The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology



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At TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data — including a deep look at his SixthSense device and a new, paradigm-shifting paper “laptop.” In an onstage Q&A, Mistry says he’ll open-source the software behind SixthSense, to open its possibilities to all.

Popularity: 90% [?]

Try on Clothes in an Augmented Reality Changing Room



Try on clothes and share photos with your friends on Facebook before you buy. Tobi.com launches an Augmented Reality showroom powered by Fashionista.

Online clothes retailing is perhaps one of the appropriate markets for this technology.  It is a market where the visual appeal of the clothing matched with the potential customer is critical to the buying decision. Fashionista partially bridges the gap between in-person shopping and on-line shopping.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Haptic Ring Lets You Feel Objects in Augmented Reality



A vibrating ring allows you to feel like you are touching a virtual teddy bear.

The first thing that we often give children to hold is a stuffed animal so it makes sense that the first virtual object that you touch will be a teddy bear. At the Digital Contents Expo in Tokyo, developers demonstrated a ring that uses vibrations to let you feel what you see on a screen. This augmented reality touchy-feely experience is the brainchild of Tokyo Institute of Technology and the University of Electro-communications. The cute and cuddly teddy bear the ring lets you interact with is known as a Virtual Creature (VC) and is as much of the focus of the research as the ring itself. Check out the videos after the break.

When we talk about haptics, the transfer of sensation from the digital world to the real world, we often discuss the next generation of human-computer interfaces. Future hardware and software could become more intuitive when you can actually feel what you are working with. However, haptics are also a key point of entry into full sensory virtual reality. Augmented reality, with its blend of digital and real-world images, is a sort of VR-lite and it’s a good testing ground for a haptics device. While not nearly complex enough to give you the sensation of being immersed in a virtual environment, the haptics ring is a good first step into that realm.

full review: http://mikemartoccia.posterous.com/haptic-ring-lets-you-feel-objects-in-augmente

Popularity: 70% [?]

Mole ARlert Large-Scale Augmented Reality Game



This is a demo video of the AR-application “MoleARlert”, which was created in a project by students from the university of Koblenz, Germany. Reminiscent of the classic game Lemmings, you have to guide the moles safely to their destination by interacting with 3D space.

Popularity: 67% [?]

Augmented Reality Real-Time Multi-Language Conversation



By David Y Tan Nov 6, ‘09

It’s not Douglas Adam’s Babel Fish, but it is pretty close. NEC demonstrated a real-time conversation between two people speaking in different languages. Using the power of voice recognition, language translation software and Augmented Reality glasses, two women, one speaking in English and another in Japanese were able to hold a natural conversation with no human interpreters involved.

The AR glasses project subtitles of the conversation directly onto the retina, eliminating the need for bulky lenses in the headset. These devices are expected to go on sale in 2010. Targeted at the business market initially the price tag is 7.5M yen or about $85,000 USD for a pack of 30 units. However this does not include the translation tools and software which is extra.

Although demonstrated with language translation subtitling, these headsets can also be used to provide the wearer with all kinds of additional Augmented Reality information about the people they are interacting with. In fact NEC said the Tele Scouter was intended to be a business tool that could aid sales staff have information about a client’s buying history beamed into their eye during a conversation.

Popularity: 77% [?]

FaceBook AR Game: Drop Hamsters into KIA Cars!



By David Y Tan Nov 6, ‘09

“Go Hamster Go” is the first facial recognition Facebook AR game and is being used by Kia Motors as a fun and unique way to engage potential customers.

While AR has a wide range of industrial and consumer uses, it is starting to appear in the advertising/marketing and gaming segments first. Molson Beer, Nestle, Wise Foods, and in this example Kia Motors, are already using Augmented Reality technology as part of their marketing strategy.

According to ABI Research, the total market for augmented reality is expected to hit $350 million in 2014 up from $6 million in 2008.

Popularity: 61% [?]

Kill Virtual Mosquitoes on this iPhone 3GS AR Game



By David Y Tan  Nov 3, ‘09

Don’t have any real bugs flying around?  Take out your aggression on virtual mosquitos. This game for the iPhone 3GS tests your skill on pesky mosquitoes flying around in virtual space. Watch through the camera and you will magically see dozens of mosquitoes suddenly start flying around you.

This game fully utilizes the compass and accelerometer in the iPhone 3GS for a realistic ‘augmented reality’ effect. The animated mosquitoes are projected in the real world, which you see through the camera lens.

There are two modes:

1) Shoot Out. Kill as many mosquitoes as you can in just two minutes. Fast and furious.

2) Precision. Prove yourself to be a marksman in virtual space. You get only 10 bullets and 10 mosquitoes. Don’t waste your ammunition and time.

You can find it in the iPhone App store.

Popularity: 61% [?]

Burger King $1 Augmented Reality



Another innovative campaign from Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Idol talaga. I tested out this new augmented reality from Burger King and they really pushed the technology this time. No need to print out markers for this one – a one dollar bill will do to check out the burgers. Amazing what these guys come up with.

Popularity: 46% [?]