Hands down, this is the weirdest augmented reality game I encountered. Clic&Spot by French company Clic&Gain, is a game that adorns your face with virtual zits and challenge you to burst them as quickly as you can. Who wouldn’t this premise enticing?
The game is based on Total Immersion’s technology, and there’s even an iPad to win. Of course, an iPad is a small prize considering the trauma this game can cause you, but at least it gives you something to touch, other than your face.
Los Angeles based, but Japanese named interactive marketing agency Zugara has launched a couple of days ago a new application named “The Webcam Social Shopper“.
Basically, it’s a magic mirror application that let’s you try on different clothes. But, there’s so much more to it – the user interface is engaged via motion detection, and you can take a photo of yourself with your new virtual clothes, and share it on facebook with your friend. However, one thing this application fails to do, is to show you whether any of the clothes fit, as they all stay static and don’t interact with your body movements. I don’t expect this application to improve the 3.57% conversion rate state in the next video.
Now, this application is only in alpha state, and a lot can change until it goes public. And admittedly, Zugara has some nice ideas on the future use cases of such application (e.g. shop together with your friends, online). Nevertheless, I think it’s too early for it to become useful. Maybe when Project Natal matures, but not now.
Oh, and lest I forget, this technology is patent pending. Great.
When it comes to using augmented reality for marketing purposes, nothing beats those magic mirror applications. After all, trying on a product, even virtually, goes a long way towards selling it (and surely it’s better than those novelty AR gimmicks).
One of the first and still most famous commercial applications of this kind was Ray-Ban’s virtual mirror that enabled web surfers to check out how would they look with different sunglasses. The company behind the technology, FittingBox, has recently licensed the technology to British online glasses retailer Glasses Direct. Taming face detection algorithms, FittingBox can place a pair of glasses on you with an admirable accuracy. And it doesn’t end with Ray-Ban and Glasses Direct. Vogue Eyewear also uses that technology and FittingBox is the owner of YouAreTheModel.com, where you can try on many other brands. Here’s a short video showcasing the technology:
While FittingBox is somewhat a niche company specializing in virtual eyeglasses, Seac02 develops many AR applications (and I really need to cover some of them, sometime). Their Eligo engine simplifies the creation of magic mirrors application at point of sales. Seen here is HairArt, an application developed by Seac02 Asian distributor Hanoul Neotech, that lets the user try on wigs. Yes, we have seen such applications before, but it’s always good to see another one:
Another application of this technology is this next magic mirror that lets you try on and even choose some tailor made shoes. This one still needs a marker to work out, but according to Seac02 they will be releasing a version in July that waives this requirement and detects your feet automatically.
Before going on with our scheduled linkfest, I would like to pose a question to my readers. Am I updating too much, or not enough? How many augmented reality related posts would you like to read per week? Your opinion is important to me, so please comment away on this topic.
Now, without further ado, here’s this week’s linkfest.
From Total Immersion comes this web application that enables you to summon a virtual Disney dragon. I think the more interesting angle here is that Total Immersion has registered a domain named dfusionathomeapps.com.
Sony’s Play Station 3 motion controller lets you play with virtual swords (if you happen to have a few cameras installed around your living room).
If you are invited, you can try Roque’s new rings collection by wearing an AR marker on your finger. The technology comes from Holition, which specialize in using augmented reality for promoting jewelry. (via Not Just Reality)
if you put a marker on something inadequate (for example an oily food box) and fail to produce both a nice game logic and fancy design, augmented reality becomes totally obsolete. Driven by nothing. And because I am driven by augmented reality I don´t want immersive “campaigns” to be as attractive as a modem.
This augmented reality video comes from Berio Molina Quiroga thesis project for the Computer Graphic Design Masters at Rochester Institute of Technology. It’s called Augmented Sound, but I fancy the drawing process much better than the auditory results. You can find more information over here.
Games Alfresco 