Apps That Use Augmented Reality (Other Than Pokemon Go)

      Augmented reality has long sounded like a wild futuristic concept, but the technology has actually been around for years. It becomes more robust and seamless with each passing decade, providing an astonishing means of superimposing computer-generated images atop a user’s view of reality, thus creating a composite view rooted in both real and virtual worlds. Although AR apps run the gamut, from interactive map overlays and virtual showrooms to massive multiplayer skirmishes, each piece of software hones in on smartphone GPS and camera functionality to create a more immersive experience.

      Here are my top picks for the best augmented reality apps available, whether you’re searching for iOS or Android apps.

Google Translate

     Google Translate isn’t strictly an AR app, but it does have one AR feature that’s incredibly useful for translating text. That particular feature is part of the app’s camera mode. Simply snap a photo of the text you don’t understand, and the app will translate the text in your photo in real time. When connected to Wi-Fi, the app supports a vast number of languages — 13 of which were added in a recent update — but users can also download a number of language packs if they want to continue using the instant translation feature while offline or without a cellular connection. Next time you take a trip to a country with a language you don’t fluently speak, Google Translate could be your best friend and the very thing that will keep you from getting lost in a strange land.

Augment

     Augment lets you place a wide range of virtual objects into your environment, with options to move, resize, capture and share them from within the app. Users can choose from a variety of existing models in the database, scan objects from QR codes or import any created in external 3D modeling programs. Premium accounts on Augment’s platform get access to a host of corporate-friendly features for making sure your product reaches its intended audience.

ROAR

     The ROAR app is an augmented reality browser that lets users see a variety of extra AR information associated with products and posters, such as nutritional or product information, deals, promotions, or embedded content including videos, animations or links. ROAR fills dead print ads and static product packaging with rich interactive content. Marketing professionals can access a web-based editor in order to create their own AR content and markers.

Augmented Car Finder 

     We’ve all done it before — you finish up your shopping and head out into the parking lot to make your way home, but unfortunately have no idea where you parked. Fortunately, Augmented Car Finder is an app specifically designed to help guide you to your hiding vehicle. Once the car’s location is set, the app creates a visible marker showing the car, the distance you are from it, and the direction you should walk to find it. We’ve found that it’s most useful for places like stadiums, convention centers, outdoor concert venues, and other crowded areas or those lined with massive parking lots. Users can also utilize the app to find their seats in large theaters and concert halls. The freemium version of the software should suffice for most users, but the premium version does remove the ads and include additional tools for marking your favorite parking spot or specifying the arrow color. Augmented Car Finder may be an iOS exclusive, but Android users can always purchase the similarly-equipped

Quiver

     Kids can also get in on the augmented reality fun with apps like Quiver (Android, iOS), and augmented reality coloring book and app that can bring your child's colored pages to life. You can download a variety of free and premium image packs from quivervision.com filled with a variety of cartoon characters and animals or educational scenes and images that you can then print out and color with your child. Once done, you can fire up the Quiver app, aim it at the colored page and watch the image come to life with animations and special effects.

Yelp

    Yelp might not be the first name that comes to mind when it comes to augmented reality, but the crowd-sourced location finder and reviews app comes with a augmented reality feature called Monocle that you can use to help you find nearby establishments and restaurants using your phone's camera as an AR viewfinder. It's a natural extension of Yelp's core functions of helping you look up local establishments, their contact details and relevant deals, as well as crowdsourced reviews.

Field Trip 

     Field Trip  is a location-aware augmented reality app that functions like your own mobile tour guide. Users can select a variety of location categories that they're interested in, such as historical landmarks, museums or just nearby places to eat, and Field Trip notifies them if they're near that location, complete with a pop-up card with information about the place. Users can also view locations on a map and tag them as favorites to visit later, and can have Field Trip read cards out loud when driving.  Augmented reality has long sounded like a wild futuristic concept, but the technology has actually been around for years. It becomes more robust and seamless with each passing decade, providing an astonishing means of superimposing computer-generated images atop a user’s view of reality, thus creating a composite view rooted in both real and virtual worlds. Although AR apps run the gamut, from interactive map overlays and virtual showrooms to massive multiplayer skirmishes, each piece of software hones in on smartphone GPS and camera functionality to create a more immersive experience.

Are there any cool inventions that you want to have featured on my blog let me know in the comments below!
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