By now we’ve all seen augmented reality in action, and while a good chunk of the iPhone-wielding public have download an AR app only to dismiss it as a gimmick, for businesses it provides a wealth of opportunities for visualising and working in a more dynamic way.
What is junaio?
junaio by metaio is one example of augmented reality being put to good use – primarily a developers’ platform, it allows you to create and then publish your own location-based experiences to several million users (or a select few if you’d prefer...) via the junaio app in the App Store.
How does augmented reality and junaio work?
Augmented reality is the process in which virtual, computer-generated elements (sound, video, graphics or GPS data) are added to real life visuals to modify a view or enhance a view.
The junaio app is an augmented reality viewer that allows you to tap into the channels developed in junaio’s developer community. Within the app, you can:
- recognise imagery and add virtual overlays
- add interactive computer-generated elements to magazines and other publications
- tap into GPS data to find a local store or service
- scan QR codes
- read barcodes
- and more…
As an app user, all you have to do is download it from the App Store, load it up and download content from any of the channels in the built-in library. Take a look at junaio's video below to see some of these examples in action.
Who’s junaio good for?
While the junaio app already includes thousands of options for viewing everything from the location of tweeters to the nearest place to get a hangover cure, for businesses, it will really benefit anyone who needs realtime visualisation in situ. On a basic level, it’s possible to create a store channel with details of all shop locations for the end user to find their nearest option, but it would also be possible for visual merchandisers to develop apps that scan shops for to identify product placement.
Construction is another area where junaio comes into its own. So much so that Apple have even put together a case study on how engineering and construction giant, Bechtel use junaio alongside Autodesk 360 on their iPad to view mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems over images of a construction site. The built-in GPS in iPad is used along with junaio to plot their location within the site for accurate visualisations.
Our favourite feature
When it comes to augmented reality, there have been a fair few duds released over the years for mobile devices (i.e. they didn’t quite manage to recognise imagery as well as you’d hope, and you’d be left shaking your phone in an attempt to get the virtual elements to catch up), but that’s just not the case with junaio - it’s actually incredibly accurate.
The big benefit here is that it has real business potential. The accuracy and reliability with which it adds virtual content to real life imagery means that you can develop uses for the app which take a lot of the guess work out of visualisation.
For more information about business uses of iPad, get in touch with our team on 03332 409 306 or email business@Jigsaw24.com.