure

#8 2021 is the Year of the QR code and the beginning of scanning everything with your phone and expecting a result 

What I Thought Would Happen

2021 will be the year of the QR code and you will see them everywhere from magazines to store windows, next to shows and album art on your fav streaming apps and more. The consistent use of these codes creates a new behavior with our smartphone and the world around us—one where we expect to get a digital result from scanning anything in the real world.

What Really Happened

Fueled by the pandemic, QR codes have become a necessity in our everyday lives whether this is replacing paper menus to access them in a touchless manner or to show proof of our vaccination status to enter a venue. In turn, the mainstream has become acclimated to scanning these codes with their smartphones so much so that 45% of US shoppers have said that they have used a marketing-related QR code and 59% believe that QR codes would be a permanent part of using their mobile phone in the future according to a June 2021 survey from Statista. 

The rising use of QR codes in our everyday life has reinvigorated the use of this code in marketing and advertising, especially on packaging, direct mail, billboards and TV advertisements. Many of these QR codes were linked to augmented reality experiences, especially those developed using web-based augmented reality (or WebAR), which requires no app to download. 

In 2021, we saw a number of brands take advantage of WebAR campaigns triggered by QR codes.  Pepsi printed QR codes on select cans and also displayed QR codes live on air for its Superbowl LV campaign that included a WebAR halftime portal featuring music from The Weeknd. VW teamed up with Amazon to put a QR code on select Amazon boxes which, when scanned, engaged users in a Taos WebAR driving game. Molson Coors printed QR codes on its products which linked to a number of different sports-related WebAR experiences. Anheuser-Busch InBev took out a full page ad in the L.A. Times which featured a QR code for its Dodgers WebAR Face Effect that celebrated the Dodgers World Series win. And Harrods displayed a QR code on its holiday store window to bring it to life with a WebAR experience that featured a dancing robot.

#9 Big screens such as desktop, laptop and smart TVs emerge as a major opportunity for augmented reality driven by video conferencing 

What I Thought Would Happen

We started to see the use of augmented reality within video conferencing solutions in 2020 with filters, backgrounds, avatars and even digital first makeup. 2021 may take this even further with an AR ecosystem emerging around video conferencing and the webcam found on bigger screen devices such as laptops, notebooks, PCs and smart TVs. There is a massive opportunity to be had to combine AR/CV and fitness with these screens, especially smart TVs. In addition, this consistent application of AR as part of our communication with others, may play a significant role in our adoption of avatars and the construction of our digital identity as we elect to take new shapes and forms while connecting with others online.

What Really Happened

This trend didn't fully materialize as I had expected. While we did see a number of messaging and video conferencing platforms roll out new augmented reality features in 2021, including the use of avatars, we really did not see a specific AR ecosystem come together around webcam enabled screens and smart TVs. 

In the beginning of 2021, Zoom rolled out its AR "Studio Effects" which lets users modify facial features such as changing lip and hair color and adding a mustache or beard. Later Zoom launched its "Immersive View" which allows hosts to arrange participants and panelists in a single virtual background such as making it look like they are all sitting at a conference table. Microsoft also rolled out a similar feature for Teams called "Together mode".

Microsoft also announced that they will be supporting the use of avatars for Teams in 2022 as part of its planned cross-device upgrade for laptops, phones, VR and Microsoft HoloLens. The avatars are an alternative to using your real self on calls and will use AI to emote based on voice cues. Nicole Herskowitz, general manager of Microsoft Teams, told CNET that “the company's research via its internal Human Factors Lab found 85% of people using avatars felt either "very or somewhat present" in meetings and also felt that 75% of other people using avatars seemed either "very or somewhat present."” Using the Snap Camera desktop app, Zoom users can now also join a meeting as their virtual selves by selecting the new "Cartoon Style" Lens, an AI-enabled Lens created by Snap that turns you into your very own DreamWorks / Pixar like character. 

While a specific third-party AR ecosystem for video conferencing and webcam enabled devices didn't culminate in 2021, we did see Creator platforms expand their distribution to messaging and video conferencing solutions. Snap's Camera Kit made its way into a number of new applications in 2021 including Camo, an app that allows you to use your iPhone as a Mac webcam, expanding the number of places Creators can see their Lenses be engaged. Meta added support for its Spark AR effects to work on both sides of Messenger calls no matter what device you or the caller is on, including the new, more portable Portal devices launched in 2021. They also gave its Creators access to the Spark Multipeer API to enable them to create Group AR Effects for Messenger. Facebook also teamed up with Harry Potter to launch a series of face filters for Portal as a crossover for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

#10 AI + AR democratizes special effects, turning everyday content creators into film makers

What I Thought Would Happen

AI + AR is a powerful combination and in 2021 we will see more developers make use of dedicated machine learning models to make their filters, lenses, video effects and AR experiences beyond social AR even more sophisticated. In turn, we will see content creators use these tools to create stories, videos and social posts which will be nothing short of feature film–AI + AR will democratize special effects. AI + AR will unlock more bespoke and dynamic AR experiences, marking a new generation of filters, lenses and video effects meant to be used for longer than 15 seconds encouraging deeper and meaningful storytelling with AR. This delivers immediate value to content creators, influencers and social media users by giving them new tools for their posts beyond traditional photo and video editing.

What Really Happened

2021 did see Creators make use of machine learning and augmented reality to create experiences that look like movie magic proving that AR is democratizing special effects but using AR effects to create content for longer periods of time is still something to be seen. 

We saw some extremely innovative uses of SnapML and new Snap Lens Studio features in 2021. Snap Creators Brielle Garcia and Don Allen Stevenson III both demonstrated how to use Len’s Studio 3D body tracking to transform yourself into real-time virtual characters that can move about your real world space as if you were one of the cartoon characters in “Who Killed Roger Rabbit”. Hart Woolery, who is best known for developing experiences using machine learning and computer vision, created a number of 3D hand tracking Lenses that turned your hand into characters or games. And Creative Technologist, Ommy Akhe, was featured by Snapchat for her forward thinking AR prototypes which use SnapML to push the boundaries of fashion including overlaying digital information on physical accessories.

In what has become an annual tradition, Snap released two AI-enabled Lens in 2021 which instantly went viral. Snap turned us all into Disney-esque characters with its Cartoon 3D Lens and followed up with another AI-powered Lens just before the end of the year which turned us into our avatar twins. 

Snap also recognized Lenses in its annual Lens Report which made use of machine learning to take them to the next level. Prada used gesture-recognition capabilities to let shoppers use their hands to swipe through virtual purse options they are shown wearing. And Farfetch used voice-controls to tell the Lens what color of Off-White jacket users wanted to see on themselves.

8th Wall’s modular camera application framework enables its developers to use external libraries to create sophisticated WebAR experiences. In 2021, we saw BMW make use of this in its “BMW Virtual Viewer” WebAR experience which could be controlled by the user's voice and included an active sales chatbot. The experience aimed to bring the showroom experience into the shoppers home. Another example was the Candyman WebAR experience which integrated Google's Speech-to-Text software with 8th Wall to use voice to trigger the experience if users dared to say Candyman’s name five times. 

In addition, we saw AI and AR be used by both Google and Snap as a sign language interface. Google’s SignAll SDK offers sign language translation using MediaPipe and is available for developers. While Snap debuted a Lens which helps teach Snapchat users how to fingerspell.

#11 The AR Cloud gets more real with dynamic maps enabling enhanced AR experiences with scene understanding

What I Thought Would Happen

2021 will see the AR Cloud both continue to take shape and be utilized with maps built using crowdsourcing, especially making use of the new powerful devices in the hands of users, and experiences that use anchors and scene understanding for the AR to be persistent, occluded and respond to the real world.

What Really Happened

While 2021 did see some major moves in creating the AR Cloud there was not as much activity in making use of it. This may have been impacted by the pandemic which was not conducive to users going outside and getting together with people outside of their household in a shared space. 

Perhaps one of the biggest AR Cloud related announcements in 2021 was the launch of Niantic’s Lightship platform which gave developers access to the Niantic Augmented Reality Developer Kit (ARDK). Niantic’s Lightship ARDK is a robust set of tools that enables developers with real-time mapping, semantic segmentation and multiplayer functionality. Earlier in 2021, Google launched TensorFlow 3D using LiDAR and depth sensors to enable advanced AR experiences which make use of 3D semantic segmentation, 3D object detection and 3D instance segmentation. And PTC announced its “Area Targets” for spaces up to 300,000 sqft. with support from Matterport and Leica 3D scanners to create a digital twin of an environment for AR enterprise use.

Niantic, Samsung and KDDI all launched experiences which made use of the AR Cloud in 2021. Niantic launched a large-scale multiplayer AR demo game under the codename: Urban legends for 5G networks as part of its “Planet-Scale AR Alliance''. Samsung launched Dreamground, an AR-activated area found both in designated areas in LA and NYC where visitors can, among many things, place Dreamground AR elements and leave them behind for other visitors to see in real time. And finally, KDDI teamed up with Deutsche Telekom, Sturfee and Mawari on a mobile proof of concept to demonstrate an augmented reality application leveraging remote rendering and visual positioning running on a common platform across edge networks jointly provided by KDDI and Deutsche Telekom.

#12 Volumetric capture surges with studios and LiDAR-enabled smartphones enabling 3D scanning for commercial and pro users

What I Thought Would Happen

We saw an influx of volumetric video in 2020 and we are sure to see more of this content hit our screens and HMDs. While volumetric capture studios service higher end productions, LiDAR-enabled smartphones are equipping creators with the ability to capture people, places and things in 3D. While we are not yet at the point where the everyday user is creating 3D captures and volumetric video in the same way they do 2D photos and videos, these new devices and a brand new app ecosystem designed to help capture, edit, publish, share and even sell scans are are enabling a volumetric capture content creator ecosystem.

What Really Happened

This trend played out pretty much as I expected. Commercial use of volumetric video was on the rise in 2021 with everyone from Coldplay and BTS, Sir David Attenborough and even Michael Myers from Halloween becoming holograms. To mark its collaboration with fashion designer Simone Rocha, H&M created a WebAR pop-up book which featured volumetric video of famous actors including Helena Bonham-Carter, Kaia Gerber and Francesca Hayward. And tennis champion Andy Murray was doubled to challenge players to a virtual tennis game in an American Express WebAR experience for Wimbledon.  

We saw a number of volumetric video companies raise funds in 2021 including Omnivor, Tetavi and Arcturus. A new capture stage, Avatar Dimension, debuted in the US East Coast. 8i debuted its livestreaming and real-time volumetric capture capabilities. 8th Wall announced integrations with 8i, Arcturus and Tetavi to stream holograms from these players in WebAR. And according to Arcturus, as at Q3 of 2021, there were 80 volumetric capture stages in 45 different cities around the world. 

Meanwhile, with more devices with LiDAR and new solutions that use the built-in smartphone camera, prosumers were scanning people, places and things to create 3D assets. Apple’s new Object Capture API which launched in 2021, was a game changer, in that it enabled apps like Polycam and PhotoCatch to launch which enables users to create high quality 3D scans with their smartphone camera. The rise of prosumer volumetric capture was given an additional signal boost in 2021 from various acquisitions including Sketchfab by Epic Games and Scaniverse by Niantic. We also saw Volograms launch Volu, an app that creates 3D volumetric video of people using the smartphone and deep learning, beginning to make the creation of holograms more accessible to everyone.

#13 Development platforms continue to find ways to make AR development more efficient and easy

What I Thought Would Happen

Development platforms will continue to evolve this year with a distinct focus on empowering developers with tools that make AR development more efficient and give developers even further freedom and flexibility. In addition, we may see an emphasis on low and no code authoring solutions leveraging visual scripting, templates and WYSIWYG tools which are well suited for rapid prototyping and provide an easier way to create AR.

What Really Happened

AR development platforms continued to get more powerful in 2021, with features aimed to empower developers with the tools they need to create robust AR experiences in an efficient manner. 

Developers looking to create social AR saw Snap and Spark AR platforms get powerful updates while TikTok launched its AR development platform, TikTok Effect Studio, in private beta. Snap released a number of new features and templates in Lens Studio including the ability to create Connected Lenses, access to 3D Body Mesh, cloth simulation and upper garment segmentation for body effects, an API library to use real-time data and a new sounds library to easily add audio clips to Lenses. It also updated Lens Studio to support the creation of Lenses for its AR-capable smartglasses, Spectacles. Meta upgraded Spark AR with segmentation and marker tracking capabilities, body and hand tracking, as well as access to a Multipeer API for shared experiences for video calls on Messenger, Instagram and Portal.  

Developers looking to create native AR apps now have a few new platforms to do so. Niantic officially released its Lightship platform for developer access. Lightship enables developers with a software toolkit which Niantic uses to build Pokémon Go to create their own "planet-scale" apps. Qualcomm acquired AR developer platform Wikitude in September of 2021 and subsequently launched its Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform in November. Spaces is a kit to help developers create apps for AR headworn devices with APIs that are hardware agnostic. Apple also made some updates to its AR framework, RealityKit, including adding custom shaders and meshes, improvements to animation and a new Character Controller.

Developers looking to create WebAR got a huge upgrade with the launch of 8th Wall's all-new Reality Engine. 8th Wall rebuilt its engine which now features Metaversal Deployment, enabling 8th Wall developers to create WebAR experiences once and deploy them to smartphones, tablets, computers and both AR and VR headsets. While Zappar introduced its Universal AR for PlayCanvas and Babylon.js.

2021 also saw the launch of a number of no-code platforms as I had expected. Geenee and Blippar both debuted no-code web-based augmented reality offerings. And CameraIQ launched a no-code design platform for brands to build AR-based virtual try-on experiences. 

Consumer Solutions

#14 AR becomes essential for brands and marketers as an at-home strategy drives marketing and advertising spend 

What I Thought Would Happen

2021 will be the year when we see AR move from a nice-to-have to an essential tool for many brands and marketers. AR ad spend will be on the rise this year with line items dedicated to augmented reality rather than it being part of innovation budgets. But this means that AR needs to go beyond PR to solve real problems and achieve real results. Luckily, we are already seeing brands and marketers share case studies and data which suggest that AR is indeed proving ROI. In particular, AR will become a staple in go-to-market plans for the release of new feature films, album and single releases and product launches, especially in technology and automotive and other industries which typically used trade shows and live events to make their debut.

What Really Happened

AR has moved out of the hype cycle and has now reached the mainstream. It is expected that 93.3 million people in the U.S. alone will use AR at least once per month in 2021 with this number reaching over 110 million by 2023 according to eMarketer. With users of AR and robust platforms to create experiences the time for brands and marketers to leverage AR as an essential tool is now. This is validated in AR Insider’s mobile AR ad placement projections which expect it to grow from an estimated U.S. $1.36 billion in 2020 to U.S. $6.68 billion in 2025. 

The number of brands using AR as part of their marketing mix in 2021 is too many to include in this arguably long enough article. To get a sense as to how active AR for marketing was in 2021, head on over to my newsletter page on LinkedIn to re-read a couple of the AR Roundup posts and you will find that AR marketing experiences typically make up one third of each report. Or check out 8th Wall’s Discovery Hub, a growing catalogue of commercial WebAR experiences for blue-chip brands across industry verticals which already has over 200 featured projects since its launch in November.

While AR continues to be a great way to gain brand awareness through PR, it is also demonstrating real ROI across the marketing funnel. To illustrate this, the IAB published the Augmented Reality ROI Creative Showcase, a report featuring 21 case studies highlighting key success metrics for AR campaigns that have generated awareness, engagement and outcomes. Featured in the report is an 8th Wall powered experience created by agency Aircards for Golden Road Brewing Dodgers Blonde Ale which saw an 18% in-experience conversion rate for the rebate featured in the WebAR Face Effect. And a WebAR-enabled lookbook for fashion brand KHAITE created by agency Rose Digital which was reported to have increased sales of the shoes featured in the AR experience by 4x. 

Snap also shared insights in 2021 which demonstrate the value its Lenses are driving for marketers. David Norris, European head of creative strategy at Snap Inc, told The Drum that “using AR drove a 2.4x higher purchase intent among users of the platform and claimed 62% of the audience that used beauty brand COTY’s Lens on Snapchat went on to make a purchase.”

As I expected, we also saw AR become a core component in entertainment launches especially for the film and television industry. Some notable examples in 2021 included AR experiences used to market the release of Dune, Candyman, Finding Magic Mike, Space Jam, Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Falcon & the Winter Soldier and more. And Snap announced major partnerships with both Sony Music and Universal Music to add to its song library and create AR experiences.

#15 3D and AR portals make online destinations feel like physical destinations as brands, retailers and event organizers need a new space to engage users

What I Thought Would Happen

In 2021, we will see 3D and AR portals from retailers, brands and event organizers who are currently unable to host their users in physical real world spaces. These online destinations will give users agency to explore and spend time with products and experiences. And as they are freed from physics or real estate limitations, they are able to provide an extraordinary experience not possible IRL. Retailers in particular will launch and maintain these destinations just like they would a new location of a store, updating them with new content, products and experiences aimed at attracting repeat visitors. These branded mini-worlds will either live independently or be found integrated in existing virtual universes and apps and may play an important part in the shaping of the metaverse.

What Really Happened

2021 saw a number of brands launch AR portals, debut experiences in virtual worlds and even carve out their own space in the metaverse, whether this was buying land or creating a world of their own, to engage users and encourage them to spend meaningful time in these immersive destinations. 

Some AR portals transported users to places only available in the virtual world including Marvel's portal to the world of Wanda Vision; a sweet WebAR portal to the Magnum ice cream playground; and virtual holiday stores for Walmart, Coca-Cola, Hollister, Under Armour and more. While other AR portals were used to let viewers at home virtually attend real world events. Verizon launched a series of 5G WebAR portals to teleport viewers to live events including backstage at the Oscars, on the red carpet of the Latin Grammy awards, and front row seats to the WNBA and the Indy 500. ComplexCon used a portal to bring its event into people's homes and enable them to shop featured merchandise. Apple used an AR portal to tease its iPhone 13 event. And Dell launched a WebAR portal to invite users to its virtual expo booth

Meanwhile, brands were quite active in the Metaverse, buying land, creating branded experiences in existing virtual worlds and launching their own virtual worlds. Nike created a bespoke world called NIKELAND in Roblox to turn play into a lifestyle. Gucci launched “The Gucci Garden”, a two-week art installation to celebrate the brand's 100th birthday in Roblox where it sold a virtual bag for more than the retail price of a physical bag. Ariana Grande was the latest performer to host a concert in Fortnite. PwC Hong Kong bought land in The Sandbox, the same world where Snoop Dogg is building his Snoopverse. While Selfridges x Charlie Cohen, Burberry and Louis Vuitton created their own virtual worlds for users to engage and shop.

#16 Major websites add AR as a content format on their dot-com beginning a shift towards the spatial web

What I Thought Would Happen

The web has become a powerful destination for augmented reality. Marketers and brands have turned to the web to engage users in AR campaigns and we will continue to see more ad spend on similar AR campaigns in 2021. In addition to these powerful microsites, this year we will begin to see major websites update their dot-com as the destination for interactive AR content. AR content embedded on these web pages allow users to discover and engage with the AR experience without needing to go to a separate destination to do so, increasing dwell time and engagement for the main web destination. In this way, AR will start to become a powerful new content type added to websites, living beside existing 2D content types such as GIFs and videos.

What Really Happened

2021 demonstrated that the web is becoming a powerful destination for augmented reality as we saw brands across industry verticals add AR as a core part of their main dot-com destination. In particular, we saw two major use cases (1) the use of AR to enhance editorial and sponsored content; and (2) the use of AR to facilitate virtual try-on/try-out of products while shopping online. 

On the editorial front, Yahoo and USA TODAY leveraged web-based augmented reality as part of its storytelling. USA TODAY launched a WebAR Hoops experience as a companion to its March Madness sports content. Yahoo embedded 3D/WebAR experiences to enrich articles related to the Tokyo Olympics, “The Last Blockbuster” documentary and Pride.    

Virtual try-on is perhaps one of the most common uses of AR today and it is completely revolutionizing e-commerce. To help customers get a more personal look at beauty products while shopping online Essie, Coty, Barry M, Bobbi Brown and Nykaa were just a few beauty brands in 2021 which integrated AR try-on on their site. Fashion brands ANAYI and Carolina Herrera both updated their e-commerce site with a feature to let shoppers place AR models in their space to get up close with the apparel. Personal audio company, JLab, added WebAR as part of the product experience to let consumers try on its line of wireless audio products. And Society6 launched its "View in Your Room" web-based augmented reality integration to boost consumer confidence in the purchase of art from its website.

#17 A virtual economy emerges with digital goods designed for you and your digital self 

What I Thought Would Happen

As the need to embody our digital identity as avatars becomes increasingly important across various virtual worlds and experiences, so too does the need to buy and sell virtual goods such as skins, clothing, and accessories for our digital self. Currently our avatar systems are unique to individual worlds, which means that our purchases are restricted to the worlds in which they were purchased but we are starting to see more open avatar systems emerge which have the potential to significantly widen the avatar goods opportunity. 

The virtual economy also offers digital products for your real self to use. Whereas we have seen these types of digital assets be used in AR for virtual try-on, aimed at facilitating the purchase of a product in "real" reality, here the digital asset is the product meant to be used by you in your augmented reality. The intersection of NFT and augmented reality is one to watch, including the minting of lenses and filters and the use of NFTs and other digital goods purchased as part of the virtual economy in AR experiences.

What Really Happened

A virtual economy did more than emerge in 2021, it flourished thanks to the rise of NFTs (or non-fungible tokens). NFT sales reached $27 billion in the first 10 months of 2021, mostly on OpenSea, according to a report by blockchain analysis service Chainalysis. Transactions were made for a variety of virtual goods including digital art and collectibles, virtual real estate and digital fashion–much of which offered both virtual and physical value. 

The fashion industry in particular were early movers in the NFT space. Dolce & Gabbana set a $6 million record for its fashion NFT collection, Collezione Genesi, which was made up of both physical/virtual and virtual only pieces. Adidas teamed up with the Bored Ape Yacht Club to release its first set of NFTs with wearable items for blockchain-based gaming and real-life apparel promised to its NFT owners in 2022. And Nike acquired virtual shoe company, RTKFT Studios.  

Many NFT projects have included augmented reality on their roadmaps while some are taking an AR-first approach to their offerings. Atari's founder, Nolan Bushnell, launched virtual arcade cabinets that use AR to view them in your own home. The United States Space Force launched the “Armstrong Satellite NFT Launch with Space Force”' a limited edition digital twin of the GPS III SV05 “ARMSTRONG” satellite, commemorative coin and mission patch which can be viewed in AR. MF Doom auctioned off AR MF Doom masks. Jadu teamed up with Grimes, Lewis Hamilton and Snoop Dogg to create a collection of rare NFT hoverboards to add to its existing collection of jetpacks which can be used to make its 3D avatars fly in AR. And digital-fashion house, The Fabricant, teamed up with RTFKT to create a gender-fluid RenaiXance NFT collection which can be worn virtually in AR on social platforms and by avatars in games. 

In addition to collecting and trading, NFT owners were also using NFTs as their profile pic (or digital identity) on various social networks including Twitter and Discord and in 2021 we saw solutions to authenticate the use of NFTs for this purpose. Twitter’s Head of Consumer Product Marketing, Justin Taylor, gave a sneak peek on what they are working on for NFT profile verification which will ask users to connect to their digital wallets. While Ethereum Naming Service (ENS - your web3 username) began supporting NFT avatars for its ENS profile which will display it on dapps (decentralized apps). 

Bringing your digital identity with you across apps is exactly the mission of Wolf3D's Ready Player Me which aims to be “the default avatar system for the metaverse.” Ready Player me lets you create and customize your avatar which can travel across virtual worlds including those in AR and VR. Since its official launch in early 2021, Ready Player Me already has over 900 companies supporting its avatar system. Users can select from a variety of apparel including Dune-inspired costumes, launched for the release of the movie, to dress their avatar with. Ready Player Me also partnered up with musician, deadmau5, for his "head5" NFT collection to allow collectors to connect their 3D heads to their avatars.

While not as interoperable, yet, 2021 also saw new fashion options for other avatar systems. Balenciaga gave Fortnite players digital high fashion options including outfits, back blings and emotes. And Off-White joined the growing list of fashion brands now available to Snap's Bitmoji avatars.

#18 Gen Alpha becomes the last generation to watch live events on TV without augmentation as broadcast goes all in on AR

What I Thought Would Happen

Live broadcast has embraced immersive video or what’s otherwise known as broadcast AR. Expect to see this as a common occurrence in 2021 as concerts, award shows, sporting events and more use broadcast AR to create out of this world spectacles. In fact, it got me thinking that perhaps Gen Alpha (or those born between 2010-2024) may be the last generation to witness live events broadcasted on TV that have not been augmented as this becomes a standard in our TV watching experience. But this is not the only way AR is disrupting TV, we may see AR-enabled shows debut on your favorite streaming apps bringing new meaning to “second screen” and giving viewers a new reason to watch their favorite show again. In addition, companion AR experiences may be made available to viewers by scanning QR codes displayed on screen further engaging viewers in the worlds, stories and characters of the show they just watched. Combining AR with TV can transform a storytelling experience into a storyliving one, augmenting a traditionally passive medium by giving viewers agency and tools to engage with content.

What Really Happened

From mobile AR experiences that let you go deeper into the story to an entire Reality TV show composed of CGI avatars, 2021 was an important year for AR's use in broadcast and streaming entertainment. Fox's new singing competition, Alter Ego, gave avatars a primetime spot as real life human singers put on motion-capture suits to perform on stage as a virtual human. Seeing this show on TV, in addition to the other examples noted below, boosted my confidence in my bold prediction that Gen Alpha could be the last generation to watch TV without augmentation.

While live sports broadcast is no stranger to the use of broadcast AR, we saw a number of show-stopping immersive video experiences on screen in 2021, most notably a giant virtual panther leaping around the Bank of America Stadium at a Carolina Panthers game. The panther was only visible to fans on screen, both in the stadium on the Jumbotrons and video captured and shared on air and on social media. The spectacle was produced by The Famous Group who were also responsible for a flying giant raven at a Baltimore Ravens game and who had also produced a mixed-reality segment for a previous Super Bowl.   

Speaking of the Super Bowl, we saw AR used a number of ways for the Super Bowl LV. CBS Sports rendered graphics in real time using Unreal Engine to add some extraordinary effects during the game. Nickelodeon "nick-ified" the game with special effects to get kids more interested in the game. Super Bowl mobile AR experiences were also plentiful in 2021 including two experiences featured as part of the broadcast including a shoppable Snapchat Cheetos Lens and a Pepsi Halftime WebAR portal.    

We also saw a number of companion AR experiences enhance the on-screen show by giving users a different perspective on what they are watching and allowing them to go deeper into the story. Apple launched a mobile AR experience for its space show on Apple TV+ "For All Mankind". The experience, which was made available directly in the Apple TV+ app, brought the world of the popular show into the homes of fans where they are able to interact with keepsakes which are full of details about the off-screen lives of the characters in the show. And Red Bull TV teamed up with startup eyecandylab and Google TV to invite viewers to join the expedition of "The Last Ascent” with an immersive, augmented reality rendition of the documentary. The app-based AR experience calibrated to the user's space and TV where significant scenes within the on-screen documentary are pinpointed on the AR map. The AR experience was nominated for an Emmy. 

Enterprise Solutions

#19 As remote work becomes the new normal, AR is the answer for meetings and collaboration  

What I Thought Would Happen

With employees working from home and many organizations committing to go-forward remote work, new solutions for this new working environment are required. As the traditional office model gets reimagined, AR will play a major role in its transformation. This year we may see new players and existing meeting and collaboration providers offer solutions which meet the new demands of remote work and hear from organizations who are adopting these solutions as they share their learnings in the use of these new tools.

What Really Happened

Tech giants and video conferencing companies both actively demonstrated that they are developing new meeting and collaboration solutions rooted in augmented reality to enhance the remote work experience. 

Microsoft kicked off 2021 debuting Mesh, its cross-platform mixed reality collaborative platform which works across AR, VR, mobile and PCs. Mesh initially leverages an avatar system to create a sense of presence during virtual meetings but has plans to roll out what it calls "Holoportation" which will allow people to participate as themselves in virtual spaces. Microsoft later announced its plans to bring avatars to Microsoft Teams and for Teams to work in VR next year. 

Meta also made a huge push for enhancing presence and encouraging collaboration in its debut of Horizon Workrooms which is a VR solution for Quest that allows you to use your keyboard and mouse via Passthrough. And Google showed off its Project Starline, a research project which combines 3D imaging, real-time compression and a 3D display to reimagine remote communication. Project Starline is currently available in just a few Google offices and it relies on custom-built hardware and highly specialized equipment. 

Video conferencing solutions from Google, Cisco, BlueJeans and Zoom were also innovating. Google Meet, Cisco Webex and BlueJeans joined a growing number of enterprise apps that are compatible with Google Glass and Vuzix to offer hands-free conference calling. Cisco launched Webex hologram, a real-time meeting solution that uses augmented reality headsets to combine its meeting functionality with realistic 3D holograms. While Zoom announced its collaboration with Meta's Horizon Workrooms on Quest 2. 

#20 The augmented reality industrial revolution is well underway as AR continues to demonstrate ROI in various industry verticals

What I Thought Would Happen  

2021 will continue to see more industries and organizations employ the use of AR to upskill their workforce with those that have been piloting and evaluating these technologies for some time now moving towards a larger roll-out. This will be accelerated by many factors including the pandemic, 5G and edge computing and advancements in enterprise hardware and software. We may also continue to hear success stories of AR in use which will continue to bolster confidence and inspire use of AR in the enterprise space.

What Really Happened

2021 did see more organizations announce the use of AR to enhance how they are doing business including ŠKODA AUTO, Goodyear, John Deere, Walmart, Mace Group, ABB, NASA and surgeons in California, Boston and Ohio to name a few. Even the IRS got in the AR game by issuing a request for proposals to find AR solutions to help the agency use AR to carry out duties when interacting with US citizens.  

2021 also saw a number of partnerships take place to develop AR and assisted reality solutions. TeamViewer partnered with Google Cloud to co-develop enterprise AR solutions for Google Glass to assist store order picking. Taqtile partnered with Nokia to deliver an AR-enabled work instruction platform. Verizon and CareAR teamed up to transform service delivery and customer experience with CareAR’s SXM platform. And RealWear and Autodesk collaborated to integrate Autodesk Construction Cloud with RealWear’s HMT-1 to create an assisted reality construction project management solution. 

In addition, we also heard some new success stories which continue to prove the ROI of AR in the enterprise. At Airbus Helicopters, Assisted Reality has cut technician administrative time by an outstanding 41% and increased the reliability of info recorded in SAP," according to RealWear. And Walmart reported it takes an employee one third as much time to search and find the right box in the backroom (42 seconds with AR versus 2.5 min without) when using its new AR inventory app. 

Ethics & Human Impact

#21 Frameworks, regulations and social contracts which keep human rights at the center of AR and AI grow in need

What I Thought Would Happen

Safety and trust are paramount for all tech solutions, but are especially key for AR and AI where computers sense and edit the world around us. As advancement of AR furthers and adoption of AR grows, the need for frameworks, regulations and social contracts which keep human rights at its center grows even stronger–especially as we move towards headworn wearables. Technology companies, governments, standards bodies and end users must evaluate technologies looking not just at its merits but also considering its human impact looking at it from a privacy, accessibility, diversity and sustainability viewpoint. The early decisions made by these parties today will shape the AR of tomorrow.

What Really Happened

From documentaries and articles, to events, and even law making, it was great to see a focus on privacy, accessibility, diversity, safety and trust as we continued to develop this next wave of computing in 2021. 

There was both conversation and action in the way of privacy in 2021. Adi Robertson at The Verge wrote a post raising concerns around "The Next Privacy Crisis" which could be brought on by augmented reality. New York City rolled out its biometric privacy law while Meta (formally Facebook) announced its plans to shut down facial recognition systems due to societal concerns. Meta also came under scrutiny by the Italy data authority for its newly launched Ray-Ban Stories to assess whether the product is compliant with privacy laws, especially around notice of filming. 

Diversity and inclusion was also a key area of focus. Netflix premiered "Coded Bias", what VICE called "the most important film about AI you can watch today". This documentary is an essential introduction to algorithmic bias and its impact and follows the work of Joy Buolamwini, founder of Algorithmic Justice League. Snap announced that it was building a more inclusive camera. And HALT, a University of Toronto team, launched a free service to address biases that exist in AI, and won Twitter's first Algorithmic Bias challenge.

XR associations XRSI, XRA and XR Access (which everyone should be following and supporting) continued their efforts to raise awareness and provide resources, frameworks and tools to construct a human-centric Metaverse. XR Association and XR Access launched the XRAccessibility GitHub site which aims to be the go-to source for guidance and resources that help developers create more accessible apps. XRSI hosted XR Safety Week which explored the topics of immersive storytelling, child safety, diversity and inclusion, medical XR, and privacy and safety in addition to curating the XRSI - XR Safety and Security track at AWE USA 2021.

AR was also used to create solutions to help better our world. Snap launched a new Lens that shows users how to fingerspell in American Sign Language. Steps Outreach Service invited Australians to walk in the shoes of homeless youth using a WebAR exhibition. All of Us Research Program used WebAR to transform ordinary traffic boxes into educational destinations and an AR mural in Vancouver sparked dialogue on mental health–just to name a few.

Thank you for reading! Download this article as a PDF here.

Subscribe to my LinkedIn newsletter to get regular posts on augmented reality including my monthly AR Roundup.

This article was written as an independent piece. The ideas and opinions expressed in this post are mine alone and do not represent any organization which I may be affiliated with.