Introduction to Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is one in all the most popular areas in consumer technology, with major corporations like Apple, Facebook, and Google investing significant resources in it. At Google’s recent I/O developer conference, augmented reality played a notable role in lots of announcements, particularly within the sneak peek at the long run of Google Maps. This integration of AR into Google Maps is predicted to make navigating our each day lives easier and safer.
The Problem of Distracted Walking
Distracted walking, or texting while walking, is a growing issue in our smartphone-centric culture. It’s not only an annoying modern problem; it is also proving fatal. In 2016, pedestrian deaths reached record numbers, with 6,000 fatalities, an 11 percent hop over the previous 12 months. Experts and safety advocates pinpoint smartphones and distracted walking as a number one cause for this unusual bump. Some cities have even embedded traffic lights in sidewalks to alert pedestrians who’re looking down at their phones.
How AR Can Help
AR could make navigating while walking safer and fewer confusing. It offers the chance for smartphone-glued pedestrians to take a look at the contents of their phone’s screen while seeing where they are going as well. With this in mind, it raises the opportunity of smartphone-makers creating an operating system-wide augmented reality walking mode. This mode could divide the screen, with the camera’s feed at the highest and the app getting used below, allowing pedestrians to walk and kind while still seeing the best way ahead.
The Potential of AR Walking Mode
While an AR walking mode could make walking safer, it also risks exacerbating the issue of texting while walking by encouraging the habit. However, it is a step in the fitting direction, and Silicon Valley corporations try to seek out ways to mix technology into our lives in useful and positive ways. Google has introduced a dashboard and suite of tools to assist users manage their time spent on mobile devices, and other corporations are exploring similar solutions.
The Future of AR
Of course, an AR system on smartphones is possibly just an interim solution until AR headsets and glasses change into more widely available. These devices would digitally overlay information onto our world in an excellent less obtrusive way. However, it’s unclear after we’ll see an array of less dorky, more useful follow-ups to Google Glass in the actual world. Reports suggest they may land by 2019 or 2020, but some promising projects have been shuttered, raising questions on whether the masses will ever be able to wear computers on their faces.
Conclusion
In conclusion, augmented reality has the potential to make navigating our each day lives safer and easier. While there are risks related to distracted walking, AR may help mitigate these risks by providing a way for pedestrians to see where they are going while still using their phones. As technology continues to evolve, it’s essential to think about the potential safety-related applications of AR and to seek out ways to mix technology into our lives in useful and positive ways. By doing so, we will create a safer and more convenient world for everybody.
