Augmented Reality

These words is becoming more norms as mobile devices, game consoles and even websites, start to use and drive the Augmented Reality technology faster and faster. Games console like Wii, Apple iPhone a few common augmented reality tools has been experimenting and creating applications to enhance sound, sights, smells and effects by creating a new world where reality meets computer generated layers.

I guess all the regular BPL fans will attest see-ing the famous Barclay's logo at the center of the football field just before the kickoff. In reality, the logo was not painted on the grass, it is where the advance of the computer augmented reality concept creating a layer ads over the football field. The offside line now can easily be replayed and marked with a shade using this video augmented techniques. The applications are wide. For the football case, advertisements revenue can be grown and expanded using this technology. The sideline boards can be reconfigure with advertisement pertaining to the locality. TV stations can then subsidise using part of the ads revenue on the match itself and thus giving a better cost charging to consumers. In nintendo Wii, we saw how various Wii consoles can emulate devices creating the impression of actually acting the part like playing Tennis or bowling. Some website like Wikitude is starting to use location info along with camera phone to cleverly interpret places of interest.

Basically Augmented Reality is getting to be the norm. In Japan some movie even have sensory responders to give certain scent during the movie to create a more realistic appreciation of the movie. Universal Studios 4D shows will sprayed out water if there screen showing running down the speedy boat, and make blow heat to signify if you adventuring up the volcanoes.

While we let augmented reality catch up with the reality, I just had to mentioned the scene from the movie Minority Report where augmented reality becomes more real than sometime reality itself. In that future, likely the line between realities are no longer there.