by 2019, AR, VR and mixed reality (MR) solutions will be evaluated and adopted in 20% of large-enterprise businesses.
- Brian Blau, Research Vice President at Gartner (Forni, 2017)
AR Growth Potential
As EVAs, we note the incredible growth potential of AR in general, let alone in science and healthcare.
Education A Goldman Sachs report (2016) states that augmented reality (AR) “has the potential to become a standard tool in education and could revolutionize the way in which students are taught, for both the K-12 segment and higher education.” The investment company projects that by 2025, 15 million users of educational AR will represent a $700 million market. Industry Another report, this time by Gartner (2017, December) projects that by 2021, AR using AI technology will generate $2.9 trillion in business value and recover 6.2 billion hours of worker productivity. |
Should education and training institutions invest in AR?
As EVAs, we feel that investment in AR in the field of education and beyond is money well spent. As you have found in this OER, studies focusing on the use of AR in educational contexts has yielded positive outcomes such as increased student engagement, motivation and content retention.
In today's media rich societies, engaging multi-modal learning opportunities are increasingly important in education and training. |
In educational field such as health-care, understanding of human anatomy in terms of function and structure is crucial. AR devices like the HoloLens provides immersive anatomical learning experience that allows sensory experience of 3-D and detailed images of human body. Also, as students explore and try new procedures with virtual and augmented reality, students can learn from their virtual failures before entering the real-life medicine.
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We are still in the early stage of AR technology in education. Not many universities and colleges have yet adopted AR, which means that early adoption of AR will enhance the overall brand image of education and training institution being at the cutting edge of educational technology.
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Education and training institution can easily create its own AR course material using the authoring tool that is created by WorkLink and HoloLens. The tool can be used by anyone as it is designed to allow people without prior coding knowledge to easily create work. This allows any teacher or faculty to create animated, holographic and engaging course material as they need it.
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AR can help materialize abstract concepts. Traditionally in the field of Engineering, concepts for arts and works were usually generated on computer and saved within it. If the author wished to show what it would look like in real world, they again had to general artificial work on the computer. With devices like HoloLens, these abstract concept that seemed hard to grasp in real world can now be spatially projected on to the real world. Also, AR can overlay useful information on complex equipment.
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AR can be used to not only teach, but to communicate student achievement. Rather than giving simple report card, instructors can create a virtual gallery that displays students' work, which can tell far more than a simple letter grade on a transcript.
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AR PRODUCTS GROWING IN POPULARITY
Magic Leap
AR headset available for developers, retailing for $2295USD. Magic Leap has secured over USD2.3Bn in venture funding from such major players as Google, Alibaba, and J.P. Morgan. Just this October, Magic Leap recently unveiled the next generation of AI Assistants: MICA, a digital human representation. Check it out!
Magic Leap's concepts forecast a real future for AR: being able to interact with digital screens inside the real world around us. That said, the price point for headset and consumer market adoption are far from within current reach. Sports medicine is particularly interesting, as there is true benefit to an AR app which helps physicians view and assess players injuries in real time, communicate with a trainer, and make a decision whether or not a player should be removed from play to be medically treated. |
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Microsoft Hololens
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Microsoft Hololens has multiple functionalities, between AR and VR, termed Mixed Reality (MR). It is the first self-contained holographic computer, meaning Microsoft has built the headset without the need to be wirelessly connected to a PC, and has used high-definition lenses and spatial sound technology to create an immersive, interactive experience. It is currently priced at $3,000USD.
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WHAT WILL THE FUTURE OF AR BRING?
I don't need my computer or phone at all ... there's no limit on the field of view and where every TV channel and movie and game I want to play is all in that world, sort of like a mixed-reality version of the Oasis from "Ready Player One." - CNBC's Todd Haselton, after trialling Magic Leap (2018, August)
AR developed by anyone!
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