R&D: Augmented Reality

Back in 2009/2010, I was an early adopter of AR (augmented reality), enthusiastically using tools like BuildAR and Metaio. Things kicked off with great momentum. I even ventured into Kickstarter with a couple of exciting concepts – a phonics teaching tool and a virtual art mockup designed for commercial galleries (this has since been created by someone else in more recent years).

However, the AR landscape took an unexpected turn when Apple acquired Metaio.

Suddenly, there was a void in the industry that left many of us wondering about the future. It took several years for this gap to be filled by innovative solutions like Zappar, Wikitude, and, in more recent years, SketchFab and Adobe Aero, among others.

AR has certainly come a long way since those early days, and it's been an incredible journey to witness its evolution.