Limitations of AR

Augmented reality has been a fascinating and exciting topic to discuss in the last few posts. Certainly
the technology has come a long ways from its roots in virtual reality. Augmented reality has evolved
from the cumbersome head-mounted device to mobile phones. Its current implementation on the
mobile phone has shaped augmented reality into what it is today. Along its development path,
augmented reality has met some challenges since the technology is dependent on the advancement of
computers and the digital network. Where it will take off in the future is still to be determined.
Augmented reality still has some challenges and limitations to overcome.

Some of augmented reality’s limitations include rendering digital data into meaningful graphics and
scaling it to fit the perspective of the visual field. In mobile phones, augmented reality must work
with limited processing power, small amount of memory, and little storage. As for the 2D matrix
cards, it depends on a webcam and computer, and it has become more of an illusion seen on the
computer.

A current concern about augmented reality has to be marketing and advertising. As with many other
technologies, financial motives will determine augmented reality’s survival. The big question is how
to make money with augmented reality. Where marketers hope to use augmented reality is by placing
products or ads as part of the search features used on mobile phone applications. How far will ads
go? Will small business and local shops lose out to big companies who can pay augmented reality
developers to exclude those companies? Instead of an unbiased search of city restaurants, will it be
flooded with McDonalds and Subways. Hopefully this wouldn’t be the case but augmented reality
applications are dependent on developers who must tag digital data to make it meaningful and useful
for the user. A disturbing version of the future of augmented reality has to be the one depicted by
Keiichi Matsuda where consumerism rules augmented reality as seen in the video.

Augmented Reality Technology Problems &

Limitations
Another big problem with implementing AR solutions is the technological gap
between AR devices. It is one thing to design an app for a fully-fledged AR
gear, and it is a completely different thing to do it for a smartphone. The latter
case got many limitations that make the whole experience not really user-
friendly and somewhat redundant to the activity it augments.
Considering that the majority of the target audience will not likely purchase AR
gear due to its impractically and high prices - smartphones remain a preferred
function and since they have certain augmented reality app design limitations
- it neuters the whole point of implementing AR solution to the mix.
What’s the solution to this problem? It is a question of time when the price for
AR gear will drop to a mass consumer acceptable level. The thing is -
Augmented Reality Technology is in its early stages, and it is too soon to
expect that its gear will be available for a regular Joe from the get-go.
Ethical and Legal Issues with Augmented Reality
 With high power comes great responsibility and AR is such a power. While it
is fantastic that you can easily navigate through the streets using your
augmented reality app, public spaces become sort of "hijacked." Remember
the Pokemon Go and the rather sensitive story about people going to
the Holocaust Museum to catch "that one pokemon" they need for the collection?
It is also important to remember that when people are using augmented reality
apps, they are sort of "located" in two worlds - one real and another virtual.
Therefore, as we mentioned above, you should beware of where you're
located in the physical world, making sure you're not about to cross a busy
road with your nose in the cell phone or wander into someone's private land
(and get a fine, in the best case scenario.)
***
We developed our own AR Navigation app - AR Places Map. It is designed
specifically to simplify movement in the city and navigate in the different leisure
opportunities.
Features include:
 Locations of interest (restaurants, cafes, and other points of interest) on the map
and in Augmented Reality mode
 Information about restaurants, art galleries, parks, and more
 Navigation and direction to the points of interest