There has been a lot of discussion in print, marketing and technology circles recently about Augmented Reality, or AR, touted as the next step up from the likes of QR codes for enhancing print and making the consumer experience more robust. But there is also a great deal of confusion about what Augmented Reality actually means, and what, if anything, it has to do with print. where are we really with the technology? Have actually used it – not just seen a demo but actually gotten some value out of it? Comment at the end of the article if you have. We’d love to hear more.

But let’s start with some definitions. There are three different categories of solutions that “augment” our reality. Not all of them fit into the definition of Augmented Reality, per se. These include:

Besides the clunky headsets, the biggest obstacle for mass adoption of technologies like interactive print, AR and VR is education. Consumers in general are not really aware of these technologies per se … maybe they designed a room using IKEA’s app, but do they make the connection to other uses of the technology? Plus there is no standard reader. This means they have to download a different app for each variety of AR they encounter. Probably not happening.