AR is becoming increasingly popular, with more invested into this tech than ever before.

There are many forms of technology that are taking off in the mobile sphere, and among them, a great deal of attention is being focused on the augmented reality app and the potential it has for a range of different purposes.

From real time guides for mechanics and surgeons to digital consumer products, it has potentially limitless uses.

This year, there will be an estimated investment of $670 million into the development of an augmented reality app of one form or another. These applications can be as serious as those providing guidance to heart surgeons who need to be able to track the location of various circulatory pathways, to jet engine repair instructions, to entertainment as seemingly simple as telling children’s bedtime stories or bringing a child’s drawings to life.

These two categories of augmented reality app forms are considered to have equally lucrative potential.

Augmented Reality App for drawingThe Colorapp, for instance allows a child to be able to color in printable drawings that appear to then spring to life when they are viewed through a smartphone or tablet that is running the application. Of course, this is far from the only digital toy that uses this tech for kids. Tocaboca provides another range of AR options, including the Toca Hair Salon Me, the Toca Doctor, and Toca Builder, all aimed at entertaining children.

This is quite appealing to parents, as well, who enjoy the fact that their children have a highly appealing and entertaining option that is non-competitive, open-ended, and that does not include violence – an achievement that is increasingly rare in today’s children’s toy marketplace.

For adults in business, on the other hand, there are also some applications that can help to bring back appeal in areas that could otherwise be rather drab. A traditional line of slides can be dressed up for the audience using eMaze, which provides a range of professional looking templates that enhance a presentation.

It is expected that this type of augmented reality app, as futuristic as it seems today, will be nearly commonplace by the end of next year as a growing number of companies discover ways that they can use it to appeal to customers and clients.