Looks like major phone heavyweights Nokia and LG will be focusing on AR technology for their few devices. AR (augmented reality) has been quite a hit these past few days as it combines a phone’s onboard digital camera, GPS support and internet connectivity in order to deliver relevant and useful data to users all over the world.
For those who are not yet familiar with the technology, AR applications –for the most part- turn your mobile phones into futuristic guidance devices. Simply point your camera towards a certain direction and the mobile phone does the rest. If you point it at a restaurant, the phone will identify the architectural form and GPS location with its database and call up relevant data such as food reviews, online menus and even booking options. Point it at a painting and the camera will attempt to compare the image with an online catalog and once it identifies the image, it will tell you the medium, artist, and title of the work.
Anyway, right now, AR is still in its early stages. Apps such as Google Goggles and third party software are available for people to toy around with. Functionalities range from information gathering to simple entertainment such as AR-based games (a Japanese company is working on a game that places giant monsters in your local landscape).
There is no doubt that this functionality is truly convenient and it will not be long before it is a standard for mobile devices. What we are expecting is that this new tech will also create another level of etiquette. Of course, pointing your camera at a stranger’s car to learn its model and make is not exactly a polite thing to do, but our society learns to grow and adapt to the use of new technology.
Read more about AR at Mobile Choice UK.
Tags: Augmented-Reality