Why augmented reality will be big in business first
THE history of computers is one of increasing intimacy.
For the time being, the most popular AR apps are still found on smartphones. Pokémon Go, a smartphone game that briefly entranced people in 2016, used a primitive form of the technology. Another popular application is on Snapchat, a messaging app whose parent firm is gearing up for an IPO (see article): when teenagers overlay rabbit ears onto the faces of friends and family, they are using AR.
Designing a nifty piece of technology, though, is not the same as ushering in a revolution. Social factors often govern the path to mass adoption, and for AR, two problems stand out. One is aesthetic. The HoloLens is an impressive machine, but few would mistake it for a fashion item.
The other big problem surrounds consent. The history of one much-hyped set of smart glasses should give the industry pause. ... plenty found the glasses sinister, worrying that their users were covertly filming everyone they came into contact with. “Glassholes” became social pariahs.
See the full story here: http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21716028-technology-coming-it-will-take-time-consumers-embrace-ar-why-augmented-reality