Augmented reality applications to this point could be best categorized as
tantalizing to the mind, but otherwise pointless. Thankfully, it seems as if that's no longer the case. AcrossAir, a nascent app builder for the iPhone, has conjured up a slickly executed digital guidance application that augments video with real-time distance and directions to the nearest subway station. With the
iPhone 3GS pimping an improved camera, inbuilt compass and GPS, we had a hunch that it wouldn't be long before someone slammed them all together and gave commuters and tourists alike a reason to smile. Presently only capable of serving up directions in London, this app should find plenty of user interest that will hopefully drive its development for other metropolises around the world. Click through to check it out for yourself, and expect to see it ready for download as soon as someone (or
something) at Cupertino decides to start approving live video programs. Any day now, Apple...
[Via
Tokyo-Genki]
posted July 7th 2009 8:06AM
Whenever I hear the term 'augmented reality' I immediately think of boobies (fake or real).
Early days yet,early days yet...
I can see this being used on the move to identify all sorts of stuff - the Layar app demo on the Android platform (on YouTube) shows the potential.
Eventually it will get crammed with ads and all sorts of "Kilroy was here" junk just like the layers we see in Google Earth, and we'll end up having to filter out all the stuff we don't want to see - astronomy buffs will point at the stars in the night sky, geology buffs will filter all that out and look towards the ground, marine buffs will - you get the picture (pun intended).
I see the point some posters raised here about how silly it would be for people to walk around looking at the environment through video cameras (though tourists are perfectly happy doing this all the time).
A possible way around this would be to use notifications (beep, text, tweet etc) along with GPS and Compass to alert a user to a POI in the vicinity, at which point they would then investigate more closely by running video and scanning the area directionally.
Wanna get mugged? Take out your iPhone in Camden.