Today I’ll provide some more information about augmented reality starting with:
Software
For consistent merging real-world images from camera and virtual 3D images, virtual images should be attached to real-world locations in visually realistic way. That means a real world coordinate system, independent from the camera, should be restored from camera images. That process is called Image registration. Augmented reality image registration uses different methods of computer vision, mostly related to video tracking.
Usually those methods consist of two parts. First interest points, or fiduciary markers, or optical flow detected in the camera images. In the second stage, a real world coordinate system is restored from the data obtained in the first stage. Some methods assume objects with known 3D geometry(or fiduciary markers) present in the scene and make use of those data. In some of those cases all of the scene 3D structure should be precalculated beforehand. If not all of the scene is known beforehand there are techniques that can be used for mapping fiduciary markers/3D models relative positions.
Where augmented reality can be applied?
- Advertising - Marketers started to use AR to promote products via interactive AR applications.
- Support with complex tasks - Complex tasks such as assembly, maintenance, and surgery can be simplified by inserting additional information into the field of view.
- Navigation devices - AR can augment the effectiveness of navigation devices for a variety of applications
- Military and emergency services - AR can be applied to military and emergency services as wearable systems to provide information such as instructions, maps, enemy locations, and fire cells.
- Prospecting - In the fields of hydrology, ecology, and geology, AR can be used to display an interactive analysis of terrain characteristics.
- Architecture - AR can be employed to simulate planned construction projects
- Sightseeing - Models may be created to include labels or text related to the objects/places visited. With AR, users can rebuild ruins, buildings, or even landscapes as they previously existed.
- Collaboration - AR can help facilitate collaboration among distributed team members via conferences with real and virtual participants.
- Entertainment and education - AR can be used in the fields of entertainment and education to create virtual objects in museums and exhibitions, theme park attractions and games.
For more examples visit: 35 awesome augmented reality examples
Questions
- How in your opinion augmented reality can affect our lives now and in the future?
- Have you ever used something which was utilizing concepts of augmented reality?
Unfortunately, I did not have occasion to try the AR on a bigger scale that my webcam gives me, but I would like to change ir very much. Creating virtual realities makes you feel like you were making a new word. On the other hand it gives a possibility to fell like the heroes of our favorite games (like AR Quake) or visit the place that is unique. What can be added in the future? I hope that the entire inventory will loose on size a lot, because for now it is quite inconvenient. Also some suits that will make our body fell touch would make a great difference. There are already coats that make you feel pain if you get bullet in some game. It is great :)
ReplyDeleteHow in your opinion augmented reality can affect our lives now and in the future?
ReplyDeleteI my opinion the future of AR will be connected with mobile devices. The iPhone and devices powered by Google's Android already have some AR apps. Also Nokia has already began working on realtime image recognition algorithms. These apps are limited now to overlaying directions or tourist information on a view of the real world. But as the chips in portable electronics become more powerful, AR is starting to give new ways to blend virtual and real world information. It could be useful in accessing immediate information and increasing the knowledge of workers or customers.
On the other hand I think that customers are not yet convinced to pay for new AR functions because market is full of new functions in mobile devices (especially cell phones) like multitouch or accelerometer. AR may not be launched for a couple of years. At this time, AR will probably be more practical because cell phone quality will be improved.
AR can improve many aspect of a business. It can be used in customer service, for example in museum to provide a guide for tourists. As they walk through the exhibits with cell phone or other device, the system would determine which exhibit the person is looking at and present related information on the display. It came to my mind that AR could be useful to customers by providing product information, price or instructions.
Augmented reality is a future. Definetely.
ReplyDeleteIt will (ultimately) become a part of everyday life, kids will use it in school as a learning tool – imagine Google Earth with AR- or AR-enabled text books. Shoppers will use it to see what products will look like in their home. Consumers will use it to visually determine how to set up a computer, etc
Of course, there are dangers involved. Relying too much on augmented reality could mean more than just driving into a lake when you follow poor GPS directions. Instead, following the prompts of a software program designed to make your life easier could lead to life-threatening disaster and a new form of hacking and identity theft. Given the tools to make augmented reality part of our lives, there is a potential for sensory overload, and for others to manipulate the everyday real-world feedback we take for granted. Still, in the right conditions, the technology could make our lives less complex and far easier.
How in your opinion augmented reality can affect our lives now and in the future?
ReplyDeleteAR is already intensively used in the army and I think it will be used even more in the future.
In every day life I think that it could have a great impact on the way of educating in schools. Learning would become more interactive and fun.
Have you ever used something which was utilizing concepts of augmented reality?
Well if controlling some action on your computer by making gestures to the web cam is AR - yes I have ;)
That’s incredible! I think I should be used in schools and universities. I not a huge fan of making artificial social networks ( like Toyota’s idea of creating a social network of Toyota owners by installing Bluetooth in their vehicles and providing them an interface to invite one or other on coffee) but AR could change my attitude. Is this how WEB 5.0 will look like? ;o)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete*How in your opinion augmented reality can affect our lives now and in the future?
ReplyDeleteYes, I think that AR has a big potential to improve and simplify our life. We can take advantage of technology to create application for learning, tourism, advertising, planning our schedule etc.
At the moment, I think that a liitle part of grass root not have a clue about existance of AR solutions - IT peoples have but others not.
*Have you ever used something which was utilizing concepts of augmented reality?
Yes, I have ;)
I know some great new product from Mattel, each toy includes a little card that is scannable via webcam and creates an on-screen augmented reality robot or character. It looks like Mattel is quite proud of being ahead of others. I think toys are the nearest future of AR.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SITMGIwk68w