Here is a first take at defining the dream MID for augmented reality (2009-2010 time frame):
Manufacturer – a credible leader, with a friendly content distribution channel
Price – Ideally sub $200. Initially not more than $400.
CPU – Dual core 1.3 Mhz, with a Floating Point Unit, SIMD extensions
GPU – integrated with performance similar to TI’s OMAP3 and NVidia’s Tegra (the competition!)
Screen – 4.5 Inch, Min 800×480 resolution, Multitouch, and a very bright screen
Camera – A GOOD CAMERA with a quality lens, video recording at 320×240 or preferably 640×480 (VGA) at 30fps at a good quality (noise, contrast, colors, etc) even under low lighting. Zoom and auto focus a bonus. Front camera – bonus.
Low latency for getting the the camera image to the CPU/GPU and in turn to the display
Zero-latency video output from the device for a head-worn display (digital or analog)
Low-latency inputs for external sensors (such as a tracker on the head-worn display) and cameras (on the head-worn display).
GOOD graphics drivers, Open GL 2.0 (unlike the current Intel OpenGL drivers on Atom which are almost a show stopper for many projects…)
Device size – roughly 130x70x12mm (so that there’s little margin around the screen)
Weight – less than 200g
OS – The best Mobile Linux out there, with C/C++ based SDK and a good emulator. Also as an alternative: Win Mobile support (better dev tools)
Buttons – Very few. QWERTY keyboard is a nice to have.
Connectivity – 3G/GSM, WIFI, Bluetooth
Sensors – A-GPS, accelerometer, 3DOF Gyro sensors
3-axis compass
Storage – 8G and expandable
Memory – 1G RAM
Battery – Min. 3 hours while in full use of camera and network
Extensibility – video out for an HMD, USB port on it.
Openness – open source…
So what do you think?
This spec was actually a swift response to a challenge presented by Intel’s Ashley McCorkle.
Many thanks for the contribution by Daniel-Good camera!-Wagner, Steven-don’t forget latency!-Feiner , Bruce-a couple of extras-Thomas, and Charles-Very bright screen-Woodward.
In ISMAR 2009 in Orlando, we are planning to organize a round table discussion for this very purpose. Would you be interested in participating?
***update***
The experts and enthusiasts are weighing in, and as it usually is in reality (as opposed to dreams) remind us that we need to consider trade-offs.
Charles for example says he would trade off battery time for a lighter device. He also suggests that for professional use – a higher price ($1000 range) for a higher quality device would be reasonable.
A quick look at all MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) Intel is showcasing at CES 2009 (thanks to Truc and Warner from GottaBeMobile)
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Intel introduced the MID design concept only last year with just a handful of working devices. This year, they are definitely making a big splash with too many to count.
Here’s Intel’s own Uday sneak-peaking a bag full of MIDs prior to the show
A notable MID, the Gigabyte m528, was released last month boasting great capabilities albeit a steep price ($750)
Stay tuned for Mid Moves – where four well-known technology bloggers will be taking 8 Intel-based Mobile Internet Devices on a fun and challenging 4-day tour starting on Jan 19th.
Now, which one will you use for your next augmented reality experience?
As usual, CES 2009 will kickoff the AR year with a glitz. Expect to see new AR devices unveiled: new Intel MIDs, mobile devices powered for the first time by the promising chips: Texas Instruments OMAP3 and NVidia’s Tegra .
We will see consumer AR apps selling for the first time, AR games played by cellphone owners, and the AR Market doubling in size.
And not to forget – ISMAR 2009 – the world’s most important Augmented Reality event, will mark the first year where the show expands beyond the engineering department. In October 2009 ISMAR will make a foray into art, , experience, entertainment, and business – all key building blocks of the future AR industry. Orlando will host this year the most ambitious ISMAR yet to be planned. To join the effort contact Chris Stapleton.
2009 is posed to be the year where AR breaks from the lab and gets in the hands of consumers which will change the way we experience the world – forever.
No big winners on this list.
Some have to be hacked to do AR; some might not see the light of day; others don’t even have cameras.
[What in the world are MIDs with no cameras doing on the list, you ask?
Patience my friends. The MIDs are coming. They will have cameras in no time.]
A couple of days later, before you could say “Intel’s-Atom-based-mobile-internet-device”, a MID with a rear camera was announced; and it speaks Italian: Ciao Itelco IDOL!
Itelco IDOL
Those of you following the MIDs evolution, will immediately recognize it as a rebranded Aigo 8880 or a Megabyte M528 or maybe a SFR M! PC Pocket… all various rebadged configurations of Option’s Compal JAX-10 design unveiled at Intel’s IDF this August.
This time with a confirmed rear camera.
It is on sale on Itelco’s site for 449 euros (~$573).
Itelco apparently rushed to publish it and had no time to fully translate the specs. Luckily, Poketables were there for us:
[The 320g device includes] a 800MHz Intel Atom Z500 CPU, [running Linux] 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, and 4GB SSD…integrated 3.5G, 3-megapixel rear camera, and GPS.
I am inclined to announce the IDOL as the front-runner in the race for augmented reality device greatness, but since I am yet to receive a first hand confirmation of its use in an AR scenario, I’ll settle for an update of the “2008 High End Round Up”
.
Nice. Finally a contender with no major flaws. Back to the pursuit of the ultimate augmented reality game.
Let us know when you try the new ragazzo on the block.
In my last post, I proposed a countdown of the top 10 augmented reality demos that are poised to revolutionize video games. That collection focused on concepts that inspire a totally new kind of gameplay. Novice readers testified it was a great introduction to augmented reality, while AR savvy insiders found some newly discovered ideas quite inspiring. Thank you all for the great feedback.
Now, let’s talk hardware: how in the world are we going to play these games? Courtesy of “Window to The Future” By Steve Kosareff
AR game devices run the gamut from 20 lbs-backpack-and-head-mounted-display-systems to tiny handheld cell phones.
Once again, Marshall McLuhan’s legacy (“the medium is the message”) guides the discussion: The evolution of AR hardware devices changes the game mechanics and opens the door for a revolution in game experience.
Scholars have studied it at length (sidebar); I propose a simplified view spanning 3 generations:
The Past: Generation “Kit Bag” Tinmith epitomizes generation “kit bag”
* took place over the last 10+ years
* custom built backpack with laptop, accessories
* head mounted display
* used exclusively in research
* groundbreaking experience yet –
* heavy, complex, and expensive
* started in 2003 with a horizon of 2010
* mass production: banking on the ubiquity of mobile devices
* aspiring for larger screens with more powerful devices
* easy to carry, ergonomic, affordable, yet –
* occupies hands, limits immersion
The Future: Generation “No Bag” Leonard Low’s concept eyewear for augmented reality
* next 3-15 years
* eyewear: glasses and later contact lens
* handsfree; immersive
* in short: nirvana…(also means in Hindu – the end of suffering)
So, what’s the perfect device for mobile augmented reality games?
Experts argue that it depends on the type of game.
I buy that. Here’s the revised challenge: if game developers want to build a game like Roku’s Reward – what handheld device should they zero in on?
Looking at present and future generations, here is my countdown of the top 10 AR mobile devices with which developers will reinvent video games:
10. PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) MIT’s Environmental Detectives PDAs knocked out the “kit bag” generation and signaled the dawn of the “hand bag” generation. They delivered mobility and extensibility (it’s easy to add a camera, GPS or other accessories) and it offered reasonable processing power.
However, with the convergence of devices such as cell phones, cameras, and the miniaturization of computers – PDAs are becoming obsolete.
Notable PDAs for AR include: iPAQ, Dell Axim, Fujitsu-Siemens, and Asus
9. UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) Outdoor tracking with a UMPC at the University of Cambridge UMPCs are the most powerful handheld devices out there. Its Windows operating system makes it a familiar and practical platform for development.
Sony Vaio UX is used often by researchers; Raon Digital Everun is another candidate.
UMPCs would have been at a higher position on this list – had it not introduced 2 barriers for adoption as an AR game device: price (upwards of $1500) and size (needs a sizable bag). After all, the UMPC is designed for business – not games.
8. Smart Phones C-Lab’s KickReal runs on a Siemens phone
If you’re after the masses, smart phones are your best bet thanks to their ubiquity (out of 1.14 billion cell phones sold in 2007 – 10% were smart phones according to IDC) . In two or three years, it will be nearly impossible to buy a conventional cell phone (as agreed at the CTIA wireless show 2008.)
So, almost everyone has them, cameras are getting better, they’re adding accelerometers, and positioning capabilities and some games have proven to work on this type of devices.
Popular mobile phones (sorted by OS popularity according to canalys) include Symbian, Microsoft, RIM, iPhone, Palm (Acquired by Access), and Linux.
Google’s Android phone has ambitions to carve its niche, but has still a long way to go (too slow, not stable). It may emerge as a viable option in 2009.
One AR company suggests the HTC P6500 as “a good approach [for augmented reality games] with faster and easier development tools.”
But because of its small screen, low end processors, and major market fragmentation – smart phones cant leap beyond the 8th spot.
Though considered a smart phone – owing to its unmatched user experience – the iPhone deserves its own category.
Its form factor, touch screen, accelerometer, more modern technology, and now with an open SDK – it’s irresistible.
Although Apple is not known as a great gaming company there are currently 373 games listed under iPhone webapps.
Apple’s total control of the whole product compared with Gphone’s patchwork of multiple companies will result in a better experience.
6. Handheld Game Devices (PSP, Gizmondo, Nintendo DS) Gizmondo used for the Caleb project at Graz University
Handheld game devices are leading the growth in the game hardware market. Some people believe they will cut into the console market. Devices such as Sony’s PSP, Nintendo DS (and Gizmondo assuming it will indeed reemerge) have a great form factor – and the fact that they are designed specifically for games, gives them an edge over general purpose devices. But here’s the caveat:PSP and the DS need to be complemented with accessories such as camera, as well as accelerometers, positioning and ubiquitous connectivity capabilities – to be able to play in this game.
Haven’t we already covered smart phones at #8?. Well, Nokia isn’t just another smart phone company. Through extensive research, it pushes the envelop of augmented reality experiments on phones more than any other manufacturer.
Notable devices include N-81, N95, N-810.
The feature packed multimedia heavy N95 stands out as the most popular among researchers despite some limiting factors:
* runs on symbian – not great for heavy programming
* small 2.6” screen with 240 x 320 pixels only
* Expensive (above $500) and not really for mass market
4. MID (Mobile Internet Devices) Intel announced these MIDs to be released in 2008
Intel is putting its muscle behind the MID. The MID is designed for multimedia consumption on the go. It’s extremely portable with an ideal screen size (4-5”); it’s fully connected and armed with a strong (low power consumption) processor. The fact that it runs on a scaled down Linux makes it accessible and fast. But, what really separates it from the UMPC is its sub $500 target price.
Before year end ,Intel hardware partners are planning to release these products: LG Xnote, BenQ, Aigo, Lenovo MID.
Although experts have no real world experience with the MID – it’s shaping up as the preferred choice; if you plan to develop an augmented reality game this year – I would single out the MID as your #1 device.
When the flood of MIDs comes upon us, here is the criteria I suggest to separate the wheat from the chaff:
* screen size between 3.5″-5.5″ (4″-5″ ideal)
* min 65K colors, 800×480 pixels
* strong processor – min 400MHz
* with CGI acceleration (e.g. NVidia APX2500, TI OMAP 3)
* ubiquitous connectivity with cell (3G) and wifi/wimax
* high quality video camera: resolution (640×480), 30 fps
* positioning capabilities (GPS or software based locationing)
* inertial sensors, accelerometers, digital compass
* blue tooth for adding essential accessories
* touch screen – nice too have
* price – below $500; $200 would be ideal for the masses
Now let’s delve into the future; here devices become more conceptual, which means – not proven, yet stimulating. Prepare to be audaciously hopeful.
3. Looking glass (design concept)
In its designer Mac Funamizu’s own words:
“This is what I wish the Internet search will be able to do with a mobile device in the NEAR future. Touch screen, built in camera, scanner, WiFi, Google map (hopefully Google earth), Google search, image search… all in one device. Like this way, when you can see a building through it, it gives you the image search result right on the spot.”
Will anyone ever build it? I don’t know – but it sure looks cool.
2. Glasses Mirage Innovations is one of the contenders for the future generation
Nokia dubbed mobile phones as the 4th screen (following cinema, TV, PC). According to this count, glasses will be the 5th screen. It spearheads the next generation of augmented reality: the “no bag generation”. This is when we become liberated. Handsfree. The interactive overlays on top of reality surround us anywhere we look. Can we start developing games for glasses? not quite yet. They still lack built in cameras, eye tracking, and tend to cause dizziness. Should we start thinking about it? Absolutely. Rolf Hainich has dedicated a book to this concept and aptly called it the end of hardware. Ben Averch writes about this market in his future-looking blog.
Companies to watch:
Microvision is working on lightweight eyewear for augmented reality
Lumus Optical has just launched their new and slick eyewear
Here is the criteria I recommend to use to evaluate the progress of contending eyewear companies:
* looks and weighs like regular sun glasses
* see thru, high resolution display
* integrated camera
* eye tracking
* position and movement sensors
* integrated sound
1. Contact Lens Darpa project for the creation of micro- and nano-scale display technologies
Apart from topping the list of “things you wouldn’t borrow from a friend”, contact lens leap to the top spot of AR devices. Normally, the mere thought would be scientifically dismissed as “too far off”, but this Darpa project makes it slightly more conceivable. In Vernor Vinge’s Rainbows End near future novel – everybody (except retreads) wears them. It becomes a natural extension of human intelligence, with user interface that can be summed as squint and gesture. It gives itself away only due to the occasional blank stare which is typically confronted with: “are you googling again!?”.
The story is taking place in 2025. Not too far off.
Back to the present: Scientists at the University of Washington have already created a proof of concept – see video below.
Didn’t make the list * Laptops – laptops were used extensively during the “kit bag” generation as a key ingredient of the back pack, but during the hand bag generation – no one wants to the roam the streets tethered to a laptop. First implementation of Plundr ran on a laptop – but gamers soon clamored for the Nintendo DS version.
* Zune – should it be?…
* Brainchips – beyond the horizon of contact lens lies the world of brainchips . I am not touching this one with a 12 foot pole…I consider myself a technology enthusiast, but this makes me feel uneasy. I want to always have the choice to de-augment my reality when I’ve had enough. Hard connections into my brain may deprive me from that right.
Games Alfresco 