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What is Augmented Reality?
What is Augmented Reality?
By Adam Sinicki
What is
Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality is one of those 'buzz'
words that we hear thrown around a lot in reference to current
technology. Several companies are making claims that this technology
will change the way we live and cause us to interact in whole new ways,
and it is certainly something that a lot of developers of hardware and
software have got on eye on. However despite this, not a huge amount of
the general public are aware of what augmented reality actually means -
much less the fact that it is already in use and available on a range
of devices.
Essentially, augmented reality means
that you are combining both the real world and digital information. For
example then you might use a camera and then overlay this is detailed
information about the world. This sounds like a very basic process but
in fact it is highly complicated and something that we could not have
achieved until fairly recently using a combination of new technology.
For instance in order for the information on the screen to be used by
the computer it needs to be analysed by image analysis software in real
time which requires a lot of memory and processing power. At the same
time the device needs to be able to recognise both the individuals
position in the world - possible thanks to the amount of detailed
geographical information available on the net, GPS (global satellite
positioning) and in built compasses. Using a combination of this
information the device can then identify both where it is being held
and also what it is that it can see on the screen. The other reason
that augmented reality hasn't really been available before is that it
requires the individual to carry a specific device with capabilities
allowing it to be used in that way. This means that you need to have
all of these abilities on something that is relatively very small, and
that you are likely to always have on you.
For many this might seem like a fairly
gimmicky ability to add data to real world images, but in fact its
possibilities are incredibly expansive and only just really being
explored. The kinds of devices capable of using augmented reality are
generally smart phones as these have all of the necessary capabilities
and are carried around with the user, and several apps have been
released that demonstrate some of the potential of augmented reality
and it has also been incorporated into some other examples of software
that are not specifically aimed at being 'augmented reality'.
For example augmented reality is used by
the cameras of many devices in order to add additional information to
pictures - specifically the location and time of the photograph. This
then means that you can use other software in order to call up publicly
available photos when you are at that location to see what else has
happened there. At the same time this may help to give you a more
multi-textured view of the area as you can see instantly the place but
also things that happened there - allowing you to explore it spatially
and temporally as you look through archives of its history.
More
Possibilities
This is only a small example of the
power of augmented reality and doesn't take advantage of what it truly
is capable of. Take for instance augmented reality apps that work with
your camera in real time. These include things like 'Wikitude' and the
much hyped 'layar'. What this then allows you to do is to add real time
information to what you're seeing through the camera - for example
letting you see whose in the area (who wants to be discoverable),
information about the shops and restaurants on a high street, and other
facts about where you are. Simply hold your phone camera up to a high
street and then get all the real time information - names of people as
they walk past, the special offers on in shops, the locations of other
shops and services, the makes and models of cars parked in the area,
the cost of parking, the make of the stone… anything that someone
chooses to up load. Of course many companies are clamouring to become
the number one carrier of all this data and the go to software for
those who want this kind of augmented reality but at the moment its
still an open market that has yet to fall into mainstream use. Wikitude
however is currently one of the most accomplished implementations of
augmented reality, and you can see just how powerful the system already
is in a great demonstration by sitting on the train and holding it up
to the window as you drive past and watching people's names and
businesses as well as products flash past on the screen. It's a
dazzling display that certainly feels like it's from the future.
Of course one group that the usefulness
of augmented technology has not been lost on is the marketing industry,
who recognise the incredible power of being able to send relevant
adverts to people depending on where they are or what they're looking
at. Imagine for instance being able to alert someone with images and
sounds as they walk past a restaurant, or being able to tell you where
you can buy their products when you point your camera at it. You cold
even have an advert over your own head telling people that you are
looking to sell your home, rent a room or even that you are looking for
love. Imagine a dating service, where simply holding your phone up to
the bar tells you the relationship status of everyone in there - it's
certainly not far on the horizon.
For
Transhumanists
Another group that finds the prospect
interesting are games developers, and they have their eyes set on the
technology as a way to enable people to play games where they interact
with the environment. Looking through their phone to track down and
find 'invisible' monsters, or shooting space saucers that appear to be
flying in the sky. One very interesting augmented reality app that is
already in circulation is 'RDJ', a piece of software that
focuses on augmenting sound rather than vision, and altering the very
way we hear. This particular piece of software is designed to
turn the sounds we hear into actual music - creating echoes, playing
with volume and pitch and laying it over a beat. You can download other
people's 'soundscapes' and share them freely and it's been described as
the closest you can come to experience being on drugs without taking
anything.
The military too also see the usefulness
of this and it has great implications for HUDs or 'Heads Up Displays'
as it will that those piloting planes or driving tanks can get real
time tactical information about the environment, the state of the enemy
and more. It could be used to zoom in on their surroundings, see 360
degrees around their vehicle and calculate speeds and distances -
giving the human brain access to far more information at once than it
was previously capable of and to present this in such a way that it can
be quickly absorbed and understood in a combat situation. Of course all
this also has a highly transhuman bent, and those looking to augment
their natural abilities with technology should look no further than
augmented reality - allowing them to learn things about their
environment they never would have before. It is not long until this
technology will be implemented in glasses and contact lenses in order
to give people abilities without the need to hold up a clunky phone.
Copyright 2012 The Biomatrix.Net
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What is Augmented Reality?By Adam Sinicki
Augmented reality is one of those 'buzz' words that we hear thrown around a lot in reference to current technology. Several companies are making claims that this technology will change the way we live and cause us to interact in whole new ways, and it is certainly something that a lot of developers of hardware and software have got on eye on. However despite this, not a huge amount of the general public are aware of what augmented reality actually means - much less the fact that it is already in use and available on a range of devices. Essentially, augmented reality means that you are combining both the real world and digital information. For example then you might use a camera and then overlay this is detailed information about the world. This sounds like a very basic process but in fact it is highly complicated and something that we could not have achieved until fairly recently using a combination of new technology. For instance in order for the information on the screen to be used by the computer it needs to be analysed by image analysis software in real time which requires a lot of memory and processing power. At the same time the device needs to be able to recognise both the individuals position in the world - possible thanks to the amount of detailed geographical information available on the net, GPS (global satellite positioning) and in built compasses. Using a combination of this information the device can then identify both where it is being held and also what it is that it can see on the screen. The other reason that augmented reality hasn't really been available before is that it requires the individual to carry a specific device with capabilities allowing it to be used in that way. This means that you need to have all of these abilities on something that is relatively very small, and that you are likely to always have on you. For many this might seem like a fairly gimmicky ability to add data to real world images, but in fact its possibilities are incredibly expansive and only just really being explored. The kinds of devices capable of using augmented reality are generally smart phones as these have all of the necessary capabilities and are carried around with the user, and several apps have been released that demonstrate some of the potential of augmented reality and it has also been incorporated into some other examples of software that are not specifically aimed at being 'augmented reality'. For example augmented reality is used by the cameras of many devices in order to add additional information to pictures - specifically the location and time of the photograph. This then means that you can use other software in order to call up publicly available photos when you are at that location to see what else has happened there. At the same time this may help to give you a more multi-textured view of the area as you can see instantly the place but also things that happened there - allowing you to explore it spatially and temporally as you look through archives of its history. More Possibilities This is only a small example of the power of augmented reality and doesn't take advantage of what it truly is capable of. Take for instance augmented reality apps that work with your camera in real time. These include things like 'Wikitude' and the much hyped 'layar'. What this then allows you to do is to add real time information to what you're seeing through the camera - for example letting you see whose in the area (who wants to be discoverable), information about the shops and restaurants on a high street, and other facts about where you are. Simply hold your phone camera up to a high street and then get all the real time information - names of people as they walk past, the special offers on in shops, the locations of other shops and services, the makes and models of cars parked in the area, the cost of parking, the make of the stone… anything that someone chooses to up load. Of course many companies are clamouring to become the number one carrier of all this data and the go to software for those who want this kind of augmented reality but at the moment its still an open market that has yet to fall into mainstream use. Wikitude however is currently one of the most accomplished implementations of augmented reality, and you can see just how powerful the system already is in a great demonstration by sitting on the train and holding it up to the window as you drive past and watching people's names and businesses as well as products flash past on the screen. It's a dazzling display that certainly feels like it's from the future. Of course one group that the usefulness of augmented technology has not been lost on is the marketing industry, who recognise the incredible power of being able to send relevant adverts to people depending on where they are or what they're looking at. Imagine for instance being able to alert someone with images and sounds as they walk past a restaurant, or being able to tell you where you can buy their products when you point your camera at it. You cold even have an advert over your own head telling people that you are looking to sell your home, rent a room or even that you are looking for love. Imagine a dating service, where simply holding your phone up to the bar tells you the relationship status of everyone in there - it's certainly not far on the horizon. For Transhumanists Another group that finds the prospect interesting are games developers, and they have their eyes set on the technology as a way to enable people to play games where they interact with the environment. Looking through their phone to track down and find 'invisible' monsters, or shooting space saucers that appear to be flying in the sky. One very interesting augmented reality app that is already in circulation is 'RDJ', a piece of software that focuses on augmenting sound rather than vision, and altering the very way we hear. This particular piece of software is designed to turn the sounds we hear into actual music - creating echoes, playing with volume and pitch and laying it over a beat. You can download other people's 'soundscapes' and share them freely and it's been described as the closest you can come to experience being on drugs without taking anything. The military too also see the usefulness of this and it has great implications for HUDs or 'Heads Up Displays' as it will that those piloting planes or driving tanks can get real time tactical information about the environment, the state of the enemy and more. It could be used to zoom in on their surroundings, see 360 degrees around their vehicle and calculate speeds and distances - giving the human brain access to far more information at once than it was previously capable of and to present this in such a way that it can be quickly absorbed and understood in a combat situation. Of course all this also has a highly transhuman bent, and those looking to augment their natural abilities with technology should look no further than augmented reality - allowing them to learn things about their environment they never would have before. It is not long until this technology will be implemented in glasses and contact lenses in order to give people abilities without the need to hold up a clunky phone.
Copyright 2012 The Biomatrix.Net
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