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

#      #      #

 

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.

# # #

 

Helios media contact:

Ken Greenberg

Edge Communications, Inc.

818-990-5001

ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com

 

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Reality, Now With More POW!

Posted on March 1, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

If global conflicts could add a little more Batman style POW! to their arsenal, we might not actually have so much conflict.

Oh yeah, and it’s a Kinect video.

Comic Kinect: for all those who wish life was a comic book from Maya Irvine on Vimeo.

Read more about it!

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Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

Posted on February 27, 2011 by rouli

You’ve been waiting for this the whole week – here’s the weekly linkfest:

Only a few weeks ago, we reported on Virtual Master Reel, an augmented reality game whose aim was catching virtual fish with an augmented fishing reel. Seems that augmented reality fishing games are trending right now, because Nintendo got one for its Nintendo 3ds platform. Video doesn’t do it justice, because the whole 3d display thingy is lost, but it still looks good. You can read more about the planned AR games for 3ds on Wired.

have a fantastic week!

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The Augmented Reality Sword Fight

Posted on February 24, 2011 by rouli

Well, the following video is obviously not a show of augmented reality by any definition. The virtual entities are well orchestrated, and do not interact in real time with the actor. They are also projected on a screen behind the actor, so he can’t really see them.

However, this video is still amazing, and more than a million views on Youtube are evidence for that. It also serves as a reminder for one possible future for augmented reality, where fun packed, fast paced games are not bounded to a LCD screen. The Kinect was a big step forward, AR may be the giant leap ahead.

(via Geekologie)

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Augmented Reality U.S./Iraq War Memorial

Posted on February 21, 2011 by rouli

Here is another example of art activism where augmented reality is used to convey a message. Building upon Layar, artists Mark Skwarek and John Craig Freemand created was is probably the first virtual war memorial, commemorating each of the 52,036 deaths, both Iraqis and Allies, in the last gulf war.

The artists translated the place of death in Iraq to a location in the US and placed there a virtual casket, either “American” or “Middle eastern” in design. The result is disturbing:

More info on the project’s blog, via Development Memo for Ourselves.

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Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

Posted on February 20, 2011 by rouli

As always, here the augmented reality news stories and tidbits, I didn’t have the time (or will) to cover this week:

This week’s video is a neat meshup between the insanely successful indie computer game Minecraft and augmented reality, by one Scott Kronick (or at least I think that is his name). Kronick, an artist by trade, came to the realization that it would be great “to hack away at and modify your city or school made of cubes”. The result is “RealCraft”:

Have a nice week!

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Augmented Reality in the Fight Against Car Accidents

Posted on February 17, 2011 by rouli

Safe for Humans is a really smart mobile app concept that harness augmented reality to make people more aware of car accidents involving pedestrians. As you can see in the video below, it will use “natural” markers and probably GPS. However the big challenge here, I suspect, would not be pinpointing the user’s location, but rather matching the video to the user’s orientation.

Safe for Humans from Hey, on Vimeo.

What other “public service announcements” can be reinvented using augmented reality?
(previously covered AR activism: bringing BP’s oil leak to your hometown, fighting domestic violence and going against the hunt of Siberian tigers)

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Qualcomm Announces Winners of the 2010 Augmented Reality Developer Challenge

Posted on February 15, 2011 by thomaskcarpenter

Qualcomm Announces Winners of the 2010 Augmented Reality Developer Challenge

SAN DIEGO – February 15, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced the winners of its 2010 Augmented Reality (AR) Developer Challenge. The top prize of $125,000 was awarded to a team of two developers from Lithuania, Paulius Liekis and Arminas Didžiokas for Paparazzi. Second prize of $50,000 was awarded to Defiant Development Pty Ltd. for Inch High Stunt Guy. Third prize of $25,000 was awarded to five graduate students at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts for their submission, Danger Copter. The Challenge, which kicked off with the public availability of Qualcomm’s AR software development kit (SDK) in October 2010, encouraged developers to create a new generation of vision-based AR applications, including innovative games, educational applications and interactive marketing concepts.

“Qualcomm congratulates the winners and all the developers that provided submissions,” said Jay Wright, director of business development at Qualcomm. “With just over three months of development time since the SDK became available, developers have shown that compelling AR experiences can be created rapidly using Qualcomm’s platform.”

Winning Applications

1st Place – $125,000 – Paparazzi by Paulius Liekis and Arminas Didžiokas (Lithuania)

An interactive game where the player becomes a virtual paparazzo and sneaks pictures of a vain celebrity before he gets agitated and attacks the photographer

2nd Place – $50,000 – Inch High Stunt Guy by Defiant Development Pty Ltd. (Australia)

A game where the player arranges various obstacles to enable a stuntman to successfully jump his motorcycle through a hoop

3rd Place – $25,000 – Danger Copter by Alex Beachum, Jonghwa Kim, Jason Mathias, Kedar Reddy and Evan Sforza (USA)

A gaming adventure where the player becomes a helicopter pilot who maneuvers a water-spouting chopper to extinguish fires and rescue people from danger

The judges for the Challenge were a mix of individuals from industry and academia. Entries were judged based on creative concept, technical execution, overall user experience and other factors.

Publically available since October 2010, Qualcomm’s AR platform uses computer vision technology to align graphics tightly with underlying objects in the real world. The approach is an evolution from current AR techniques that use a device’s GPS and compass for mapping applications. Vision-based AR delivers a fundamentally different user experience in which graphics appear as if they are anchored to real world objects.

Select video clips of applications submitted to the Challenge can be viewed at www.qualcomm.com/ar. To create your own application, visit Qualcomm’s AR developer portal at developer.qualcomm.com/ar.

 

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