Hey Mike, You know I've had my eye on this for some time. To me, it breaks down to two things:
1. Bad displays 2. Bad precision That is, when I can wear a pair of sunglasses that have a real heads up display, then we'll be closer to a practical augmented reality. When it's possible to know where something is within centimeters, not meters, then we'll be able to give better contextual data about it. Right now, we're starting to get okay at visually processing data, to do things like facial recognition, which is a good AR thing because you conceivably point your phone at someone, and send them a file, or request their contact info. With a good heads up display, you might even be able to get small floating labels over people's heads saying who they were. The problem is, tracking any asset that's smaller than a building, is not so great. Sure Wikitude allows you to "see" landmarks in the distance, but it isn't really relying on any serious precision. I'm very happy having a smart phone that gives me better context to the world, but when you start talking about the next big leap in wearable computing, I think hardware just has to get better first. Cheers, Tom Longson (nym) ------------------------------ http://tomlongson.com On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 8:15 AM, Mike Liebhold<[email protected]> wrote: > Damon H wrote: >> >> Perhaps a SFBay area ARDevelopers Camp is in order? > > HI Damon, > > a SFBay area AR geo dev camp sounds like a great idea.I'd be happy to host > a saturday hackathon at IFTF.org, our non-profit research lab in downtown > Palo Alto, midway between the City and SJ valley We have one big meeting > area, for about 50 and 6-7 small breakout areas, that we've used in the > past for sciencecamps , bio-barcamps and wherecamp sessions. > > There's plenty of topics for breakouts: > AR user experience design > AR geobrowsers > AR dream apps > AR geo games > AR utility apps > geopositioning rendered AR objects > android and iphone dev environments > AR/gis/cad/vworlds data and applications interoperability > ARtoolkit, QRcodes and other image triggered AR > etc. > > Who else would be interested? We can ping some other lists, and the #AR > hashtag channel on twitter. > > Cheers- > > Mike > > Mike Liebhold > Senior Researcher > Institute for the Future > 124 University Ave, > Palo Alto, Ca. > IFTF.org > >> >> 3. What is the prospective FOSS stack for 3dAR geoservices? >> All kinds of standards and FOSS will continue to develop as these >> technologies emerge and mix. CityGML, X3D, and open source ARKits like this >> one <http://thetechnologist.tv/blog/iphone-arkit-released-iphonedevcamp> for >> mobile devices will definitely lead the charge. The iPhone ARkit guys >> (younger group) knocked this out this past weekend while I was at the IDC3. >> <http://www.iphonedevcamp.org/> Imagine what a team of seasoned pros from >> this group could knock out. Again, perhaps an ARDevelopers Camp? >> Using the X3D open standard, the groups I work with have created very >> interactive AR content and are looking to bring more geo3D to AR. Pop up AR >> windows and tags are nice, but those of us (Gen X/Y) want the geoweb of >> information, 3D building overlays, avatars walking next to us down the >> street, and other Ghost In the Shell type AR for those familiar. If those in >> the geo community don't crank the gas on AR, Google will. Then, like now, >> will be those interested stuck in KML/KMZ land when better more robust tech >> is available. >> >> I thank the Europeans (Layar, Wikitude, Enkin, Metaio, Total Immersion, >> Fraunhofer, etc.) for really pushing AR into the mobile and web mainstream. >> >> If our geosphere is not ready, then I can't think of a better place or >> group of people, the GeoWankers, to take it there. >> >> IMHO >> Damon H >> >> On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 4:26 PM, Mike Liebhold <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> This is a humble request for geowanker mappers and geocoding web >> artists alike to join me to quiet our 2d cartographic minds for a >> minute to engage in a little thought experiment about handheld >> views of 3d geodata: >> >> Context: The realtime tweetsphere http://bit.ly/rZncR and >> youtubesphere http://bit.ly/UwQ3u are alive with news of >> handheld AR, [agumented reality] capabilities & apps, and >> services. Besides layar and wikitude on android, there are already >> a number cool hacks for jailbroken iPhones, and veiled >> confirmations from apple that the next rev. of the iphone os dev >> release for the 3gs will support AR app integration of gps, >> compass, and graphic overlay of video cam views. The viewfinder >> is becoming a new AR 3d web browser. >> >> AR is here, if not today, tomorrow, but i suspect our geosphere is >> not ready. >> >> questions for fellow geowankers: >> >> 1. What kind of geodata and locative media will be most useful or >> fun to see geopositioned in 3d in our handheld viewfinders. >> >> e.g. floating labels of things, animated directions, emergency >> alerts, news and ads to filter, cartoon games, visible clouds of >> wifi signal strength, visible sensor net readings of air quality.. >> visible entry into another colored polygon >> of cartographic meaning, etc. >> >> 2. How will we search, view, create, and serve open 3d AR geodata? >> >> 3. What is the prospective FOSS stack for 3dAR geoservices? >> >> e.g. starting at the top with a 3D firefox or open layers >> equivelant client down to a cloudwide RESTful deep geocoded web of >> linked 3D geodata? >> >> Just curious, what people are thinking these days . . . >> >> Mike >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Geowanking mailing list >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >> http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org >> >> >> >> >> -- >> 3D Web & Metaverse builder >> "We are all students of the emerging 3D web" > > > _______________________________________________ > Geowanking mailing list > [email protected] > http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org > _______________________________________________ Geowanking mailing list [email protected] http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org
