Augmented 3D reality and the 6th sense, a vision to the future

This is a poke of an old post which deserve to be updated from time to time. 

Augmented reality is according to Wikipedia :

Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with-, or augmentedby virtual computer-generated imagery - creating a mixed reality. The augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, like for example sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally usable

Today I’m going to show you how to try it yourself without any need of special hardware or software (see further for some AR software).

First I want to show this video which is the Microsoft vision for the year 2019, just watch and admire :)

Microsoft Vision For 2019

If you think this might be a dream or something that won’t come in the coming years, just remember 10 or 15 years before! when 95% of us are using command line in their daily work, and how we now use the iPhone and other touch/voice devices to do the same work!

Still not convinced? take a look at Microsoft Project Natal here which will be available so soon maybe after the next PDC, or the sixth sense from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT

Microsoft Project Natal

the sixth sense from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT

Ok, you wanna try something yourself? you don’t need a special hardware or software to do this, just a webcam and a piece of paper, and here you go, these are the results I’ve got!

Augmented Reality | Wind Trubine

Augmented Reality | Solar Energy

Just head to the GE Ecomagination website, print the paper and there you go. If you want more stuff like this, and to experiment more, try theses links :

• http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1903121
• http://www.boffswana.com/news/?p=498
• http://www.boffswana.com/news/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si0RT2p3pjM
• http://www.vimeo.com/1320756
• http://www.viddler.com/explore/engadget/videos/319/

And hey, did you hear about the Microsoft Surface already or not? I tried it myself on the MS TechDays 2009 and it totally rocks, just a new touch of the future.

Microsoft Surface - The Possibilities

For a real world example, I’m using for the moment an application on my Google Android G2 called Wikitude, there are also some apps for the iPhone out there.

If you are interested in how to develop such services then the ARToolkit is the dominant for now (FLARToolkit too), and the Windows Surface SDK which is available only for the MSDNAA subscribers for the moment :) (drop me an email if you want it).

I hope you got a little insight of the future, although a lot of them exist now.

3d reality on your screen

Ok, this night was awesome (with friends and all).

and what was cooler is finding a new technology that is extremelly pretty! a website that propose to access your webcam (ok ok security tricks and... anyway), then youu print a paper (i just draw it my self ;) ) then you show the paper in front of your camera and here you go, you can try it yourself here and here.

The following video is what I could do like tricks : (of course i tried it with my paper and it's totally working)

                                                                       GE Windmill

and after doing some research I revealed that this technology is already out there, used in the PS3 games (the card one), with the wii and some other projects that I'll list here.

The most exciting project is Unveiling the "Sixth Sense," game-changing wearable tech by Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry here http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

there is also :

•  GE Windmill, http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1903121
  
• you can try it yourself here http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/#/augmented_reality
• Virtual reality display (I showed a demo for this) http://www.boffswana.com/news/
• the ARToolkit project http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/
• FLARToolkit (this really rocks) http://www.libspark.org/wiki/saqoosha/FLARToolKit/en
• and some funny videos about Sony PS3's card Game-Playing Camera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si0RT2p3pjM
• levelHead v1.0, 3 cube speed-run http://www.vimeo.com/1320756
  
• Topps 3D Live baseball cards http://www.viddler.com/explore/engadget/videos/319/0.696/
  

I hope you enjoy this, and if you dont have a printer readdy right now to try the technology yourself, just draw the shapes like I did and it totally works :)