07 Oct ZapWorks: AR Ecosystem Panel Key Takeaways
ZapWorks is an augmented reality (AR) toolkit by Zappar, that helps companies explore AR for content creation to push creative boundaries. They are hosting a series of webinars this year and were gracious to invite our CEO, Annie Eaton, to join their most recent event. The discussion focused on the Augmented Reality Ecosystem. The panel included leading industry innovators, or as the host, Max Dawes, put it, “The dream team of a global panel.” Annie Eaton was joined on the panel by Fadi Chehimi, XR Capability and XR for Consumer Lead in Europe at Accenture, and Sander van der Vegte, Head of MediaMonks Labs in the Netherlands. The group was asked an array of questions on the topic of augmented reality. It was interesting to hear what the international immersive technology experts had to say about the continued rise of AR.
The first topic of discussion highlighted the process of great innovation and the effective use of AR. Sander shared that more and more people have started to realize the potential that AR offers. They understand its many capabilities and wish to explore all that AR can do. He poses the question to his clients, “if you had no limitations, what would you like to see?” He and his team at MediaMonks Labs provide innovation sessions with clients to show them the latest AR developments. They listen to their client’s specific interests and goals, allowing the team to spark creativity, which helps to provide ways to make sure their ideas and plans could work and come to fruition.
Fadi shared that he and his team at Accenture provide education and a discovery workshop with their clients, employees, or even an account team member who wants to propose or demonstrate XR to clients. “We like to sell by showing, not by telling.” It seems like Accenture has the right idea to make sure both the client and team are well educated.
Next, the practicalities of AR were discussed, and Annie shared her experience with past and present projects, including web AR, stand-alone apps, and interactive wayfinding. Futurus typically hosts an annual interactive scavenger hunt that leverages geo location-based technology and augmented reality at a 100,000-person convention. But recently, product visualization and defined business use cases, such as on-site assistance and training, have been the most common for project goals.
The panelists shared what they thought the biggest factors over the past 12 months have been. Sander explained that technological leaps have taken place and how we perceive AR, as we don’t have to explain it anymore. People understand once you mention something like Pokémon Go, and they begin to realize that and AR is already in the hands of the majority of the population. What you can currently do on mobile is extraordinary. It has matured, and we are getting more and more efficient with our development work.
To conclude the panel, Annie talked about steps people can take to get into the XR space and immersive technology industry. She shared that you do not have to have a technology background to get involved in the industry and that there is a place for everyone in the world of AR. If you don’t necessarily consider yourself a technical person, there are many other skill sets that can be utilized in the space, including creative and project management. Her recommendations include getting a free Unity license, checking out Spark AR, and looking at ZapWorks to test the waters and see what you can accomplish.
The hour-long conversation and panel included a wealth of information, questions, and insights. One attendee commented in the chat that one hour was not long enough! I must agree. Zappar did a fantastic job of gathering AR masterminds and providing a space to discuss and share what AR means, where it’s been, and how it’s evolving. From different parts of the globe, we all agree that augmented reality has only improved as time goes on and that we look forward to its future.
Did you miss the event? You can watch the full session here.
