Thinks

Microsoft Street Slide provides an intuitive way to navigate between panoramic bubbles (such as in Google’s Street View). In Street View you jump between bubbles and when you are in a bubble you loose detail as you zoom. In Street Slide zooming out from the bubble presents you with a side-on view of the whole street that you can slide along.This video does not demonstrate zooming but I assume you could zoom within a bubble and retain some level of detail by selecting slices of image from other bubbles up the street. Their paper is here.

Interestingly, they appear to be developing a version for the iPhone rather than a Windows Mobile device.

(via Engadget)

Why does this demo seem so good? Obviously the stability of the markerless tracking is important but I think the most significant component in this example is the lighting and shadow; these are key to embedding the virtual into the real without it looking too virtual.

(via Games Alfresco)

AR! Pirates Sets Sail!

This augmented-reality mobile game by Opticks Media cleverly uses coins for markerless tracking. Appropriate given you are trying to save your captain’s treasure from being plundered by pirates and the Queen’s fleet!

Get the free trial for Symbian 5th Edition smartphones from AR! Pirates. The iPhone version is in development and will be out soon.

Ballet with 2D tracking using IR LEDS to augment the dance. Nice.

(via Games Alfresco)

iPhone users prepare for a deluge of mediocre to awful examples of AR being used as a gimmick without good reason or creativity. There will be gems but don’t expect to see them to come from bargain basement development that many digital agencies commission. I’m not suggesting that this AR app was done on the cheap, there’s certainly some nice markerless tracking going on here, but it certainly seems to lack much point or creativity.

To be fair, this is just the dawn of AR 2.0 in the iPhone; I’m looking forward to AR 3.0.

Games Alfresco

Qualcomm demos augmented reality with Mattel

They’ve licensed Graz University’s tech from Imagination and it looks like a beta version is going be available in autumn; with integration into Unity for Android too. Here are some choice lines from their press release (follow link above for more info):

“Qualcomm’s SDK is based on world-class computer vision technology recently acquired from Imagination Computer Services GmbH [supporters of Graz University’s Christian Doppler Lab who produce the Studierstube AR library].”
“By offering a no-charge SDK with state-of-the-art image detection and tracking technology, we help developers create the new generation of applications that are richer and more compelling than anything seen on the market today.”
“By adding Qualcomm’s augmented reality platform to Unity for Android, new and existing Unity developers will be able to quickly and easily create augmented reality games for Android.”
“A beta version of the SDK will be available to developers this fall. Additional information is available on Qualcomm’s developer portal at www.qdevnet.com/ar”

Chris O’Shea uses cunning moving object-tracking and manipulation to make this interesting exhibit Hand from Above

Uses openFrameworks & openCV.

Was sure I’d posted this up before but can’t find it on thinks.2ne1.