First, for those of you who do not know what Augmented Reality is we will define others first.
Reality is the world as you see it (o.k. no brain-er)
It should not be confused with Virtual Reality as this is a reality that simply does not exist at all. It is completely a rendered reality.
Augmented Reality is the real world augmented with some simultaneous virtual reality items.
So what can this do for us?
Rather than speak like a geek and tell you of things you may not yet comprehend, lets just look at what is coming down the pike real soon as in within the next year.
Google, with the aid of it’s Android operating system, is rumored to be releasing an AR Goggle. this will most likely have compass/giro/GPS to have an idea of where it is and how it is positioned so that it can accurately display data.
What can be done with a pair of 3D Goggles with a camera is allow you to look at the real world and, using say Google Maps or other Google apps on your phone, see that real world with additional information about what you are looking at. Building addresses,names or a peek inside or markers for particular restaurants etc. It could give you live GPS info while you were hiking and show you the way through the woods while hiking.
You might not go to the dress shop, just use their smartphone app, try-on all the clothes in their stock and see what you will look like in them. Yes, a image of you overlay with the clothes you are virtually trying-on ! And do this while you are waiting on our plane/bus/doctor’s office.
This is the tip of the iceberg. Just a few of many you will see in the next year. Google’s angle of course will be advertising augmentation using maps apps.
Now that being said, it is already in use in such items as Parrots’ AR Drone. A 4 rotor flying camera controlled with a smartphone or iPad. Just have a looksy at some Youtube Videos of AR using QR codes that some advertisers have just dabbled with at this point.
Most of what we have seen at this point to the masses has just been cute and cool stuff. I believe Google will change that very quickly having the first major impact on Augmented Reality in a real and useful products.
There are plenty of company’s and App developers to fill the void once the market has been broken into.
Normally, the Porn and Gaming World are the first to latch on to the tech in graphic displays and I think when the market has been proved, they will be there just the same. This is a tech boom that is sure to put a bunch of Geeks to work very soon.
I do think there is a very big market for VR and AR porn. Nobody likes to admit or talk about it much but these folks spend lots of money online to see “stuff” and if that stuff can be more real, well, that always equates to more dollars spent. I just wonder how far the porn world will go with augmented reality. It could keep some perv’s off the street.
Sony will be making some inroads to the market. They are set to release 3D Headgear / Goggle and could easily be made with a camera and head-tracking to make AR very cool with them but I suspect initial products just to be used for 3D entertainment.
There are company’s developing even a better AR Goggle that will put the image right on the retina of your eye using a laser. Now that’s a bit scarey for me until it is completely tested against error.
3D Headgear / Goggle are not new, Vuzix is on 2nd or 3rd generation of High-Res HD 3D Optics that look like a pair of Sunglasses. They have head tracking and cameras for some units. They could be poised to take some market share quickly once this opens up. Plenty of others make a 3D Goggle. Unless you are into this kind of tech, you probably have not herd of them yet. I like to watch some 3D movie trailers on YouTube with my Vuzix Wrap 920 that I bought to have a portable First Person View ( FPV ) of my RC Aircraft. I see what the camera sees on the aircraft and can fly it like I was on it. I have a Heads-Up Display ( HUD ) inserted on the video of my flight data like GPS coordinates and speed, direction, distance and altitude. Very useful for me. What will Augmented Reality World Bring to me ? I anxiously await but see the possibility of overlay of maps in my flight display, helping me navigate when I am not in familiar territory.
The Armed Forces have been looking at this Augmented Reality Headgear for tactical improvements to the men in the field.
Welcome to the new Augmented World !