Weekly Sunny Linkfest

Weekly Sunny Linkfest

Before we begin with our weekly pile of links, here's a message from Christine Perey on behalf of "the program committee of the Third International AR Standards meeting":

The committee has decided to extend the deadline for position papers to June 6th (5 PM UK). Please find more information and guidelines for the position papers: http://www.perey.com/ARStandards/third-meeting-position-papers/

Now, back to our regular programming:

• The community is still abuzz with the Augmented Reality Event:
• Microsoft's ARE Read Write World talk courtesy of @MetaverseOne (who worked hard to edit this video together) - check out his site for more clips from ARE.
  
Very nice ARE2011 roundup at TechZulu
• ARE2011 keynote by Blaise Aguera y Arcas. As usual, computer vision wizardry is to be expected
  
• But lest us forget about the European counterparts: Augmented Planet 2011 and the AR Summit (which ironically falls for me on a trip to the United States)
• Latest Windows Phone version, Mango, discovers GPS and compass based augmented reality two years too late. We want "strong" photosynth based AR, and we want it now!
  
• Zombie Room is an augmented reality puzzle game that looks kinda interesting http://omy.gd/0ojvF but in what way does AR makes it any better?
  
• Zugara shares data from their usability testing about augmented reality For ecommerce

This week's video goes to you Dr. Who fans - I'll never understand your ways. Sean McCracken apparently does, and thus created this Android app, available on the Android market to display an augmented version of the TARDIS. Everlasting glory to the first fan who will create a video of Daleks shouting "augment! augment!"

Have a nice week, and good luck Noora

Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

It's a link apocalypse!

• Many of the AR community went to the second annual Augmented Reality Event. Sadly, I wasn't able to be there, but luckily, Augmented Citizen share some thoughts and presentations from the event, Locative Media have some "pirated videos" of the keynotes and Layar uploaded videos of a couple of their presentations to Youtube. If you have a video or a blog post about the event - send me an email or give me a tweet.
  
• Sander Veenhof is a genius (there, I said it!) and Layar should be paying him money for choosing their platform if they don't already do so. This time he came up with a way to use augmented reality to create a world wide synchronized dancing routine. It's an augmented macarena!
  
• With Disney's mobile phone projector you can play games on walls and interact with real life objects.
  
• Tablets and democratization: Metaio & Layar pinpoint next steps for augmented reality (via @bruces).
  
• Sony SmartAR delivers high-speed markerless augmented reality and according to Engadget, it also blows minds.
• Scott Blake creates art using QR codes.
  

This week's video is of a simple augmented reality game, called Tapcloud with an interesting premise. By chasing virtual cloud (and looking a little bit foolish), the game forces you to get some exercise, and even counts the number of calories you burned once it's game over. The game is available for free on the app store, so you have nothing to lose (except, again, calories).

Have a tremendous week!

Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

Weekly Augmented Reality Linkfest

It's time again for the weekly linkfest, a collection of augmented reality news stories that I didn't find the time to blog about during the past week:

• Things start to get interesting as Vuzix announces partnership with Metaio. This only a few days after we learned that Vuzix will provide DARPA with their glasses.
• If you are still debating whether to go to Augmented Reality Event 2011, Tish Shute has a good writeup on what you can expect to see there (and a $100 coupon).
• Augmented reality sketch-a-race demo for iPad2 by Ogmento
• Brazilian police to use "Robocop" glasses to recognize criminals and terrorists in crowds? Sounds like a hoax, but this article, and the one on which it is based, were written after April fools.
• GoldRun raises one million dollars.
• Augmented reality from the perspective of a creative director is it a gold mine or black hole?

This week's video comes to us from Nokia Research, showing their indoor navigation solution. Coming from Nokia Research, one of the first bodies to look into mobile AR, this should be considered as no more than a teaser. It's very cool and alluring with its 30cm accuracy, and its "where I put my keys" functionality, but not likely to be adopted anytime soon. Five years from now, Apple/Google will probably come with inferior solution which will be hugely successful. You can read more about the technology on GSM Arena.



Have a great week!

Weekly Belated Linkfest

Weekly Belated Linkfest

Sorry for not posting the weekly linkfest yesterday; Don't worry though, the links are still fresh:

• A preliminary schedule for the second Augmented Reality Event has been posted, lots of interesting sessions await you.
• Sander Veenhof created the first one-dimensional art piece using Layar, aptly named 1px (math geeks, calm down! a pixel is indeed not 1 dimensional, but as close as one can get). You can also see an interview with Veenhof about art in AR.
• Toby has a nice roundup of non-visual augmented reality projects and applications.
• If you have any programming in the last year, you surely know of StackOverflow.com. Now there's an attempt to create a similar Q&A site for augmented reality. If you think this idea has any merit then show your support.
• Marketing with Augmented Reality - an Infographic (via @comogard).
  
• Mavericks have teamed with Qualcomm to add augmented reality to this year’s playoff tickets.
• April fools: AdBlock Freedom - augmented reality eyewear that detects and removes ads from the world in realtime. Probably the guys at AdBlock never heard of Artvertiser.

I love videos done by students to show off their work. This week we are lucky to have Predator, a very impressive video (though I haven't tried it myself) tracking algorithm resulting from Zdenek Kalal's phd thesis at the University of Surrey, UK. You can try it yourself by downloading a compiled application to your pc, and read more about it here. Though desktop bound right now, Kalal claims that "implementation for mobile devices is feasible".



have a great week!

Happy Weekly Linkfest Day!

Happy Weekly Linkfest Day!

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the links of this week:

• Synchronize your markers - the second Augmented Reality Event to take place in May. Maybe this time my flight won't be canceled by Delta at the very last minute.
• Google Goggles enters the print ads recognition space (and now also solves Sudokus). There are a couple of very cool European companies that should be worried right now.
• Joe Ludwig on 7 requirements for an AR positioning system, and don't miss my lengthy comment (unless you want to get it as a whole blog post :)).
• Augmented reality is the 'trend for the future' at adult entertainment exhibition(via @AugmentedManc)
• Play golf with an augmented caddy (you still need to carry the cart yourself).

Augmented reality t-shirts are cool. Star Wars is cool (as determined by a poll of 500 AR fands). Thus, augmented reality t-shirts, featuring Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker fighting each other must be the epitome of coolness. I don't have a clue who made those or where can you get them, but you may enjoy the video:



have a great week!

Weekly Linkfest

Weekly Linkfest

As expected, this linkfest is full of ARE2010 stuff:

• Three of #ARE2010 are online - Bruce Sterling, Will Wright and Jesse Schell. I'm still looking for the Blaise Aguera y Arcas one.
  
• Google Goggles project manager Shailesh Nalawadi confirmed at ARE2010 once again that Goggles is coming to the iPhone soon.
  
• Total Immersion created a sort of "AR inside" logo to be freely used by the community.
  
• YDreams won the first Auggie demo competition.
  
• Metaio announced two exciting partnerships, the first with Kooaba adding vision based AR to Junaio on the Android. The other is with YOUReality to improve their eCommerce solutions.
  
• Not one, but two applications wants you to spray graffiti via augmented reality - TagDis which takes a game approach, and ARstreets.
• ReadWriteWeb on how AR helps doctors save lives (also check out one my early posts about AR used to train doctors).
  
• And finally, if ARE2010 left you hungry for more and speak Italian, maybe you'll find IAR2010 interesting.

This week's video is not from ARE2010, but cool nonetheless. EXMAR is a conceptual periscope-like device that attaches to your mobile phone and lets you see an augmented view of your surrounding without pointing directly at anything. It's great for minimizing hand strain, looking behind you and admittedly for perverts. Created by students at Korea's KAIST institute, the related paper was submitted to ISMAR10 but is not available online as far as I can tell



Have a great week, see you back on the 20th (unless my flight will be canceled again).

Jesse Schell - Rethinking Vision

Jesse Schell - Rethinking Vision

Jesse Schell gave what can only be described as a "kick-ass" keynote in ARE2010. In less than 30 minutes he gave me so many points to think about when considering augmented reality in 2020, that I couldn't help but watch his presentation again, even though the video quality is less than perfect.

I will do great injustice to Schell by trying to summarize his talk, and you should really see it yourself, especially if you think that AR is about labeling things and will undoubtedly have a positive influence on our lives.


(sorry RSS readers, this is a Qik video and can't be embedded in the feed)

On a side note let me again apologize for not attending ARE2010. My transatlantic flight to Atlanta was canceled due to some technical problem and Delta wouldn't put me on another flight heading to the US for another 24 hours. Considering the connection involved, this would have meant getting to attend only that last couple of hours of the event, so I've decided to forgo the all idea.
Assuming my rescheduled flight will leave has planned, I'll be in San Francisco next week and the week after that in Washington DC, if anyone feels like meeting up.

Edit: I want to thank the "Avatar Hotel Great America" in Santa Clara for canceling my stay on a very short notice without fines. I'll be sure to stay with you the next time I'm in the vicinity.

Vicariously at ARE2010

Vicariously at ARE2010

So, it seems that fate (also called Delta Airlines) decided that I should not attend the augmented reality event. Here are some alternatives you may want to check out for online cover of the event:

• The event's official twitter account http://www.twitter.com/arealityevent
• It is always a good idea to follow Chris Grayson's twitter account


• Patched Reality's Patrick O’Shaughnessey and the augmented citizen Dan Romescu are also doing their share on twitter.
  
• Sophia Parafina live blogs the event using Google Wave. It doesn't work for me (technically) but it may work for you.

Are you there and reporting about the event? Please tell!

Let Me Be Your Voice in ARE 2010

Let Me Be Your Voice in ARE 2010

Not going to the Augmented Reality Event, this Wednesday? Too bad, but don't despair. I'll be there to cover what may become a milestone event in the history of AR.
Have question to any of the speakers or exhibitors on site? Just write a comment or send me a tweet - @augmented. Which reminds me, not bringing my laptop, I'll be mostly updating on twitter via my iPhone. Be sure to follow me there.

Weekly Linkfest

Weekly Linkfest

I know you've been waiting for it, here's this week's linkfest:

• Ori posted a tentative schedule for the Augmented Reality Event. Some very interesting talks and if everything goes according to plan, you could see me there as well (now, that's exciting!)
• Some impressions from the first Augmented Human International Conference, mostly focusing on eye-tracking uses for AR (via @chris23)
• pocket-lint.com asks whether AR stands a chance (via @kohdspace)
  
• Augmentology has a philosophical piece (or that's how I take it) on why augmented reality is a misnomer, and we should use the term "Aura Recognition"
• Will HP's slate be a killer AR device?
  
• Total Immersion has this very nerdy cool augmented version of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Weekly quote is from that pocket-lint article mentioned above. It's so true, I had to bring it here:

Just when it looks as if it might take off, we may never hear from AR again. Why? Because consumers won’t be wanting, buying or using a service called “AR”. AR will go the way of AI. It'll be taken for granted and never referred to, just part and parcel of most every valuable application used.

And this week's video, is nothing else but an augmented version of Hello Kitty, which you can play with somewhere over here (via Development Memo for Ourselves)




Hopefully I'm going to see a live demo of Project Natal this week, wish me luck!