Augmented Reality Proves Versatility With NFL Application and More

As football season begins, companies like Pizza Hut are experimenting with new ways to market their products to a massive national audience. The pizza-giant announced their new interactive feature that it hopes will get pizza lovers talking–and playing.

In the wake of Papa John’s controversial exit as the official pizza of the NFL, Pizza Hut has taken its place and is looking to craft a new image and experience for football fans. Using the company’s “Beanbag Blitz” mobile application, users who scan pictures of specially marked Pizza Hut boxes can unlock a mobile version of a tailgating tradition–corn hole.

This fun feature is one of several ways Pizza Hut is expanding their reach to tech-savvy consumers. Augmented reality (AR) has proven to be a serious and helpful tool in various applications, particularly in the medical field.

More specifically, optometrists are utilizing the technology to help patients better understand the damaging effects of vision loss. The pharmaceutical company Eylea launched a virtual reality and AR application to not only market its drug, but give people a better understanding of what vision loss can look like and how to spot the symptoms when they happen.

The “In My Eyes” app is a 21st century solution to a generations-old problem–attributing vision loss to simple aging. Particularly with ocular diseases, early treatment can dramatically mitigate potential damage that could result from conditions like cataracts and glaucoma.

With this app, the AR function uses the phone’s camera to add distortions such as wavy lines or blind spots to the user’s surroundings, while the VR mode adds distortions to a virtual environment. Augmented reality is an entirely different technology since it’s entrance into the American mainstream with Pokemon Go. Now, AR along with virtual reality, is helping transform how we look at the world, and even our own bodies, in a brand-new way.