With the popularity of augmented reality growing exponentially by the day, the emerging corporate and consumer appetite for AR services and content has left many providers of AR solutions unable to meet these enormous and rapidly evolving market demands.
Complicating matters to no small extent are the lackluster AR experiences brought to life by companies that merely understand that AR is cool. They don’t understand how to properly leverage the technology to facilitate memorable and meaningful consumer engagement.
But one firm that “gets” AR is doing its part to help others “get” it, too. Based in Los Angeles, California, Augmently — a self-touted “Augmented Realism Agency™” — is at the forefront of delivering both quality and clarity to the augmented reality experience for brands and consumers. And once again, Augmently finds itself on the cutting edge of AR innovation by developing yet another solution that stands to simultaneously simplify AR experiences while amplifying their branding impact.
This week, MMW was privy to an advance look at the company’s new voice activated AR software called “Augmently Audible.”
How does it work?
As you’ll see in the shared video demo presented by Augmently founder and CEO Ziggy Kormandel, Augmently Audible brings voice activated control to mobile AR.
Using the example of an automobile application, imagine not having to navigate a cluttered user interface to find the buttons and controls you want to activate, like rotating the model vehicle, opening doors, customizing the color and wheels, entering the interior of the car. Now, you can speak your commands to trigger the desired vantage point. This results in a clean user interface (UI) that leaves more screen space to view the company’s product. In this particular demo, an automobile is showcased, but the types of products, services, companies, or characters that can be featured and voiced-controlled through Augmently Audible is practically unlimited.
From gaming applications and education platforms, to product demos and how-to guides, the utility of voice control in augmented reality could drastically change the ways and extent to which AR is used by consumers, brands and entire industries around the world.
With the winds of optimal timing at its back, Augmently is pushing audio in the AR space just as voice has cemented itself as a primary user interface rivaling the mainstream presence of clicks and swipes. As evidenced by the ascendance of virtual assistants and red-hot devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo, voice is here to stay. And we haven’t even come close to exploring the full potential of voice activated AR in marketing and branding applications.
Global fascination with augmented reality is poised to widen even further in the coming days as Apple unveils its newest iPhone and the next version of its iOS, which is expected to significantly accelerate the role augmented reality plays in our always-connected lives.
However, for brands yet to embrace AR, it’s paramount to proceed with equal parts enthusiasm and caution. Simply put, off-the-shelf and one-size-fits-all AR solutions are plentiful, but these particular offerings don’t maximize the full potential of AR for branding, marketing, and engagement purposes.
AR done right means AR customized for each experience where AR is deployed.
This fact should serve Augmently well in its future, as the company’s admitted core strength is that it solves problems that most AR companies can’t thanks to a diverse team that boasts of twenty-five years of technology, branding, and marketing experience. This allows Augmently to build custom campaigns for companies that deliver ROI and drive lasting brand engagement.
“In many ways,” writes Brian Smith of SeachEngineLand, “Pokémon Go served as a proof of concept for AR’s potential as a marketing tool. Imagine billboards and advertisements that exist purely in the virtual world and offer exclusive deals and promotions to AR users. It’s a whole new ballgame, and some of the biggest names in tech are racing to cash in on that awesome potential.”
To learn more about Augmently and its latest AR innovations, click here.
