Tern : Augmenting the Internet of Things

If the Internet of Things and augmented reality are two of the biggest technology buzzwords of the day, what happens when you combine them?

First, a quick augmented reality primer. Unlike virtual reality (VR) technologies, which focus on transposing the user into an entirely new, artificial world, augmented reality (AR) technologies are all about overlaying the physical world with additional digital effects.

Think about Snapchat filters, for example, which allow users to manipulate images or videos of themselves or their environment, or the enormously popular Pokémon Go, which super-imposes digital fantasy creatures on the camera screen of a smartphone or tablet.

Clearly, these are very consumer-focused cases. But plenty of businesses are exploring how, when used in conjunction with IoT technologies, AR can drive operational efficiencies and improve customer engagement.

Compelling content

Consider the kind of content that businesses might want to be able to superimpose on a customer or staff member's environment. An animated selfie filter or an imaginary animal might not be very helpful - but what about information on a particular product or piece of hardware?

A maintenance engineer dealing with a new piece of equipment for the first time could benefit from pinpointed instructions on how to clean or dismantle a particular component, for example. For an operative on an assembly line, it could be hugely helpful to be able to watch a quick video demonstrating the order of a sequence of actions - superimposed precisely on the right elements of a machine,

Meanwhile, on the consumer side, think of customers browsing in physical shops. From nutritional information, allergy advice and recipe ideas when looking at food products, to suggestions of complementary outfits in clothing stores, to the latest concert information when browsing music, there are a whole host of cases where having additional information at their fingertips will increase engagement and make a purchase - or even cross-purchases - more likely. Even once they've bought a product, just like those technicians on the factory floor, consumers can benefit from interactive instructions and user guides.

A question of context

Clearly, then, there are masses of cases in which businesses can use AR technology to get more detailed, more personalised and more interactive information in front of the right people in the right place and at the right time.

Yes - the right place at the right time. And this is where the Internet of Things comes in.

The power of these sample AR experiences is entirely dependent on context - the engineer who has machine X in front of them, or the consumer looking at product Y. The AR technology is activated by scanning the target item with a smartphone, tablet, or specialist AR hardware such as motion-sensor headsets. In turn, this requires the target item to be embedded with some kind of connected sensor - in short, to be connected to the Internet of Things.

A great deal of the potential of the Internet of Things is tied up in what happens after data has been collected from those connected sensors, consolidated centrally and analysed. Data turn into insights, insights turn into business decisions, business decisions turn into benefits and optimisation. AR technology enables immediate benefits to be derived from the IoT, right at the point of those connected sensors. In short, it is extending the benefits and potential of the IoT from the collective and long-term, to the individual and immediate. It is a truly exciting prospect.