Around New Year’s I finally agreed to go see Avatar. For the first 15 or 20 minutes of the movie I was thinking, you’re kidding me. Luckily, I was at the Alamo where a steady supply of Big Bark could save the next three hours. But in all fairness, there was a hint of coolness in that painful intro – those sweet floating user interfaces. All of the augmented reality talk at this year’s SXSWi reminded me of those UI’s and the fact that we’re suckers for gimmicky technology tricks.

Augmented Reality: Gimmicky Trend or Market-Ready Technology?

This panel acknowledged that fact but more interestingly, they argued AR’s real-world value beyond entertainment. AR can be a very effective tool when we acknowledge just that, it’s just a tool and not a starting point. Below are a few examples of great AR usage:

1. Lego’s Toy Packaging

If you’re familiar with Lego’s AR project, you might argue, “but that IS a gimmicky trick”, which is probably true. But I think the way in which Lego capitalized on AR was pretty perfect for their target audience. You can imagine little boys (and girls) going nutso in the toy store when they see a fully constructed spinning helicopter right before their eyes. That enthusiasm for a very specific Lego product translates into direct sales.

2. USPS Virtual Box Simulator

Even the government has jumped on board with AR. For this project, they’ve created a tool that helps users determine which envelope or box size is needed for their mail items. You simply hold your stuff up to your webcam and it helps you with the selection. I was too lazy to print the eagle icon so I drew a box instead. Where should I mail this “crisp summer lager”?

3. Google SkyMap

And, of course, we can’t leave out Google. With their tool, you can explore the night sky by pointing your phone toward space, and they’ll show you a star map for your location in order to check out visible planets and constellations. I think this app is reason enough for me to ditch my tween phone.