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 Linkfest

Weekly Linkfest

After a month long hiatus, it's back! The weekly linkfest is here, with a fresh batch of links:

• Top headline of the week obviously goes to Qualcomm, which will launch a free vision based AR framework for Android this fall. In order to encourage developers to use their SDK, Qualcomm holds a contest for best use of the framework, first prize is $125000. I have to get myself an Android phone and start working on that AR Farmville concept! Who's with me?
  
• int13 (missed you guys!) brings very smooth marker based augmented reality to the feeble Nintendo DSi. They're also submitting AR games to Samsung's Bada store.
• French Laster Technologies creates AR eyewear that isn't revolting (at that's a complement!)
  
• Layar now used as an art canvas in an interesting project with a Dutch museum.
• Yes, you can even market cancer using augmented reality.
  

Video of the week shows a social hacking feat which will probably become a common practice as AR goes mainstream. Mark Skwarek and Joseph Hocking created “The leak in your home town”, an augmented reality application for the iPhone, which displays a virtual oil spill whenever you set the phone's camera on a BP logo. Don't expect to see it on the AppStore anytime soon. (via Beyond the Beyond):



Happy 4th of July to our American visitors!

Weekly Linkfest

Weekly Linkfest

The last weekly linkfest before the augmented reality event, and the last one in the next couple of weeks. Here's what happened this week in the world of augmented reality:

• Got half a hour? See this fine documentary about AR from Bloomberg.com.
  
• While I'm writing posts, Ori scores some VC bucks - Ogmento raised $3.5M and is now looking to recruit new employees.
  
• YDreams and 3d scene analysis chip maker Canesta team together to develop AR application. I've high expectations from those two. They could make a better augmented air guitar, for example.
  
• Late last year I've predicted that 2010 will see the publication of an augmented Playboy edition. This concept video shows what it might look like (safe for work).
• Space InvadAR is supposedly the first vision based AR game. It's not, and some would argue it's not a game at all (no way to win), but it's a good start for maker Zenitum.

This week's video is a video presentation for QderoPateo's Ouidoo, the articulated naturality device. I don't know if it's official, but seeing this video I understand why the avoid using the term augmented reality. A much better term is surrealism:

QderoPateo Ouidoo. Video presentation. from Vladimir Shelest on Vimeo.

Have a great week, see you in ARE2010!

Weekly Linkfest

Weekly Linkfest

Another week has passed by, and it's time again for our weekly linkfest. I kept this one short by skipping some of the more redundant links I've collected along the week. Hope it makes the linkfest more readable:

• Augmented reality is not prefect after all. ReadWriteWeb's - "Augmented Reality: 5 Barriers to a Web That's Everywhere" and FastCompany's - "Three Unexpected Dangers of Augmented Reality" will let you know why (actually the latter is a bit silly).
• ReadWriteWeb also had a poll this week, asking its readers whether augmented reality is important or just hype (or maybe both). Apart from the poll it's a fun read, with a comparison between voice-recognition and AR.
• What would I write about when AR becomes mainstream? Good chances I'll focus on the next stage of augmentation - direct computer-brain interfaces, thanks to the intersting "Augmented Reality Meets Brain-Computer Interface"
  
• A nice overview of the field on Wired - "If You’re Not Seeing Data, You’re Not Seeing".
• Another good read, on the importance of story telling in AR (hopefully I'll give my take on that next week)
  
• Sean Kingston will let you have an augmented karaoke session with him, if you buy his upcoming album.

This week's video comes from Ogmento. It's a spelling game that features an augmented panda to entice kids into playing. Since it would feel a bit incestuous to write a full post about it (and Ori was apparently too shy to mentioned it himself on Games Alfresco), this really charming video was relegated to the weekly linkfest, but it deserves better. Luckily, Thomas wrote about it, here.



Have a nice week!