What is augmented reality?

“An AR system supplements the real world with virtual (computer-generated) objects that appear to coexist in the same space as the real world” Recent Advances in Augmented Reality, 2001, Azuma, Baillot, Behringer, Feiner, Julier, MacIntyre

“Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data (virtual reality), where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real time.”
Wikipedia

Disclaimer

I am not a specialist of AR and what I present is from a personal exploration standpoint, if you are a professional of AR or have extensive experience in it or have a business build around it please feel free to comment on this serie or provide extra links to papers.

Objectives and future

The objective behind this presentation was to show that there is much more behind AR than just “buzz effect” and they are already viable commercial products based on AR concepts.
Personally speaking I feel it is the next upcoming media revolution. I am convinced that AR devices will be everywhere as it happened with mobile phone (or is it mobile phone used as AR devices which will prevent true AR devices to be success full?), even if people might be socially more reluctant to accept it. Of course this is linked to two crucial points: how efficient would devices be to perform live tracking and how affordable would they be.

As far as I can see the upcoming device by Vuzix might help having more people buy AR based devices. Sony has also one in preparation even if Tom Hanks is not that much keen on it: here. I am looking forward to seeing appear an hybrid device allowing full non transparent video display and semi transparent display for AR.

I feel that the video games industry might help also spreading AR concepts. I will not be surprised that the next generation of portable system by Nintendo would use AR (or maybe is it too early?).
(Nintendo GAR, Game bAR or GAR Boy or AR WII or WII AR (the champion)
Maybe it is the revenge of Gunpei Yokoi after the mistake of the Virtual Boy …)

All in all AR opens a complete new field to explore and to start new concepts and products. It is an exciting time because true commercial solution starts to emerge, time to be creative with these wonderful new worlds opening ….

Stay tune on analogdesign’s blog for the next part of this serie… Chronology, AR in the air at MAX2008, Presentation starts.
Find below the teaser of the conference AR you there?

Presentation’s Teaser

“The 21th April 2009 in Geneva, I am giving a presentation focused on Augmented Reality. It has been a long time that scientists make experiments on this matter, but it is recent that big brands use it to create new ways to communicate about their brand or new products. AR in some of its current use is sometimes just seen as a new way to create buzz and waouw effect for a given brand, but they are much more behind Augmented Reality. AR opens a wide new area to explore new ways of communication, new services and new products. Today it is much easier to build projects based on Augmented Reality and the recent Flash platform port of the AR toolkit will certainly play an important role in increasing the amount of AR products and allow projects based on AR to reach a wider audience. This presentation will include an introduction on Augmented Reality, present a wide range of existing examples and propose hands on Flash Augmented Reality demos.
So be there to meet AR.”