Augmented Reality
Top five AR apps to investigate
With a heap of excitement building around a new category of iPhone and Android Apps, the world looks set to change as we enter the world of Augmented Reality.
AR applications combine virtual data and assimilate it into the real world by using your iPhone or Android device’s features as a portal.
The compass and GPS combine to show the user an enhanced landscape, pointing out areas of local significance and leisure. In time, the user will have demonstrable instructions on where to go, how to get there, who to meet and what to do, all from the combined force of their device, its camera and GPS.
Some of these mind and reality bending mobile Apps are already available on Androids and the iPhone and in time, the potential of AR could be revolutionary.
Just imagine where this technology could take us; it could be the end of tour guides, the end of directory enquiries and with GPS tracking of your partner soon to be available, the end of many a relationship.
Here are five to investigate
Wikitude AR Travel Guide
Scour the world around you and increase your local knowledge with information about places, famous landmarks, and other points of interest.
Why hire a travel guide when you can just hold up your phone and receive Wikipedia information on the landmarks and features you’re looking at? There’s a global wealth of knowledge sitting within the GBs of your device just waiting to merge into your grey matter.
Layar
Layar, and iPhone brother AR Overlay, aggregate the data from the compass and GPS coordinates on your device to understand your position and what you’re looking at.
A “radar view” then applies a layer of visual information layer on top of the camera display as you pan around what’s in front of you.
Layar even identifies houses for sale, ATMs, clubs and bars and lays them all out visually against your map. It draws in information from a host of sources like Twitter, Flickr, Qype, Brightkite and Google to create a local bible of information.
Nearest Tube
Ever tried to negotiate the London or Paris underground or Metro? It’s not that easy. Knowing when to change, where and what lines are connected to what can be confusing for any city noob.
But with Nearest Tube you can forget about complicated maps, asking directions and panicking about changeovers.
Relax as this forthcoming application will overlay images of your surrounding area with colour-coded information about nearby tube stations, how far they are and what line they serve.
Traffic Views
Using the camera on your Android phone, Augmented Traffic Views combines a layer atop the camera view with live traffic camera images and traffic data. Hold the handset aloft and the AR layer displays all available traffic camera points in your direction.
This app is still being tweaked but even promises to form an image of the road ahead and show us where jams, road blocks and diversions are.
Traffic Views also features some interesting additionals such as an automated predictive tracking mode that will pop up traffic camera images ahead as you’re driving there. Bit dangerous that.
Twittaround
A little bored and lonely in a new town? Then start Tweeting at a nearby user in the locale. This prototype application uses the iPhone 3GS’s compass and GPS to pinpoint nearby Tweets as they send their 140 characters into the Twittersphere.
