When Lady Terminator tasted the blood of John Connor, her eyes immediately flashed that the DNA of the blood was that of Prime Target John Connor. The information corresponding to the object in focus, displayed next to object is no more a science fiction. It is Augmented Reality.
As per Wikipedia, Augment Reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical or real world environment whose reality has been supplemented or manipulated visually, audibly or invoking smelling sense. The supplementation or manipulation can be in terms of displaying additional information, modifying certain features of the object or providing interactive features/functions of the object. Such modification can be corresponding to the shape/size/name of object, position, orientation or the environment.
Means of presenting Augmented Reality
- Head Mounted Device – HMD is a head mounted sensor that instructs display device to change image as per the orientation of head.
- Eye Glasses – It can be similar to regular glasses except that image displayed to wearer has been augmented.
- Contact Lenses – It is a new technology by which the functionality of Eye glasses has been implemented in contact lenses. Contact lenses may just be the display device and processing of information can happen outside the lenses.
- Virtual Retinal Display/Eye Tap – With this technology, image can be made directly on the retina of a person.
- Handheld – such as smart phone in which picture in the display of camera is augmented.
- Spatial Augmented Reality – It is the technology by which display device and camera both are away from the user of technology. Its example is displaying keyboard using a project on hand or on any white screen and person can tap the keys of that keyboard to perform function.
Uses
- Display distance from an object in rear view camera image of a car.
- Display driving direction on the wind screen to a driver.
- Display names of buildings or other information about the building a person looks at. It can even include the restaurants or other amenities in the building.
- Display social networking information of a person to whom the camera points to.
- Display vital statistics of a patient to doctor while performing surgery.
- Display flight vital statistics while pilot is flying a plane. This can also be used for pilot driving plane, ships, tanks etc.
- Display territorial information from satellite imagery to a troop on the ground in an unknown territory. This technology can also be used for search and rescue operation.
- Present user instruction manual or service manual according to the object person is looking at. Read about Audi’s car manual
- Architects and builders can see how the built up area would like even before any construction activity start.
- Tourists can carry virtual guide anywhere they go and the guide can tell everything tourist would be interested in knowing about that spot.
Rearview Camera with Sorrounding Information [Image taken from Wikipedia Backup Camera]
Why am I talking about it?
Although there are over 2600 iphone apps with keyworks “augmented reality” and numerous devices and applications built using augmented reality, yet we see augmented reality so less in life. I believe augmented reality is something that will touch our life everyday. If that is going to be the case then anyone investing money and time on this technology cannot be a loser.
Will you invest in this technology? If yes, go ahead and share your story. If no then stay tuned for next venture idea.
