Gravity Jack Indoor Office and SDK

Posted on September 2, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

Gravity Jack software firm has created an AR indoor office.  I like the idea of populating an indoor space with augments.  Personally, I wouldn’t use it for work.  I’d rather dork up my writing space at home and show off my favorite LOLcats on the wall next to my computer.  Each to his own, I guess.

Besides giving me an excuse to put a NASDAQ ticker over the latest Inspirational Poster, Gravity Jack is developing an SDK for their indoor system.

Features of the SiREAL World SDK in development now:

IPS – Indoor positioning system, using a patent pending method the phones running our software create a mesh that allows us to position the phone exactly in a Cartesian space indoors. It is almost like walking around with your phone acting like an RFID tag but with coordinates. We also use patented vision techniques to make your phone become the symbol thereby avoiding symbol recognition.

Instant Mapping – Utilizing a combination of scene recognition and real time edge detection we can build the real world scene into a 3d wireframe model on the fly. This allows for actually placing 3d objects in the scene and even behind real world objects because we have depth built into our model. AR products today just overlay things on the same front layer. Our technology allows us to place objects in the actual 3d plain.

GeoLocation and Proximity Alert – Allows a user to receive push notifications when they are near a SiREAL object and for storage of GeoTags for placing objects in the real world.

Asset management server – Our asset management server allows you to upload 3d assets or triggers, symbols associated with those assets and our object recognition will return the correct asset to your application.

Stickyness – While not a technical feature – what we have discovered is that by creating augmented reality applications and an engine that allows for true, non gimmick, life enhancing AR; users keep coming back! AR isn’t just a gimmick with us.

In summary, we fully support existing technology like symbol recognition, GPS tagging, but have new ways for AR to work indoors, in the dark, socially and we can create stickyness in our AR applications. Not only that, our tech understands what it is looking at and gives depth to scenes – something currently done with expensive dual camera setups.

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A New Device for Augmented Reality Games Was Born

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Ori Inbar

Finally, the iPod Touch has a camera!

Today, Steve Jobs announced at the Apple Music Event, the new incarnation of the legendary iPod product line.

One of my personal highlights was of course the new iteration of the iPod Touch. Faster (Apple A4 processors – like in the iPhone), with the new Game Center(iOS 4.1), the largest games market (1.5 billion games and apps have been downloaded to the Touch), and now – can do Augmented Reality.

Jobs bragged the iPod games outsells Nintendo DS and PSP games – combined!

There you have it – the perfect new platform for augmented reality games (as long as you have WIFI…)

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Conquar – The Layar Based Strategy Game

Posted on August 17, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

Today my wife and kids were ignoring me so I hijacked my wife’s new iPhone.  I’d been curious to try the game on Layar called Conquar.  The idea sounded simple–take control of your city using troops.  Unfortunately, the game IS that simple.

The way the game works is this: when you create an account, you’re randomly put into a team and given around fourteen armies to conquer your enemies.  My favorite colors are blue or red, so therefore, I got stuck with yellow.  Boooo!  Then I used my fourteen armies to conquer the municipalities around St. Louis.  There are only five control points in St. Louis and I now own four of them.  Hazelwood, I’m coming for you next!

The game promises me more troops each day, so I can continue my smackdown of the Greater St. Louis area.  However, once I’ve beat the tar out of Hazelwood tomorrow, what else will I have to do?  I’m an old grognard who’s played countless strategy games, so you’re going to have to do better than one button war.  I expect to have armies to train, resources to manage, supply lines to protect, a wedding to plan, Gilder to frame!  Oh wait, got carried away there.

I recognize that AR gaming still has a long way to go, but if it wants to take off, it’s going to have to offer more than two minutes of fun.  Add some options, give me blood dammit!  The makers have posted that “Conquar Updates will soon follow!”  Here’s to hoping we see some soon.  Until then, if you’re in the St. Louis area and you log into Conquar, don’t forget pay homage to Emperor Carpenter.

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5 Things To Do With Junaio Glue and LLA Markers

Posted on July 7, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

With the live video access on the iPhone OS 4.0, Metaio is looking to make a splash with its Glue technology in the Junaio AR browser. They would like to show how the iPhone can do more than GPS AR browsing with both image processing and their indoor LLA marker tracking.

LLA Markers

The LLA markers are designed for indoor spaces when GPS becomes unusable. By attaching the latitude, longitude and altitude to a unique pattern, the iPhone can reposition itself without having access to satellites. Since the compass and gyroscope still work, you can point your phone away from the LLA marker and get navigation to the next POI.

This case shows how AR can be superior to map based location using the LLA marker technology. In underground malls when GPS becomes useless, AR can help bridge the gap. I’ve spent considerable time in Japan and often have been lost once I strolled far from my starting location. I would have to go up to the surface to get my barrings occasionally. If they installed LLA markers, it would allow the iPhone to become a useful navigator.

Junaio Glue

In addition to indoor GPS locations, Metaio has improved AR by adding live optical image processing.  By uploading a tracking image to the Junaio servers, anyone can create an optical image that 3D content and information can be attached.  To check out the technology, download Junaio and view this Glue comic character to see how it works.

This image processing along with a standard browser opens up a wealth of possibilities for Junaio.  Now content providers can be more creative with their applications, utilizing visual clues along with GPS and directional ones.

Here are a few ideas that might spur your interest:

1) Using available 3D content on the web, turn your run-of-the-mill picture book into a 3D pop-up with your iPhone.  Just upload each page as a marker and attach the image to it.

2) Create an augmented menu based on the logo of your restaurant.  Or just have it link to your webpage.  Make the world your Internet.

3) Location based treasure hunts using actual pictures of locations to find the next clue.

4) Turn your face into a business card.

5) Turn your logo into a charity event.  Every time someone checks your logo using Junaio and it pulls the image or link from your server, give them a chance to donate, or make a small donation on their behalf.

If you have other ideas, feel free to comment!

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Kickball AR App

Posted on June 24, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

I guess I feel compelled to post this app because of the World Cup.  It’s a cute idea worth a few minutes of play time, but after that, I’m not sure what the appeal would be.  Personally, I’m ready for the next phase of smartphone AR which requires more awareness of objects and the world. Floating augmented objects just isn’t tickling my fancy anymore.

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Augmented Reality’s Console Upgrade

Posted on June 15, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

I’ve been watching the news from E3 with keen interest.  First off, I’m a gamer, if you can’t tell.  But I’m also wildly curious how augmented reality will shape the future of gaming.  Now I haven’t seen any games that strictly use AR, but the direction consoles are taking shows how AR is shaping them.

Microsoft’s Kinect

The formally named Project Natal previews have shown how the dual camera system would allow for gesture based gaming.  The concept doesn’t change with the new name, but we have more information about it.  One of the cooler parts of the system doesn’t even deal with gaming.  Gestures and words will now access the interface like Minority Report.

While we’re a long way from invisible AR systems that travel with us and connect us to the world in new and unique ways, the Kinect system certain raises the bar on how machines can see the world.  The AR smartphone gives us a tiny magic window into the data driven world, while the AR console brings the magic to our living room.

The announced games for Kinect are pretty limited to a racing game, an adventure game involving white water rafting, sports, and dancing.  The only brand name was a Star Wars game that seems like a perfect fit for Kinect and a virtual pet game Kinectimals that gives us the only true augmented reality experience like the PS3 EyePet. The system is due out in November, just in time for the holidays.


Playstation Move and EyeToy

PlayStation is rightly packaging the Move controller along with the EyeToy (for promotional as much as technical reasons.)  While it doesn’t quite compare to the gesture based Kinect, it is a step forward.  However, if I were buying a system for its AR inclusion, the Kinect wins hands down (pun intended.)

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Five Reasons Why the iPhone 4 Was Made for Augmented Reality

Posted on June 9, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

The last year we’ve had quite the love/hate relationship with Steve Jobs and his beloved iPhone.  Like a pimple-faced love struck boy with a handful of daisies in our hand, we felt the fools when the OS3.1 stood us up at the local Burger Barn.  I mean, we weren’t asking to go steady, just a date and maybe a kiss on the cheek in the form of video access API.  Afterwards, we crossed out Steve Job’s picture in our yearbook and shot spit wads at him in hallway when we got the chance.

Now it looks like the new iPhone 4 and iOS4, will make us love sick again.  Though this time we’re a little older and not as pimple laded as last year.  Augmented reality is growing up and we have more to offer, and in return, so does the new iPhone and OS as Steve Jobs announced the details on it yesterday.

1) Video Access API

Clearly this is the number one based on the long and fruitless flirtation during 2009.  With this change, the iPhone can finally become a real AR smartphone using video feed instead of lame picture frame workarounds.

2) Dual facing cameras

We thought the iPad might have it but we picked the wrong Apple product.  Dual facing cameras can turn the iPhone into the same weird tool that the webcam is, replacing our faces with cows, Iron Man, or Transformers.  I hope developers can learn to be more creative than that.

3) Apple A4 Processor

Playing with video requires more power.  This new chip will raise the ceiling on potential applications.  ‘Nuff said.

4) Gyroscope

This one caught me by surprise, and a pleasant one at that.  With the gyroscope, the iPhone can now understand the world without having to actual see anything.  With the accelerometer it can essentially sense gravity, giving the iPhone an easy way to tell where the floor is.  This should greatly improve those shooter games that left zombies and fires floating in free space.  If I were a developer, I would be quite excited about this addition.

5) 5 Megapixel HD Camera

While this isn’t better than the Droid eight-megapixel and only matches the Nexus One five-megapixel, it improves from the previous number of three.  While this isn’t a huge upgrade, it does help our vision system see what’s going on.

A few months ago, I had pretty much decided not to get an iPhone when my wife’s contract was up, but with these changes I think the iPhone is back in the hunt.  As new demos of AR apps start hitting YouTube, I think we’ll all get a better sense of how good the new iPhone is going to be for augmented reality.  I for one, hope we grow to have a wonderful relationship with full benefits, if you know what I mean.

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Three Reasons Why 3D TV and Movies Will Help Augmented Reality

Posted on May 25, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

While we augmented reality aficionados would like to believe that AR has hit its stride, the nascent technology is no where near the level of 3D movies and TVs.  This all may change in the future, but for now the 3D movement far outweighs AR.

This isn’t so bad as I believe, and will try to explain, how the change to 3D TVs and movies will help augmented reality:

1) Augmented reality is just 3D unhinged from a screen

The first and most obvious reason is that augmented reality by its nature exists in a three dimensional space (though in its current iteration we often see 2D sprites hovering in the air.)  So products like 3D movies, TVs, and games will help drive interest in bringing an immersive 3D experience like augmented reality to consumers, as opposed to the 3D view within a flat screen that current 3D offers.  Why be stuck with a screen when you can enhance the whole space around you?

Image from Skooal on Flicker – http://www.flickr.com/photos/skooal/322346446/

2) Why not augmented plays?

I’m having a hard time imagining what an augmented reality movie would look like.  It seems extraneous to add that space in the theater to the story telling medium because that space is a part of your life rather than the story in the screen.

Plays on the other hand could benefit greatly from augmented reality.  What 3D is doing for the movies, I could see AR doing for plays.  Theater typically breaks the fourth wall during its performances, letting the audience in the secret or involving them, even if its just through thunderous applause.

So what if every seat had AR glasses (they could be a little bulky for a two hour experience right?) and the players interacted with this 3D immersive medium?  The type of material presented in that format could be wildly expanded and new forms of storytelling could emerge.

(Picture from Armida!)

3) 3D Glasses –> AR Glasses

Let’s be real.  Ten years ago, someone with a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant for those that don’t remember the 90s) was considered pretty nerdy.  Wearing one on your belt was the equivalent of the pocket protector.

Flash forward to 2010 and one of the big concerns for AR glasses is the style.  Does anyone remember the early versions of the Blackberry?  I felt like I was wearing a frisbee on my hip or that I had a side-holster with a six shooter in it.  If it’s functional and not too bulky (i.e. – neck ache) then it’ll be a hit.

The 3D glasses we start buying for our TVs and games will help bridge that fashion gap.  Who cares what you look like when you’re used to wearing them at home in front of the TV?  Just convince Lady Gaga to wear a pair of bulky AR glasses as a fashion statement and Vuzix will be trying to make them bigger (which brings me to the thought that Lady Gaga is probably just dying to get freaky with some AR.)

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System Flaw Trailer for DSi

Posted on May 19, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

The radar screen on top makes me think of Aliens.

“Look, I’m telling ya, there’s somethin’ movin’ and it ain’t us! Tracker’s off scale, man. They’re all around us, man. Jesus!”

“Hicks: Remember, short controlled bursts.
Hudson: 9 meters, 7, 6.
Ripley: That can’t be, that’s inside the room.
Hudson: It’s reading right man, look.
Hicks: Then, “you’re” not reading it right.
Hudson: 5 meters, man. 4, what the hell?”

Never look in the egg… all I’m saying… never look in the egg.

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Gigaputt – Augmented Reality Golf

Posted on May 10, 2010 by thomaskcarpenter

Make the world your golf course.

That’s the tagline of the new iPhone app Gigaputt from Gigantic Mechanic.  Instead of clubs, you swing your iPhone in a Wii-like manner (though the accuracy is no where near the same) and hit your ball.  Unlike most AR iPhone games, this one actually requires you to interact with your surroundings rather than just spin in place and hit random buttons.  I’m sure there’s some way to include drinks and bar hopping into the game for the adult readers of GA.

The game is also being featured in the Come Out and Play Festival 2010 in New York on June 14th.

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