Augmented Reality-Based User Manual: Video Demo

Nobody likes to read technical manuals because they are usually boring and complicated. But if you supply complex equipment or provide services that involve multiple interconnected tasks, the customer experience is largely dependent on the quality of your manual.

This demo will show you how augmented reality user manuals can provide your clients with real-time step-by-step guidance, reducing the chances of errors or misunderstandings. 

Please, take note that this demo is not a fully developed product. It serves as a demonstration of using AR to provide interactive instructions and can be utilized as a starting point for creating custom solutions tailored to your needs. 

How Augmented Reality Manuals Work

What can be easier and faster than just pointing your smartphone camera at an electronic device and getting immediate information on what it consists of and how it works? This is exactly what AR user manuals do. 

First of all, AR manual apps use tracking mechanisms to understand user’s physical environments and items they need to interact with. This can be done in several ways: using pre-defined visual markers or relying on visual features of the equipment  itself. 

After that, the app initiates the overlay of the relevant digital information on the real-world objects. This may include text, images, animations, 3D models or videos. This digital data can highlight certain parts of equipment, indicate the correct sequence of actions, or provide additional context for users.

Today’s demo presents a virtual user instruction for a coffee machine. It is one of the simplest examples just to let you know how AR manuals can look like in practice. With an AR user manual at hand, all the user has to do is scan the machine and see what each button means: different kinds of coffee, hot water, automatic cleaning, and stand-by mode. 

Combined with other technologies, AR manuals can be turned into more advanced solutions. For example, the integration of AI models will allow you to identify and notify users of errors and how to fix them with AR/AI troubleshooting . And adding real-time communication allows you to create a remote AR assistance solution where users can share their augmented view with experts and receive advice remotely.

How to Build Augmented Reality Instructions and Manuals

The above-mentioned demo manual was created with ARCore, an augmented reality app development platform for Android. It identifies our coffee machine by recognizing its front panel with machine vision, then provides its ID and position, which in turn, allows us to augment the front panel of the machine with a virtual manual on the smartphone screen. A similar app can be created for iOS using ARKit.

You should also keep in mind that the AR module is only part of the functionality of your solution that should be wrapped in web or mobile. The complete AR user manual development flow depends on your vision and requirements.

Benefits of Providing Instructions with Augmented Reality

Augmented reality instructions can help your users reduce the chance for issues when interacting with your products and services. Such guides are more engaging and comprehensive at the same time, allowing you to provide more information but in a simpler form. Also, AR manuals are more flexible and scalable in distribution.

The real value of augmented reality manuals becomes clear when we deal with more complex devices than a coffee machine. We can provide details on a vehicle dashboard or electronics under its hood using AR. Or maybe give workers insights into factory machinery. We can also allow hospital staff to get acquainted with a new piece of medical equipment. An augmented reality instruction manual can cover any type of consumer electronics, from remote controls to kitchen appliances to washing machines to whatever else you need to explain.

Read also:

Augmented Reality Demo Collection by MobiDev

Why Choose MobiDev for AR App Development

MobiDev has a great in-house team of mobile and augmented reality developers ready to help you with your project. 

Having extensive experience with innovative technologies, our engineers know how to overcome the limits of existing AR frameworks and create more effective and innovative solutions. Combining AR with advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms can help you provide more accurate and realistic AR experiences, improve app performance and increase customer satisfaction.

Feel free to check out our augmented reality services page for more information.