Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality on Mobile Phones

Personally, I've been limited to my usage of augmented reality technology so far, but I can see the advantages of it, particularly in a business/marketing sense. The video shown in class showed Lego boxes being shown to the camera and visual representation of the final product being shown, that was very interesting.

My Nintendo 3DS also has gaming capabilities, but it's more of a gimmick at the moment more than anything. 

My most recent and also the most interesting usage of Augmented Reality was with music, and a forthcoming album I've pre-ordered, from Reverend & The Makers.

You need to download the app "Aurasma" and then hold the camera over the album cover, and an exclusive video is shown. This is particularly exciting to me as someone who loves exclusive content, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out. It also could be a big thing for the music industry as they need to differentiate if they want people to continue to purchase music, as piracy continues to rise. But companies are doing well to tackle it, such as Spotify.

Augmented Reality in Video Games and the Military

Video game companies are quickly hopping aboard the augmented-reality locomotive. A company called Total Immersion makes software that applies augmented reality to baseball cards. Simply go online, download the Total Immersion software and then hold up your baseball card to a webcam. The software recognizes the card (and the player on it) and then displays related video on your computer screen. Move the card in your hands -- make sure to keep it in view of the camera -- and the 3-D figure on your screen will perform actions, such as throwing a ball at a target.

Limitations and the Future of Augmented Reality

Augmented reality still has some challenges to overcome. For example, GPS is only accurate to within 30 feet (9 meters) and doesn't work as well indoors, although improved image recognition technology may be able to help [source: Metz].

People may not want to rely on their cell phones, which have small screens on which to superimpose information. For that reason, wearable devices like SixthSense or augmented-reality capable contact lensesand glasses will provide users with more convenient, expansive views of the world around them. Screen real estate will no longer be an issue. In the near future, you may be able to play a real-time strategy game on your computer, or you can invite a friend over, put on your AR glasses, and play on the tabletop in front of you.

The future of augmented reality is clearly bright, even as it already has found its way into our cell phones and video game systems. For more information about the subject and where it's headed, take a look at the links on the next page.

• Berlin, Leslie. "Kicking Reality Up a Notch." New York Times. July 11, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/business/12proto.html
• Ensha, Azadeh. "Another Augmented-Reality App for the iPhone." New York Times. Oct. 15, 2009. http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/augmented-reality-apps-continute-to-roll-out/