Augmented Reality On iPad 2

Posted on March 15, 2011 by rouli

Personally, I find tablet devices boring (not that I will object getting one). They simply pale in comparison to some of Mac Funamizu’s creations. But, as the iPad2 is all the rage right now, here are a few augmented reality demos running on it, making it a little bit cooler.

If you have a video of your AR app running on the iPad2, shoot me an email or leave a comment.

String on an iPad 2:

Metaio’s Junaio on an iPad 2:

Total Immersion’s Magic Mirror on an iPad 2 (first covered by Thomas):

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Total Immersion Yells, “First!” on the iPad2

Posted on March 14, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

There’s always that one guy who posts “First!” on every comment thread. Total Immersion gets to be the lucky bloke to put the first augmented reality app onto the iPad2.

And I for one salute them.

The tablets are made for a better AR experience. While the magic mirror is strictly 2010 tech, I’m good with that, since it gives a new user a quick visceral experience with the technology.

Go, go, gadget Total Immersion.

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Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

Posted on March 13, 2011 by rouli

To my many readers coming from Japan – my heart goes to you, and I hope your families are safe. It’s difficult to discuss “augmented reality” in the face of “tragic reality”, but I’ll do my best with this week’s linkfest.

This week’s video is a call for help to create the first crowed sourced AR music video. Led by students of Tokyo’s Temple University, fans of the British band Songdog are invited to contribute their own clips featuring an AR marker. According to their site (where you can find more details) “Augmented Reality is used to symbolize all that one can remember, but that is lost forever – you can see it, but you can’t touch it”. A beautiful idea that I hope will come true in spite of the unexpected challenges facing it.

Have a good week!

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Metaio’s Augmented Reality Worker Support

Posted on March 9, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

Markerless tracking has come a long way in the last year.  The downside of this system is the custom graphics for the visual manual. It’s hard enough writing instructions for thousands of jobs in a production facility right now. This system would need to be leveraged on mass market jobs like oil changes at Jiffy Lube.

 

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Live from GDC: Augmented Reality Games Are Here Big Time

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Ori Inbar

Augmented Reality games made a splash at GDC 2011.

From a first ever mention in a GDC keynote, through multiple dedicated talks, and major product presentations on the exhibition floor – augmented reality games are warmly embraced by the gaming industry.

1) Qualcomm’s talk and major AR presence throughout the event

Jay Wright spoke about the opportunities with Qualcomm’s AR SDK and showed examples of mobile AR games, applications, services and best practices for engaging new adopters. Qualcomm was visible throughout the event championing AR games, including a series of demos of AR games from their developer challenge presented on the show floor.

For an in-depth interview about Qualcomm’s offering check out this YouTube video

2) Ogmento’s talk and demo of its new geo-social AR game

Terrance Cohen and Oriel Bergig from Ogmento gave a fantastic talk – “Taking the Purple Pill: Lessons Learned Building a Platform for Social Augmented Reality Games.” Awesome job, guys!
The talk was accompanied by demos of never-before-seen technical and experiential achievements in this game. No video of the talk is yet available, so to get a sense of the game checkout the trailer:

Several other talks mentioned augmented reality as an emerging field such as Booyah’s Keith Lee.

3) Nintendo 3DS AR games demo

Archery – one of the best single card AR games I have seen so far, was available for playing on the show floor. The experience is distinctly different than any other type of games you can play on PC, consoles, or portables. 5 other games are in the pipeline and should hit the US market by the end of March.

Satoru Iwata, the president of Nintendo gave the main keynote of the event: “Video Games Turn 25: A Historical Perspective and Vision for the Future.” I was blown away when AR Games were mentioned as the first attractive feature of the upcoming 3DS.

I am pretty sure it was the first mention of AR in a GDC keynote EVER.

3) Augmented Reality demo on Sony’s Next Gen Portable

Sony’s next generation portable (code name for the upcoming PSP) was not available for playing at the event (you could only appreciate it behind a glass case), but a cool demo at a Sony talk (via Shack News) showed a little bit of its potential. And not surprisingly – AR was once again its main attraction – a full size dragon marching among the audience!

5) AR Drone made a return appearance

We are almost accustomed to seeing this fantastic use of AR with the easy to maneuver quadrocopter, in game industry events, and GDC 2011 was no exception.

6) Sony Move and Microsoft Kinect games

Sony and Microsoft presented a bunch AR games on Move and Kinect respectively – which by now almost feel like mainstream. Man, AR has made a long way since 2009.

So how does GDC 2011 compare with GDC 2010 and GDC 2009’s Tiny Spark of Augmented Reality?
In a nut shell: if in 2010 Augmented Reality made progress in mind share, in 2011 it’s making a significant impact on new products; it’s popping up everywhere. That is awesome.

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When will EVERYBODY at GDC be talking about AR?

When will AR games win major awards at GDC?

It’s coming real soon, don’t miss it folks!

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Ninja Attack!

Posted on March 6, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

In my dream world, the Kinect system wouldn’t be tethered to the XBox 360.  Instead, it would hook to the TV and have an extensive app library like the iPhone.

Sweet spot around 1:25 for a ninja vanish move.  The Kinect makes invisibility so easy, it’s mind-boggling.

And better work on your arm endurance.

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Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

Posted on March 6, 2011 by rouli

This tradition cannot be stopped, here’s another weekly linkfest:

This week’s video comes from Robert Scoble’s tour in SRI International, showing a handbag buying application, using Kinect to make it seem like a real handbag is actually dangling from the lady’s arm. See more videos, including one aboud head mounted display based AR gaming, in this post, titled “A Look At How SRI Is Augmenting The Human Condition“:

Have a great week!

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Watson Will Make Us Superhumans

Posted on March 5, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

The continued advance of computer intelligence, riding the rails of Moore’s Law, have made events like IBM’s Watson win over two champions on Jeopardy inevitable.  While thoughts of the Singularity, a future in which we cannot predict because computers will out-innovate humans, are fascinating to consider, I prefer a human centered future.  And augmented reality has a large place in a human centered world.

While the underpinnings of this chess trainer demonstration with its Hiro-markers are circa 2009, the ideas still play out.  Instead of concerns that computers like Watson will replace humans, I believe that Watson will help us take advantage of our natural abilities.  Instead of wasting time memorizing trivia, we can focus on the combining of dissimilar ideas into new synergies.

So I say, bring on Watson.  Just with a side of AR, please.

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Nintendo 3DS – Japanese Commercial

Posted on March 4, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

Having spent much time in Japan, I have a soft spot in my heart for Japanese TV.  Just needs a couple of harajuku girls yelling, “Sumimasen!” and I’m golden.

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Take the MINI Countryman for a Joyride

Posted on March 2, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

NEW AR IPHONE APP FROM HELIOS AND BSSP ENABLES MINI FANS TO TAKE THE MINI COUNTRYMAN FOR A JOYRIDE (AND HAVE THE PICTURES TO PROVE IT)

Via Mobile Augmented Reality Campaign, Virtual MINI Goes Anywhere – iPhone App

Puts the MINI Countryman into View; See it in Wired, Facebook, iTunes Store, and More

SAN FRANCISCO (March 2, 2011) – Put convention aside, and make room for the magic of augmented reality, courtesy of Helios Interactive Technologies (www.heliosinteractive.com), the emerging leader in experience design.

Working in cooperation with Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners — marketing agency of record for MINI and developer of the creative concept — Helios today unveiled a mobile AR application for the iPhone (download here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virtual-mini/id417870781?mt=8).

Epitomizing the versatility of the new MINI Countryman, users are able to take pictures of a superimposed “virtual MINI” Countryman in their garage, a parking spot, atop a high-rise, astride the Golden Gate Bridge, on the end of their toothbrush, anywhere.

The groundbreaking Virtual MINI app can be downloaded via a QR code included in a print ad in the March issue of Wired, and will be available through the iTunes Store, Facebook and MINIUSA.COM.  Scanning the ad’s QR code with their iPhone will take consumers directly to the application within the iTunes store.

Once downloaded, the application gives users the opportunity to select from one of four different colors and configurations of the MINI Countryman, superimposed on the live video feed from their phone’s built-in camera.  After resizing and rotating the customized 3D model into place, users can capture a snapshot of the scene to be saved to a photo gallery, providing options to share the image with their friends via Facebook or email.

“From inception, this iPhone application was created simply to give consumers a utility to visualize the larger MINI Countryman in their garage,” said John Butler, Executive Creative Director of Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners. “It’s yet another example of MINI being an advertiser who is generally first to market integrating emerging technology with traditional media.  We’re thrilled with the results, and thoroughly enjoyed our collaboration with Helios.”

“The Virtual MINI app is designed to engage consumers in a fun, unique way,” said Mike Schaiman, Managing Partner and co-founder of Helios Interactive Technologies.  Founded in 2008, Helios harnesses an eclectic mix of interactive platforms, from augmented reality and gesture recognition, to multi-touch applications, mobile, social media, 3D display technologies and more.

“We expect people to take some interesting shots and have fun with the new MINI Countryman,” Schaiman said.  “In addition to being among the first automotive apps to integrate an AR campaign for mobile, the Virtual MINI app offers a quirky experience that fits the brand perfectly.   This is exactly the kind of interactive, innovative experience that promotes the brand loyalty MINI is famous for.”

About Helios Interactive Technologies

Helios Interactive Technologies (www.heliosinteractive.com) is a full-service display technology company that harnesses cutting-edge tools and platforms to attract, surprise and delight consumers with consistently engaging experiences.  Helios specializes in “experience design,” providing interactive displays that grab attention and engage consumers in memorable experiences, for such clients as Best Buy, HBO, the CW Television Network, Mercedes-Benz, Roche Diagnostics, and Sprint, among others.  Founded in 2008, Helios is based in San Francisco.

About Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners

BSSP (www.bssp.com) is a full-service marketing communications agency based in Sausalito, CA. The agency provides services in advertising, online marketing and Web development, brand identity and design, and strategic brand consulting. One of the largest independent agencies on the West Coast, BSSP is recognized for its ability to provide highly creative, fully accountable marketing solutions to a broad array of marketers, including MINI Cooper, Priceline, RadioShack, AT&T Interactive, Piperlime, Columbia Sportswear, Greyhound, Mountain Hardwear and Sorel.

MINI in the US

MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC which has been present in the United States since 1975.  Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 138 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.  Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:  http://www.bmwgroupna.com

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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address: http://www.press.bmwna.com.  Additional information, images and video may be found at http://www.miniusanews.com.

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Helios media contact:

Ken Greenberg

Edge Communications, Inc.

818-990-5001

ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com

 

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