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 :)
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
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!
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 :
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.
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.
