Augmented Reality Heels ======================= Tuesday 18 August 2009 02:16 According to the hype cycle I should be complaining about Layar. So here we go. Airtagging isn't augmented Reality. Augmented reality was originally a workaround used in virtual reality. In times where there wasn't any hardware to render a believable virtual reality environment it would really pay off to keep everything that wouldn't need to be virtual just real, and use all the processing power available on just a tiny part of the complete environment and overlay that on the perfectly believable real reality. But layar doesn't even come close to that. It's not immersive or even 3D, it's some lame Live-action/animated film kind of way to present an interface, while the whole point of Virtual Reality is that there is no interface. But they need the interface because that is the in your face way of delivering ads. There is no point for layar in trying to blend the overlay into the reality in a believable way because that would only make it harder for them to have their content compete with the overload of content that is already available in reality. It's just rehashed location based content that makes nice youtube videos, but in reality you're not going to point your camera phone around just to match it's view with some overlay. But if we look beyond the mindset of the graphical ad pushing marketeers, there's a way bigger opportunity. My favorite work for Kenny Petrović is to escort his daughter and her pretty friends. Running around looking for a suitable four-door car then gives you the effect of three pairs of heels clicking behind you. Translated to Virtual Reality's natural first person view that means there is no significant need to graphically render a person that is always behind you. Just the sounds can be very convincing. And instead of awkwardly holding up a small screen of a phone, the audio part of a Glasstron is just the pair of stereo earphones that your phone already has. The audio part of a phone is thus more suited for serious Augmented Reality than it's screen. And your phone also has a mic. So instead of the crappy graphical/touchy approach, why not drop that interface and deliver location based content in an interactive audio stream? Until we have enough mobile processing power for an Augmented Reality that renders Lara Croft in front of us, we can just render the audio of that behind us. You could even transparently switch a conversation to a real person when the canned information is not sufficient. So you walk on the Nieuwe Herengracht with Augemented Reality heels clicking behind you and you ask what property is for sale around there. She tells you some address and price. You ask for more info. You ask if you can speak to the realtor. She tells you she saw him just across the street. Sharp whistle. Shouting behind you. Come over here you fucking realtor we want to buy this place! Sounds of a running person approaching from behind. (Unsuspecting realtor picks up his phone in his office) Good afternoon, realtor here, how can I help you? You bet I think layar is disappointing. by Roland van Ipenburg http://www.xs4all.nl/~ipenburg/blog/posts/work/2009/08/18/augmented-reality-heels/