If it wasn't for Twitter and social media as a whole grabbing all the headlines Augmented Reality would be the most talked about "technology" of 2008/2009.
While the roots of the technology have been around since as early as the 1990's (remember VR games!) it's only in the last 12 months has the interactive industry taken to it like moths to a flame. Below you will find some of the worlds biggest brands dipping their toe into "Augmented Reality". Some are in it for the PR aspect others trying to find a useful application. Many just to satisfy their need to do something new.
The technology has it's limitations though. Not only do you need a web cam but also a printer to activate it. Add to that one requires a download and installation of an application you cut your potential audience down considerably. That said I enjoy watching the videos and demos as much as interacting with it myself.
If you know of any interesting applications for AR please comment below. I know there is much more out there and my limited research was focused on the advertising and marketing side rather than the tech and art side.
Augmented Reality!? That's so 2008
Has AR jumped the shark? Well if Virtual Magicians are using it I think that's your answer. For me the best application of this is in store and also with kids toys. Both applications have far more useful applications than a fun web toy.
Below are 35 great examples of where Augmented Reality and their applications to the commercial and art world.
Correction Update: Apologies to Metaio who I incorrectly forgot to credit as the technology behind the Mini and Lego examples. This is why you don't post at 1am :)
Rubberduckzilla
I had not seen any arcade style games in AR before this. Fun and stupid and it was meant to be.
There are two main ways to achieve Augmented Reality in a browser.
1: Dedicated Plugin:
- Total Immersion:This French company has been the leader in the Augmented Reality field for commercial use. If you are after the best qality 3D this is the one to go with.
Pros: Higher quality 3D Cons: Costly licence fee, no community, single vendor, custom code language, large file size, new plugin required
2: Flash: Can be integrated into any flash site and works with Flash 8+
Pros: No plugin, small file size, open source, community, flash is a common skill
Cons: Lower quality 3D
Links: FLART
There is also various other technologies which could be used but all have limited web capabilities.
Many universities have Augmented Reality research labs and I think we'll start to see this technology get more mature over the next few years as commercial applications for it start to materialize.
Holler and Stupidkrap have teamed up to create an Interactive Graffiti installation which is part of Creative Sydney. Check out the other events going on for Creative Sydney too as there is lots of good stuff.
It’s a collaboration with an urban artist collective around Ben Frost, Numskull, DMOTE and KidZoom. Interactive in the sense that visitors use a camera to go back in time and see the beginning of the painting.
Rather than try and explain it just watch the videos below.
Here I was twittering about how crap the iPhone apps for Westpac and Commbank were, and how they've jumped in without thinking:
"Lets do an iPhone app (or was that the agency) - "yeah" and then... What they end up with is a glorified portal on the iphone linking to the netbank etc through the browser within the iphone. Granted they both use your GPS to show you where a branch or ATM are.. but I want something a bit more useful (or fun - like a lightsaber) from my apps - even if they are for free.
Like, maybe, an iphone banking app that uses cool stuff to make my transactions easier and fun - at least? I mean I keep hearing from hardcore coders that there's a fairly hefty investment in programming apps, and why would you bother for something that's solved with a couple of bookmarks in existing app?
And then i saw this - it even make sme sound smarter - like I'm British or sumfink.
it's a lot "cleaner" than an idea which I was floating about a few months back - it has a mouth, but not as much talking. If anyone wants to put their hand up to program "that" then email me now, please
This is the best thing I've seen in a while - Tweenbots.
Take some simple mini robots, and set them on their way through a big city with only a flag that says "help me get to my destination". Will people help?
We received this Jung von Matt/Neckar in Germany, which, I must say think is a great piece of work. I dont think we have seen anything that pushes the banner as medium since the SOL comments piece, which went on to pick-up Grand-Prix at Cannes last year.
Its an extension of Nike + Man vs. Women the battle of the sexes campaign. The idea is to connect two different ad units on two different sites (shape.de and menshealth.de). On specific dates, messages written by women to the men on shape.de will appear in the banner on menshealth.de -- and the other way round.
Go in and try yourself on March 30 and April 6, always from 5 to 9 p.m. on www.menshealth.de or respectively www.shape.de.
