augmented reality
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Optinvent promises to offer Clear Vu HMD for less than $200
While some may say that price isn't the main factor that's been holding HMDs back from mass acceptance, France's Optinvent (a spin-off of Thomson S.A.) is apparently of that opinion, and it's now promising to deliver a full-fledged HMD for less than $200 by the end of next year. In addition to their trend-setting good looks (to be further refined in the final version), the company's so-called Clear Vu goggles make use of a reflection system that displays images in the wearer's field of vision rather than completely obstructing it, which the company says opens to the door a whole host of augmented reality possibilities -- like heads-up GPS directions, for instance. Unfortunately, the company isn't offering much in the way of actual specs just yet, although it does say the goggles will display an image size equivalent to a 71-inch TV placed 2.5 meters away.
Yelp for iPhone's hidden augmented reality feature
Earlier today I was reading about Metro Paris Subway [iTunes link], the first augmented reality (AR) app to hit the App Store and lamenting the fact that there wasn't an AR app for me to play with. Then we noticed this tip from Robert Scoble: It seems that Yelp for the iPhone has a hidden augmented reality feature. I downloaded the app and tried it out. I'm glad to say it works, but only on iPhone 3GS. Here's how to activate it (again, note that a 3GS iPhone is required): Grab the app here Launch it and shake your phone. Robert says you need to shake it 3 times. I got it working with one good shake, while other TUAW bloggers needed more than 3. A message appears indicating that you've activated "Monocle." That's what they call the AR feature. A monocle button appears on the top right of the app. Press it. From there, the camera activates. Simply point your iPhone 3GS in any direction and take a look! I live out here in the middle of nowhere and was certain that I'd get a blank screen. Instead, Yelp found a number of restaurants, bars and other shops right away. The screen is a bit jumpy and you've got to hold the phone REALLY still to get a good look. Plus, unlike Metro Paris Subway, the graphics depicting the different business aren't distinguishable (restaurant vs. bar, or example). Still, it's a lot of fun and a free way to play with augmented reality. Check out the gallery below for screenshots. Grab Yelp [iTunes link] while you can and give it a try. Of course, we'd love to hear about your experiences. %Gallery-71139%
Layar augmented reality app now available globally, lets you hunt down tweeps with cold, calculated precision
Following a Netherlands-exclusive release back in June, SPRXmobile has now taken its so-called Layar "Reality Browser" for Android to the global stage and advanced it to version 2.0 in the process. Perhaps the first commercial augmented reality app to launch on a large scale, Layar's got a good amount of momentum behind it -- the company claims that 100 developers are already hard at work developing reality layers that users can toggle, and an additional 500 developers are being added into the mix with the latest release. Version 2.0 adds favorite layers (because we're sure you'll be stalking friends and foes all too often using the Tweetmondo layer), map and list views, and enhanced search capabilities, but the real secret to Layar's power might ultimately lie in the third-party ecosystem if they can get enough content providers on board. We grabbed Layar off the Market and took it for a quick spin; we're having trouble getting it to aim correctly, though Google Sky Map is having the same issues, so we're fairly certain that we're dealing with a phone or location problem rather than a Layar one. The key thing with an app like this is going to be speed and fluidity, and even on our Magic's relatively lightweight 528MHz core, it's plenty usable. The Google-powered Layar local search -- arguably the most important reality layer bundled with the software -- is a little annoying to use, primarily because the search box has no history or suggestion capability which means you've got to type out a full search every time you want to use it. Ultimately, though, the app's very young (as is this whole category of technology, for that matter) and we're stoked to see where this goes over the coming months.
Distant Suns for iPhone update: Sky no longer the limit
In this International Year of Astronomy we're seeing a small explosion of astronomy apps updated both for the Mac and the iPhone. One of my favorites, Distant Suns [App Store] has updated the build that runs on the 3GS iPhone to include some augmented reality features. This means that if you point the phone up to the sky, the program figures out the direction you are pointing and your elevation and slews to the proper view of the star map, giving you a view that should match what you are seeing in the sky. This greatly enhances the usefulness of this program, especially for novices who want to get outside under the summer stars and quickly figure out 'what's up?'. This new version is only for 3GS iPhones, and an update with some additional features for all the earlier models is on the way. Of course older phones won't have the compass feature. Other changes include some UI tweaks, and setting the sound effects default to 'off.' Pocket Universe [App Store], which I reviewed last month, has a similar feature and also works very well. Pocket Universe sells for US$2.99 and Distant Suns is $5.99. Check reader reactions to both and go into details on the features to decide which one is right for you. Distant Suns has a long pedigree in the star mapping world. It first ran on the Commodore Amiga in 1987, then was ported to the PC, the Mac, and now your favorite cell phone. When you look up at the moon this summer to celebrate the Apollo 11 landing 40 years ago, be sure to investigate the thousands of other points of light with a software app that will literally point you in the right direction. Note: Distant Suns runs on the iPod touch as well, but the software will not have the augmentation/orientation feature because the magnetometer isn't present in the iPod touch hardware.
Metaio brings more augmented reality promises to the iPhone
I can't get enough of this augmented reality stuff -- we've seen a lot of location-based text rendering already, but a German-based company named Metaio has released this video showing actual 3D images and models projected into the world through a phone (like the iPhone, one of the devices they say they're planning to support). Of course, this is still all just tests and demos -- not only is the company likely still trying to see partners and funding (like so many other development companies in this field), but until Apple actually lets developers at a clear, unedited stream from the videocamera, AR is still in the theoretical phase.But once again, the potential here is staggering. As I said, most of the things we've seen so far are based on text: hold your phone up, and have signs or other location-based information displayed to you. But when you start including 3D models into the mix, then things get really nuts: instead of just seeing tourist information, you could have a virtual guide show you around the museum. Or have a virtual hide and seek session with a creature that moves around the environment as you look for it. Other companies have been experimenting with AR on their own hardware, but Apple's combination of a video camera, a GPS/compass system, and a powerful handheld computer takes the possibility farther than we've seen it yet.[via Venturebeat]
Best Buy goes 3D, even augmented reality isn't safe from advertising
In its never-ending quest to sell you more things, Best Buy has added augmented reality to its Sunday ads. The printed missives can now be used, in conjunction with a webcam and a purpose-built website, to create 3D representations of the latest product being pimped. Yes, it's probably easier to walk to a store and handle the goods in person, but that's hardly the point of AR now, is it? We're not sure where to rank this effort in the pantheon of quirky promotional ideas, but we'll give credit to the big box retailer for stepping outside itself and trying something new to separate you from your hard-earned cash.[Via Coolest Gadgets]
Sony's EyePet beta hands-on: it's probably the most adorable thing ever
We just got a brief glimpse at the new PlayStation Eye-based augmented reality EyePet game from Sony, which is on track for a holiday release on the PS3. It's no Project Natal, but what the game lacks in gesture-based interaction (though we were able to pet and play with the little guy pretty intuitively) it makes up for in extensive adorability. You can naturally play, feed, groom and customize your pet -- even teach the thing to draw shapes and bring them to life in a sense -- but it's surprisingly fun to just watch the little dude scamper around in seemingly real space. The title will be available both as a standalone game and as a bundle with the PlayStation Eye. Check out a video of the game in an early beta state after the break, and you can find Joystiq's E3 impressions of the game here.
MIT's Bokode tech calls out zebra stripes, QR codes for battle of barcode supremacy
Since barcodes are the sign of the devil (must be true, we read it on the interwebs) it's no surprise that everyone wants to replace 'em. QR codes have been quite popular, allowing people and companies to tag their stuff with colorful decals filled with bits and bytes, and of course RFID tags are still going strong, but a team of researchers at MIT has come up with something better: Bokode. It's effectively a tiny little retroreflective holograph that is just 3mm wide but, when a camera focused to infinity sweeps across it, the Bokodes become clear and appear much larger, captured in the video below. In this way they can contain "thousands of bits" of data and, interestingly, show positional information too, meaning the camera knows where in 3D space it is in relation to the tag. This, of course, has hundreds of potential applications ranging from grocery shopping to augmented reality, and should lead to new and exciting ways for scholars to interpret/misinterpret Revelations. [Via BBC]
Augmented reality apps on hold until 3.1?
It was only a couple of weeks ago that straphanger hopes for an augmented reality guide to the NYC subways were flying high... and now it looks like they may have to wait for Labor Day before they can amaze their friends and stun their enemies. The LA Times is reporting a conversation with Acrossair developers where they indicate that the full-screen video features of the app can't ship before Apple releases iPhone OS 3.1 -- which they expect to drop in early September, in case you're marking your calendar. According to the story, the live video/augmented reality approach depends on an unpublished camera API, hence the apps cannot be set free in the wild just yet. That may explain why several other inside-the-Matrix apps haven't cleared the store... and why September may see a bit of a surge in admissions to hospital emergency rooms for people with bruised foreheads and sheepish expressions. Update 7/25: While the LA Times story is (so far) not yet updated, we have gotten feedback from a developer who insists that the 3.1 update will not provide additional hooks for AR apps; specifically, that the live camera view APIs are going to remain private and will not be exposed for third-party development. This source suggests that Acrossair is confused about Apple's position, and that the approval schedule aligning with 3.1 is a coincidence and not a technical restraint. We will try to reach Acrossair to confirm. [via MacRumors]
iPhone's augmented reality apps coming with September OS 3.1 launch?
Looking to enjoy all those fancy augmented reality apps on your iPhone, like for finding nearby stores or subway stops? Apparently what's standing in your way from enjoying a life more akin to "gargoyles" from Snow Crash is Apple's next update to its touchscreen devices, OS 3.1, and according to Nearest Tube developer Acrossair, that'll be arriving sometime in September. Something we heard whispered at the time of the beta 2 release. We wouldn't be surprised to see that release window fluctuate, but if that's our estimate, there's still plenty of time for someone to prep an AR zombie shooter.[Thanks, Peter S]
Video: augmented reality business card sells itself
Does your feeble mind recall those wicked awesome 3D Topps cards from earlier this year? How could you forget, right? It seems as if that very same technology has been shifted over to the wine and cheese crowd, and thanks to one James Alliban, now those all-too-boring business cards can also be equipped with augmented reality. Put simply, these cards have been imprinted with a 3D grid of colored planes on one side, and when placed in front of a PC webcam, a pixelated pop-up arrives to really make that first impression one that sticks. Hop on past the break to see exactly what we mean.[Via GadgetVenue]
Reality doesn't get more real: 2 iPhone views of the NYC subway
There are two bits of knowledge that all native New Yorkers are gifted with: where to get "the best" pizza (Grimaldi's on the Brooklyn waterfront, in case you were wondering), and where to stand on the subway platform so as to arrive at the destination station in exactly the right spot to exit ahead of the rush. While this sometimes leads to bunching and crowding in the desirable cars, it ends up saving a lot of time and aggravation on the far side.If you aren't a veteran straphanger, you can simulate the expertise of the locals with Exit Strategy NYC, a $1.99 iPhone app that tells you where to stand based on your destination station. The app is straightforward: select your train line and your direction of travel, then pick your arrival choice from the list. You'll get a clear diagram of the exit locations, along with the conductor's position in the train (great for late-night trips) and notes on any special circumstances, transfer options or wheelchair access. In my tests, Exit Strategy matched my instincts pretty well with only a few hiccups (one exit that was closed for construction wasn't yet reflected in the app, but chances are us NYC residents wouldn't know that either). There is one drawback for outer-borough residents: while Manhattan and most near-to-downtown stations are included, some of the further-out stops, like my station along the R line in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, are not yet built in to the app. Still, Exit Strategy should definitely be part of your iPhone arsenal for a visit to the Big Apple. The demo video for the app is in the 2nd half of the post. Despite their much-admired situational awareness, even NYC subway veterans sometimes get confused about where to find the nearest station -- and if you're a first time visitor, fuggedaboudit. For iPhone 3GS-enabled residents and tourists, it's about to get a lot easier: acrossair is offering an NYC version of the Nearest Tube augmented reality app, New York Nearest Subway. Hold your iPhone flat and see a 2D map of the entire system... then lift it perpendicular to the ground, and the heads-up display mode shows you floating icons representing nearby stations, complete with line legends and walking distances. For anyone who's ever walked to a faraway subway stop only to realize that there was a much closer option, this is incredibly compelling. No word on price yet, and the app is awaiting approval; as noted, this app will only work on the 3GS, as the magnetometer is used to determine the direction the phone is facing. If you've got preferred apps for navigating public transit in your city, pipe up in the comments. [via Gadget Lab]
Nokia interface patent fits like an AR-enhancing glove
Okay, you know the drill by now: just because it's in a patent doesn't mean it's happening anytime soon, if ever. With that said, we'd love to see what Nokia had in mind when they concocted this one. As Unwired View recently unearthed, the Finnish phone maker has drawn up a design doc / patent application for comfortable, stretchable material that fits over your skin and is used for device interaction. Gestures and stretches are computed and signaled into nearby computers, phones, or interestingly enough "near-eye displays" -- sounds like we're getting into a bit of virtual / augmented reality territory here -- and they are also tailored to provide feedback via vibration. Again, don't hold your breath on seeing this come to fruition any point in the near (or even long) future, but still, we know what you're thinking: Nokia's gonna have to think of a ton of kooky color descriptions to accentuate any future lineup of input wristbands / fingerbands.[Via Pocket-lint]
Video: TAT's augmented reality concept unveiled
You remember TAT, right? Amongst other things The Astonishing Tribe has done some bang-up work with the user interface for the G1, unveiled a pretty impressive 3D eye-tracking concept, and now they're hard at work developing something called Augmented ID, an augmented reality concept that uses facial recognition software to attach your visage to a profile. When someone views you through their handset's camera, pre-selected info and social networking links appear to hover around you, letting your new found friend in on more than just your pretty smile. Of course, this is only a concept at the present moment, but when it does become real, make sure you remember to remove those links to JDate and the Cracked Magazine forums before that important corporate presentation. Trust us -- you don't want those worlds colliding. Hit up that read link for the latest from the Swedish design team, but not before you peep this stellar video after the break.Read - TAT Showroom
More AR, this time with Twitter, on the iPhone
Here's another augmented reality iPhone app that might be slightly more useful for those of us outside of London than the Nearest Tube app we showed off the other day. TwittARound is a Twitter client (currently in beta) for the iPhone that uses your location info, compass, and the 3GS' video camera to place tweets close to your location in a realtime video view, so that the effect you get is like pop-up notes on the landscape. Very cool indeed. Unfortunately, it seems many of these AR (augmented reality) apps may never see the light of day, as some developers are saying Apple doesn't provide any public API calls for the live video (hence this petition from the burgeoning AR community).There are other issues here too, though, even if Apple does open up all of the APIs needed for a project like this. Twitter doesn't actually include location information with each tweet, so what you're actually seeing (I'd imagine) is the location of each Twitterer. What you'd like to do with an app like this is walk around and use it to get information about what you see (look through the app at a line outside a concert hall, for instance, and see people talking about who's playing inside). But unfortunately, unless they have some way of seeing exactly where those tweets come from, they'll all still be from each Twitterer's location, not where the tweet was actually sent.But maybe Twitter or some other app can start including that location (Brightkite is already location-based, and works with Twitter), and then we can get real-time information from where we actually are on an AR screen like this. There's still a few obstacles, but once those are evened out, the possibilities are very exciting.
Canon unveils augmented reality dinosaur show in Japan
Canon's just unveiled its new augmented reality display in Chiba, Japan, and we have to say, we're thinking about heading over there to check it out... and hopefully experience what it's like to be eaten (virtually) by a T-Rex. Featuring 260 dinosaur specimens, the display makes us of a virtual reality viewer -- one for each person roaming round the exhibit -- putting the dinosaurs at a "distance" of about 5 meters. The exhibit will make use of various Canon products, including an inkjet printer, an LCD projector and several different cameras. The dinosaurs will be on display starting July 18th until August 1st, so you probably want to just go ahead and book a flight right now.
Nearest Tube's augmented reality on the iPhone 3GS
This (extremely loud, be careful) video has been making the rounds lately -- it's a demo of a new app called Nearest Tube that isn't quite in the App Store yet, but uses both your location information along with the iPhone's compass and video camera to show you an augmented reality picture of where and in which directions around you the nearest London Tube station is. Very cool use of the technology, and while I'm not actually in London to use it (and I don't have a 3GS -- obviously the compass is required to make this all work), it looks like it works pretty well. Some of you folks in London will have to give it a try when it gets approved and tell us what you think.Oh, and the whole augmented reality thing -- get ready to hear that term a lot. On the TUAW team list, we were just chatting about microprojectors as well (rumored to be coming to iPhones and iPod touches), and as all of these technologies (video, projectors, compasses and location information) all start to get combined and hooked up to some serious computing power, your phone will be able to tell you more and more about what it sees in the world around you, from Tube or road directions like this app, to restaurants and stores, stars in the sky, and even other iPhones and their users. Hold on to your hats, because more and more, developers won't need to simulate the world around you when they can just show you an augmented version of it through your iPhone's screen.
Video: Nearest Tube iPhone app augments reality with directions
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]
Pocket Universe ups the astronomy app ante
When the fireworks stop and the smoke clears, it would be a great weekend to look at our beautiful summer skies. Pocket Universe [App Store] is a US$2.99 app that has been updated to make star finding easier for those that have a new iPhone 3GS. The app uses the position sensors and the compass to orient your phone to match the real sky. As you turn or tilt the phone, the sky map changes to give you a very accurate picture of where you are pointing, with lots of labels and links to more information. This is one of the first examples of an augmented reality app to hit the platform since the introduction of the 3GS.If you have an older iPhone or iPod touch running OS 3.0, you can tilt the phone to match where the real sky is, but you'll have to manually set the direction you're facing.This changes everything for the novice astronomer. I tried the feature and it worked really well, even though I was near a large metal building. As I turned my phone the display of the sky changed very rapidly to keep up with my movement.Other nice features from the last version are intact. You can tap the 'locate' button to find any object that is above the horizon. Select it and it centers on the map. Tap a pop-up for more info and you get a quick summary of the object. In the new version of the app a further tap gets you a Wikipedia entry.You also get a list of meteor showers, lunar phases and a very nice 'tonight's sky' feature that tells you right away what's up and worth seeing.Some things I'd like to see improved: The app could support finger-pointing to an object to identify it in addition to going to the locate menu, and the Virtual Sky feature is buried in an options menu. I'd like to see an onscreen button to turn it on and off. The 3GS features are similar to a Celestron product called the Sky Scout that is a dedicated astronomical instrument. The Sky Scout has a lot more information, and audio tours of the skies, but it costs $200.00. If you're really serious about the stars and planets I'd give it a look.Meanwhile, another favorite astronomy app, Distant Suns [App Store] has been updated recently, and is now on sale for US$3.99. It has added features to the wonderful tour guides and now includes more information about the objects displayed, including travel time at light speed to the planets. It also includes some breathtaking images from the Hubble Space Telescope.This is the International Year of Astronomy, so it's a great time to get outdoors and look up. It's fun to do, and the iPhone apps really make it a more compelling and educational experience.Here are some screen shots of Pocket Universe in operation:%Gallery-67345%
See dead people in this Ghostwire trailer
A Different Game released a new video for Ghostwire, showing example gameplay of the "augmented reality" DSiWare title. In this game, reality is "augmented" in a way that makes you look more like a person who freaks out randomly on the street, as you are constantly surrounded by ghosts even in the daytime. Constantly. The use of the DSi's secondary camera to provide a rear view of more ghosts seems especially cruel.We wonder if people who play this a lot start to feel like there are already ghosts all over the place, and we just don't see them without our DSi systems.[YouTube video via NintendoRaw]
