Job Report: VR and AR Companies Just Want Good Programming Fundamentals

The Augmented Reality (AR) market is going to be a huge deal in the coming decade. How huge? We’re talking about a $100 billion industry in 2024, according to a recent report.  To put that in perspective, this number represents twentyfold growth over 2015, and puts the AR market in the same ballpark as:

• Video gaming worldwide
• Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aka drones
• Cumulative beer sales in the U.S
• The entire current global market for software applications

Any forward-looking programmer should be aware of how companies are using AR and its sister technology, Virtual Reality (VR), in the field. We will look at several examples, and identify the skills programmers should hone for success in this up-and-coming market.

But first, what is the difference between AR and VR?

Virtual Reality (VR) is an artificial, immersive reproduction of a real-life environment. It stimulates vision and hearing, and requires a headset-style device like Oculus Rift. It is used primarily for entertainment at this point, and has tremendous potential for creating simulated practice environments for situational training.

Augmented Reality (AR) layers digital enhancements on top of a real-world sensory experience. The goal is to make virtual objects more interactive and meaningful. Google Glass is a well-known AR hardware, though AR does not necessarily require eyewear. AR technology is approaching mainstream adoption across a wide range of verticals.

How are companies using AR and VR?

Holition (London)

Industry: E-Commerce, Retail Role of AR: Enhancing the online shopping experience Description: De Beers, a mining giant, has a tool that lets online shoppers try on pieces of jewelry virtually. Customers in front of a PC or tablet webcam are able to view how rings, pendants, and earrings look on their bodies—moving with them as if they were looking in a mirror. Technology utilized: De Beers worked with Holition, a boutique studio specializing in 3D technology, to build the tool. Holition software engineers partner with UX staff and code their artistic vision into reality. Programmers have strong all-around fundamentals in traditional programming languages for desktop and mobile; experience with computer vision; and working with real time processing. Check out the Holition 2015 Showreel to see their tech come to life.

Waygo (Mountain View, CA)

Industry: Mobile Apps - Consumer travel Role of AR: Real-time linguistic translations in physical environments. Description: The app uses a smartphone camera to view and translate physical signage into the native tongue of the user. Technology utilized: The development team has straightforward mobile app programming experience listed in the backgrounds. Many have a background in Java, Android SDKs, and experience working with APIs— all standard junior dev resume items.

Magnopus (Los Angeles, CA)

Industry: Entertainment & Retail Role of VR: Creating immersive, storytelling content for a diverse range of clients and purposes. Description: Custom-building applications for advertising, museums and science centers, sports, mobile VR apps, feature film production, and YouTube content channels. Technology utilized: Magnopus developers use Unity, C+, and .NET framework, and the Oculus-Rift specific HMD programming language. Backend specialists want to be familiar with HTML5 and JavaScript.

What makes a good AR and VR job candidate?

According to CyberCoders survey data, AR and VR companies are seeking candidates with solid programming fundamentals and proficiency in mainstream languages like C and Java. Top skills include:

1. C/C++
2. C#
3. javascript
4. Unity
5. SDK (Software Development Kit from VR Companies) - Oculus, Samsung, Google, HTC, Nvidia, Microsoft, Sony, etc...
6. OpenGL
7. Game Engine
8. Virtual/Augmented Reality
9.  iOS/Android for mobile development
10.  3D Modeling/Rendering

Easy transition for 3D developers and mobile app builders

Programmers working with 3D video and mobile app development have a clear path into AR and VR. Nearly all the popular VR development engines operate in C languages; Unity3D, a programming engine, is probably the most popular for Oculus Rift content creation. There are several options available as well--Unreal Development Kit, Torque 3D, and others.

Users familiar with OpenGL engine for 2D and 3D diagrams could move into AR programming without much additional training.

Knowing how to use 3D rendering programs is a must. Beginners might start with the popular free opensource Blender and move on to a deeper application like ED Studio Max.  Adobe Photoshop comes in handy for texture work.

A good understanding of a DAW like Audacity or Wavepad can set a candidate apart, especially at a small company without a dedicated audio technician.

Final thoughts

There is a strong DIY ethos among VR programmers, many of whom apply classic programming principles to new technology. Self-teaching VR and AR programming with free online tutorials is a tried and true method of breaking in the industry. The doors are wide open for programmers planning to transition into this meteoric job market.