Augmented Reality
Augmented reality, a capability that has been around for decades, is shifting from what was once seen as a gimmick to a bonafide game-changer. The layering of information over 3D space produces a new experience of the world, sometimes referred to as “blended reality,” and is fueling the broader migration of computing from the desktop to the mobile device, bringing with it new expectations regarding access to information and new opportunities for learning. While the most prevalent uses of augmented reality so far have been in the consumer sector (for marketing, social engagement, amusement, or location-based information), new uses seem to emerge almost daily, as tools for creating new applications become ever easier to use.
Source: 2011 Horizon Report
David William Price 7:52 am on September 8, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
There was a great story in Bill Bryson’s book about the Appalachian Trail… a kid on a mountaintop with an electronic GPS who could tell you the height, the location in latitude and longitude, the temperature and air pressure…. but could not tell you where he really was or where he needed to go next. I hate to confuse data with actually knowing something, or a focus on data instead of a focus on the real world and its cues all around us.
kstooshnov 1:16 pm on September 9, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Before mobile devices, during a family dinner, my Dad would often get and go to the encyclopedia to look up some information based on a conversation at the table. Now that we all have smartphones, all that information is literally at our fingertips, but we generally keep them away from the table. The great thing about augmented reality would be the ease with which we can pluck information out of thin air. Always there if we need it, but hopefully there’s an off switch so that conversation can resume at family dinner tables.