Well, a very slow week in terms of augmented reality comes to an end. Though the Where 2.0 conference was held this week, there is still no video of the mobile reality panel Ori attended. The slow week also explains why the top post on Game Alfresco was “Top 10 augmented reality demos that will revolutionize video games” for the third week in a row, and on Augmented Times it was the post about the new SREngine video.
Anyway, here are some more augmented-reality related news from around the web:
South Korea is investing twelve billion won on augmented reality research. It translates to about 10 million US dollars. Interestingly, South Korea is behind 24% of the world’s AR related patents (just after the US and Japan, and twice the number of EU patents). Thanks David for the tip!
From the Where 2.0 – “Wearable Sensory Substitution Devices for Navigation“. Augmenting other senses (other than sight) for those who are vision impaired or suffer from Alzheimer. One of my first posts was about this topic, and I’m glad to see that AR is used for helping others.
Finally, the video clip of this week comes from this Coca Cola campaign, making the rounds on Twitter. Looks fun, I guess:
We have been raving about how Augmented Reality will reinvent reality. Which slices of “reality” will be affected by AR first? Researchers and entrepreneurs worldwide are already plotting its impact on specific industries.
Investors – here’s a chance to educate yourselves.
Here are 11 of my favorite clips depicting industries reinvented with augmented reality: (Credits inside the videos)
1. Advertising
Despite being the first on the ar band wagon, the $600 Trillion ad industry has used AR as a gimmick. It has the potential to literally bring consumers to products and totally reinvent itself.
2. Art
Street art democratized minus the vandalism.
Here is another fantastic example – a free form street art.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
3. Design
Real-collaboration, real-time, real-life design
4. Entertainment
Entertainment content could reach you in every part of your day AND be relevant to your surroundings.
5. Health care
Doctors: you have the information – now use it in context of your patient.
6. Learning
Books reinvented. Gutenberg must be turning in his grave.
7. Maintenance
See through walls, floors and roofs? awesome dude – I wanna be in maintenance!
8. Personal Productivity
No more being glued to a screen. No more screens. No more (visible) hardware.
9. Retail
Stores and products talk to you about themselves (but only when you want…)
And from the consumer perspective – shopping will be reinvented
10. Tourism
Your personal tourist guide, anywhere you go.
11. Training
User manuals are dead. Watch the instructions live in your field of view.
Top 10 AR milestones in 2008 was one of the most popular posts this year. What came out of it was even more gratifying: a multitude of reflections, impressions, and thoughts I received about your own AR moments, including some last minute finds.
Here is an anecdotal collection of your greatest AR moments in 2008:
1. The Most fundamental AR milestone in 2008
Oriel Bergig: During 2008 we have seen some major advances in the field of Augmented Reality. Porting AR technology to mobile devices and especially cellular phones creates an opportunity to reach millions of users. For several years, the biggest AR labs and companies have made huge steps in this direction. In 2008 these efforts have started to show results. Pose estimation has been upgraded with the StbTracker release in the end of 2007. Research focusing on better user experience, and in particular on making mobile AR technology accessible to people with no special training, is being conducted by the best minds of the HitLabNZ. During one of the top covered events of the year, CES2008, Intel’s CEO Paul Otellini demonstrated Total Immersion’s technology enabling mobile AR experiences such as urban guidance. To wrap-up, the 2008 most fundamental milestone would be: AR technology is closing up fast on the mass user market.
Charles Woodward: The greatest milestone? Commercial breakthroughs by Metaio and Total Immersion.
Thomas Wrobel: Wikitude I think. Seems the first released, useful, AR software. Runner up to the AR Geisha doll…
2) The best AR device of the year
Oriel: Since 2008 would most be remembered for its advances in mobile AR technology, the AR device of the year is the mobile phone. Nokia has released the Navigator phone that includes a GPS and an accelerometer, which make a valuable addition. The N95 has been demonstrated as well in many more contexts as a good choice for AR applications. The next AR device of the year would be the Nokia N97 and of course the iPhone with its huge global success. iPhone feets very well AR applications and a successful attempt to port ARToolKit to iPhone has already been made by ARToolWorks. Appealing applications are next to come but only after the iPhone OS has better support for real time video acquirement.
Charles: Best device? iPhone, and/or Nokia 6210…
Thomas: hmz…tricky. I personally think hardware is still rather lackluster, and I have had little experience with some of the most recently released stuff.
I guess probably the iPhone + G1 devices…while far from ideal, they are at least getting location-aware services, and “barcode scanning” style product information into public hands.
Eric Rice shares what gets him excited about a video comparing between PS2 Eyetoy and PS3 Eye.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
3) Best AR Demo
Oriel: The best demo of 2008 is the demo that will be remembered by most people a decade from now. The demo that reached most of the people in the world is most likely Intel’s CEO Paul Otellini keynote talk during CES2008.
Charles: Haunted Book, Cherrer et al at ISMAR2008 – just beatiful!
(click Interaction on the left menu bar and then Haunted House.)
Thomas: LevelHead [by Julian Oliver], I think. Although this pet demo [ARf] is also nice; (that may be because I want my own desuke though :p)
Vodpod videos no longer available.
4) Person of the AR year
Charles: Georg Klein – leads the way in anything he touches [single handedly won ISMAR 2008 tracking competition]
Thomas: There’s been so much development by so many individuals and companies I don’t know one specific person.
5) The most significant AR deal of 2008
Charles: Beijing Olympics fake fireworks. About the viewers of the Olympics openning ceremony:”What they did not realise was that what they were watching was in fact computer graphics, meticulously created over a period of months and inserted into the coverage electronically at exactly the right moment. ”
Thomas: Not sure about AR deals as such, but Total Immersion getting offices in the US is a good sign for the company and AR in general.
6) A [Predictable?] disappointment
Gizmondo won’t be coming out this year after all…The Nordik Link has the scoop.
7. Last minute find: A Surprising Simplicity in AR
Anyone can build 3D models with Google’s Sketchup. With the AR Media plugin from Inglobe – anyone can bring it into an augmented reality scene. ArchDaily tried it here.
Thanks for contributors and especially: Charles Woodward, Oriel Bergig, and the always there AR enthusiast: Thomas Wrobel
Bonus: Blair MacIntyre shares his greatest AR moments in 2009 in his blog.
This emerging technology is on a 15-plus-year-long journey from the lab and into the mainstream. With too many events to list, 2008 marks an important year in that quest.
Here is the countdown of the top 10 most important AR milestones of 2008:
10) Otellini’s CES keynote showcases AR technology
The year started with the largest consumer electronics show CES. Total Immersion’s demo had the attention of the entire consumer electronics community during Otellini’s (Intel CEO) 2008 keynote.
9) Video game gurus recognize AR as the future of gaming
My personal idol in the game industry, Will Wright, delivered the best augmented reality quote of the year. When describing AR as the way of the future for games, he explained:
Games could increase our awareness of our immediate environment, rather than distract us from it”.
Futurist Bruce Sterling made controversial statements about games in 2043 in front of a developer only audience in the Austin Game Developer Conference . Here is one statement that stood above all:
“What do the games of 2043 look like? “I think you would call [them] ‘augmented reality’”
8) ISMAR 2008
The world’s most important augmented reality event, ISMAR 2008, was more significant than ever. It demonstrated, above all, the level of maturity AR research has reached.
It might not be the best AR device but it certainly has the most buzz. In 2008, the iPhone was highly sought after by game developers and researchers. The App store which amassed 10,000 apps in half a year, offers an instant distribution model for AR games. In 2008, the iPhone was the gadget to beat.
Ghostwire may or may not be the first AR game to win a game award. But, 2008 was certainly the first year were 6 out 0f top 10 games were selected as finalists in game awards such as Nokia’s Mobile Innovation Challenge.
One AR game did not win any awards this year, but was certainly an audience favorite (the most hits): Cyber Figure Alice – the first adult only AR game.
The AR market picked up steam in 2008 with high visibility deals such as Total Immersion’s with Six Flags (“magically superimpose clown masks on riders” as their waiting for the Dark Night ride) and Metaio (book deals with publishers ArsEdition and Knowledge Media). Metaio also scored a lucrative advertising contract to promote the MINI.
What, in your opinion, was the most significant augmented reality milestone in 2008?
Games Alfresco 