"Terminator Vision" Is Here For the iPhone 245
musefrog writes "The BBC is reporting that so-called augmented reality has arrived — in the UK at least.
From the article: 'Via the video function of a mobile phone's camera it is now possible to combine a regular pictorial view with added data from the internet just as the fictional Terminator was able to overlay its view of the world with vital information about its surroundings. For example, UK-firm Acrossair has launched an application for the iPhone which allows Londoners to find their nearest tube station using their iPhone.' The page features an impressive video demonstrating AR in action."
Hud? (Score:4, Interesting)
WHEN will we have a practical HUD or other type of head mounted display?
They always seem to be "almost ready". Frankly, I am ready to be a Gargoyle.
Cameras with face recognition? (Score:1, Interesting)
My camera has been able to do this for a few years. People's faces have white boxes around them that move with the scene.
Admittedly this brings it to a whole new level, being almost an augmented reality API. And that's where the power here lies... putting a general-purpose computing device capable of it into people's hands and an SDK that makes it easy into developers hands will make it take off. And hey, Apple is finally starting to open up the docking port (which has video-out) to software tie-in so maybe a HUD isn't far off either.
Re:Hud? (Score:3, Interesting)
More of a head mounted display. For years (decades?) there have been a stream of funky helmets and various types of modified eyeglass and goggle type gadgets. They always seem to be "coming out next year", but then, the company folds.
Is there really no demand for these? Other than me...
Re:Camera? (Score:5, Interesting)
Yes, this, exactly. You could turn the camera off and overlay the same data over a blank screen, and it would make no difference.
Its a fine app, but not nearly 'augmented reality', at least not by way of a camera or in the way depicted in the film.
Re:Overlay source code? (Score:2, Interesting)
can someone photoshop up an apple logo crossed with a terminator head (like terminator 4 did with the city) so we can use that for apple stories since we use the borg for MS stories.
that way you can choose your cyborgic death.
Re:Hud? (Score:5, Interesting)
OS 3.1 API in Beta (Score:2, Interesting)
There'll be a whole wave of Apps using this as soon as 3.1 is finally released.
Oh, of course we're working on something, too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGq69Nyi6p0 [youtube.com]. Not as fancy yet, but it has spaceships.
Re:Hud? (Score:5, Interesting)
I can't currently find a better link than wikipedia, but there is a class of HUDs that are called "Visual retinal displays [wikipedia.org]" that project the HUD info on the retina of the wearer. I have read about a system that uses a very low power laser and a micro-mirror to paint on the retina; the system can be integrated in the glasses' branches. Of course, there is still a need for control hardware somewhere, but it can be remote (ex.: on the hip)
Re:Supplementary Brain? (Score:2, Interesting)
I've always wondered if intelligence might not ended up moving from individuals into society as a whole. Essentially the rules in society would be simple and we'd be like cellular automata dumbly following them.
The best example is lawsuits. Companies will go to great lengths to protect stupid customers because they are scared of getting sued. Rather than individuals protecting themselves from harm it's like the system 'knows' not to expose them to it. Still neither the customers, or the lawyers or even the engineers could or would do this if they were acting as individuals.
However the society as a whole has the collective intelligence to prevent it.
Re:Hud? (Score:3, Interesting)
It's a new video game system based on Augmented Reality. You wear these special goggles that show you the world around you, but it's altered in real time. That cardboard tube in your hand becomes a sword, other players appear dressed in armored suits. Creatures float around the actual landscape around you. You play IN THE REAL WORLD with and against projected objects, people, and monsters. Course, it would make problems with Wiimotes look trivial in comparison. But play environments could be set up that could become futuristic areas, dungeons, other worlds, spaceships, bubbly worlds of goo, etc - much like a laser tag arena. The game machine would project whatever is needed onto the physical countours.
Even beyond games, the possibilities are endless. Imagine having someone you hate blacked out, or strange trippy visual effects on everything you see, or having whatever you're looking for lit up brightly, or flipping the picture until your sight adjusts (it will! and then when you take it off, everything will be upside down for a time). It could be used for training purposes or therapy or strange mental trips.
So there it is. Who will make it?
Google Earth plug-in for air travel? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Google Earth plug-in for air travel? (Score:3, Interesting)
I ahve said for years that airplanes should ahve a camera pointing down that the passengers and look through. Add AR to that and it's golden.
Camera pointed up to, so you can AR varies astronomical sights.
Tie in a display of aircraft near by just for interest.