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augmented reality posts

Layar now adding layers of augmented reality to iPhone

by Ross Miller posted Oct 14th 2009 @ 10:21PM

Since your Android handset-owning friends and colleagues can't have all the phone, Layar has finally made the leap to iPhone. It's now available in the iTunes app store for the enticing price of nada, with its own third-party ecosystem to boot -- only iPhone 3GS customers need apply, though, since without the magnetometer this is kind of a wash. We've only spent a few minutes with the new version, but it seems like much of our initial impressions from August seem to hold true, for better and for worse. But don't take our word for it, download away! [Warning: iTunes link]

[Via Wired]

Layar goes 3D, reality now more augmented than ever

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 23rd 2009 @ 3:13AM

The Layar Reality Browser for Android has already managed to stir up quite a bit of interest in its current state, but it looks like the mad geniuses behind it aren't about to rest on their slightly augmented laurels just yet, and they've now announced that they're adding full 3D capabilities to the app. That, of course, doesn't mean you'll have to start wearing goofy glasses every time you walk outside, but you will soon be able to tag real-life objects with 3D text, or place 3D objects in a real-world space (like the Pac-Man fever dream above, for instance). Of course, the potential uses for the upgrade are limited only by the developers working with it, and they'll have a bit of time to toy around with things before the 3D-enabled version of Layer launches to the public in November. Head on past the break for a quick video, and hit up the link below for a closer look at what's in store.

Continue reading Layar goes 3D, reality now more augmented than ever

Layar augmented reality app now available globally, lets you hunt down tweeps with cold, calculated precision

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 18th 2009 @ 1:44AM

Following a Netherlands-exclusive release back in June, SPRXmobile has now taken its so-called Layar "Reality Browser" for Android to the global stage and advanced it to version 2.0 in the process. Perhaps the first commercial augmented reality app to launch on a large scale, Layar's got a good amount of momentum behind it -- the company claims that 100 developers are already hard at work developing reality layers that users can toggle, and an additional 500 developers are being added into the mix with the latest release. Version 2.0 adds favorite layers (because we're sure you'll be stalking friends and foes all too often using the Tweetmondo layer), map and list views, and enhanced search capabilities, but the real secret to Layar's power might ultimately lie in the third-party ecosystem if they can get enough content providers on board.

We grabbed Layar off the Market and took it for a quick spin; we're having trouble getting it to aim correctly, though Google Sky Map is having the same issues, so we're fairly certain that we're dealing with a phone or location problem rather than a Layar one. The key thing with an app like this is going to be speed and fluidity, and even on our Magic's relatively lightweight 528MHz core, it's plenty usable. The Google-powered Layar local search -- arguably the most important reality layer bundled with the software -- is a little annoying to use, primarily because the search box has no history or suggestion capability which means you've got to type out a full search every time you want to use it. Ultimately, though, the app's very young (as is this whole category of technology, for that matter) and we're stoked to see where this goes over the coming months.

Nokia interface patent fits like an AR-enhancing glove

by Ross Miller posted Jul 11th 2009 @ 10:37AM

Okay, you know the drill by now: just because it's in a patent doesn't mean it's happening anytime soon, if ever. With that said, we'd love to see what Nokia had in mind when they concocted this one. As Unwired View recently unearthed, the Finnish phone maker has drawn up a design doc / patent application for comfortable, stretchable material that fits over your skin and is used for device interaction. Gestures and stretches are computed and signaled into nearby computers, phones, or interestingly enough "near-eye displays" -- sounds like we're getting into a bit of virtual / augmented reality territory here -- and they are also tailored to provide feedback via vibration. Again, don't hold your breath on seeing this come to fruition any point in the near (or even long) future, but still, we know what you're thinking: Nokia's gonna have to think of a ton of kooky color descriptions to accentuate any future lineup of input wristbands / fingerbands.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Video: TAT's augmented reality concept unveiled

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 9th 2009 @ 1:55PM

You remember TAT, right? Amongst other things The Astonishing Tribe has done some bang-up work with the user interface for the G1, unveiled a pretty impressive 3D eye-tracking concept, and now they're hard at work developing something called Augmented ID, an augmented reality concept that uses facial recognition software to attach your visage to a profile. When someone views you through their handset's camera, pre-selected info and social networking links appear to hover around you, letting your new found friend in on more than just your pretty smile. Of course, this is only a concept at the present moment, but when it does become real, make sure you remember to remove those links to JDate and the Cracked Magazine forums before that important corporate presentation. Trust us -- you don't want those worlds colliding. Hit up that read link for the latest from the Swedish design team, but not before you peep this stellar video after the break.

Read - TAT Showroom

Continue reading Video: TAT's augmented reality concept unveiled

Video: Nearest Tube iPhone app augments reality with directions

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 7th 2009 @ 8:06AM

Augmented reality applications to this point could be best categorized as tantalizing to the mind, but otherwise pointless. Thankfully, it seems as if that's no longer the case. AcrossAir, a nascent app builder for the iPhone, has conjured up a slickly executed digital guidance application that augments video with real-time distance and directions to the nearest subway station. With the iPhone 3GS pimping an improved camera, inbuilt compass and GPS, we had a hunch that it wouldn't be long before someone slammed them all together and gave commuters and tourists alike a reason to smile. Presently only capable of serving up directions in London, this app should find plenty of user interest that will hopefully drive its development for other metropolises around the world. Click through to check it out for yourself, and expect to see it ready for download as soon as someone (or something) at Cupertino decides to start approving live video programs. Any day now, Apple...

[Via Tokyo-Genki]

Continue reading Video: Nearest Tube iPhone app augments reality with directions

Video: SPRXmobile's Layar is world's first Augmented Reality browser for cellphones

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 17th 2009 @ 8:55AM

This one's been a long time coming but it looks like Dutch company SPRXmobile has launched the world's first Augmented Reality browser. Layar, as it's called, runs on Android and aggregates the data from the cellphone's compass and GPS coordinates to understand where you're standing and what you're looking at. A "radar view" then applies a visual information layer on top of the camera display as you pan around your environment. Content partnerships including a local bank, social networking site, and a realty company allows Layar to identify houses for sale, nearby ATMs, and local clubs and bars all laid out visually on your cellphone's display. Layar will be available this month in The Netherlands via the Android Market for phones such as the G1 and HTC Magic. It will launch in the US, Germany, and the UK sometime later this year with the iPhone 3G S listed as a primary target platform. Looks great with plenty of data populated in the video sample (posted after the break) but we have to wonder how well it works in day-to-day reality.

Continue reading Video: SPRXmobile's Layar is world's first Augmented Reality browser for cellphones

Nokia project puts red boxes on things

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 11th 2006 @ 3:44PM

"Copy that, Echo 1, I've got a lock on Pizzeria Dacca. Permission to take the shot?" Borrowing cues from heads-up displays you might find in the cockpits of fighter jets, Nokia's Research Center has cobbled together the MARA (Mobile Augmented Reality Applications) project for identifying the user's surroundings. Using a Nokia 6680 specially equipped with a big, ugly box containing accelerometers in all three axes, a compass, and a GPS receiver, the phone has enough information to precisely identify objects seen through its camera by appending stuff (like the aforementioned red boxes) to the on-screen viewfinder -- useful for identifying buildings, streets, and even friends (or "bogeys" if you want to stick with the fighter jet lingo). Though MARA is strictly a research project, it's apparently been under development for a good while now, lending hope that the system might eventually see production some time down the road. We have to admit, the cool factor is extremely high on this one, and we'd love to see it happen.

[Via GigaOM]