Like an ex-partner suddenly hitting the gym and prompting some relationship regrets (yes, we’re shallow here in the tech world), Symbian Foundation have caught our eye with a new demo video of what they’re suggesting might be a nifty future UI for the platform. Part of Lee Williams’ keynote at SEE 2009 last month, the video shows a device with lashings of augmented reality and location-based services, together with social networking integration.
Video demo after the cut
Tempt you with a difficult-to-pronounce acronym, sir? No? Well how about a wireless head-mounted embedded Linux wearable computer? The work of Pascal Brisset, the WXHMD takes a pair of Vuzix VR920 video eyewear and straps to them a Gumstix Overo Fire computer-on-module stick, making for – with some wireless networking, a battery and a few other gizmos – a self-contained heads-up display ideal for telepresence work and augmented reality guidance.
I think it’s fair to say that if you make one of these DIY virtual reality headsets, your kids will definitely be the coolest in the playground. The handiwork of Recombu’s Andrew Lim, the cardboard headset takes advantage of an accelerometer-packing HTC Magic, an old pair of lab goggles and some boyish enthusiasm to create a head-tracking view of the world.
Video demo after the cut
Augmented reality is typically associated with apps for the iPhone today with other images overlaid on a live picture of your surroundings. Artist Chris O’Shea has installed a new public art piece called “Hand form Above” in England.
It’s not quite as exciting as a motorized head-up display, but Bionic Eye for the iPhone 3GS does at least save you from squeezing into some Lycra and leaping aboard the nearest push-bike. Currently available in the App Store, Bionic Eye is another augmented reality (AR) app which overlays information about the immediate environment onto a real-time camera view. In this case, it uses a POI database including restaurants, WiFi hotspots, subway stations and more.
Video demo after the cut
With augmented reality (AR) taking off as smartphone hardware ramps up to support the sort of real-time processing they demand, it’s about time the first such app for the iPhone made it through to Apple’s App Store. Seemingly meeting the Cupertino approval council’s grade where others have reportedly failed, Metro Paris Subway is the handiwork of a French team of developers and overlays information about Paris businesses over a live view of the surroundings as seen by the iPhone’s camera.
Video demo after the cut
Augmented reality – integrating data from computer and internet sources with everyday life – is showing up more and more lately, as cellphones learn to geotag landmarks and webcams are coaxed into spotting special ID glyphs, but we’re still a way off from a true mainstream-commercial head-up display. MicroPCTalk forum member fiveseven808 decided to take matters into his own hands, and hacked together a wearable computer with the eyepiece from a Myvu Crystal, a Sony UMPC and a Motorola iDEN i425 for cheap, always-on connectivity.
Developer James Alliban wanted a way to make his business cards stand out, and also to show off his augmented reality skills, so what better way than to link the two together. On the back of James’ cards is an AR glyph; when you visit a page on his site and hold the card up to your computer’s webcam, it brings up a floating video introduction made of of 3D colored planes.
Video demo after the cut
We’ve talked about augmented reality (AR) here on SlashGear before, but we’ve never seen it incorporated into magic. Performer Marco Tempest has created a unique act in which classic card tricks are integrated with real-time AR; in this demonstration video, he shows both what’s happening normally and what’s brought to the performance by the computer.
Augmented reality magic demo after the cut
Vuzix have announced [pdf link] an augmented-reality (AR) add-on kit for their Vuzix VR920 video headset, developed in collaboration with AR specialists metaio. The system will initially be demonstrated with a 3D animated book, that has computer-generated characters, but Vuzix believe it has potential applications in gaming, education and travel.
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