Olympus PEN E-PL1 gets augmented reality demo [Video]

You might remember the augmented reality business cards we wrote about all the way back in July 2009; well, Olympus has taken the same idea and turned it into a pretty neat interactive demo for their PEN E-PL1 micro-four-thirds camera.  Using a paper cut-out of the E-PL1 and your computer's webcam, the demo can show a life-sized 3D representation of the camera with clickable features, working still and video capture, and instant upload of content you create to Facebook and YouTube.Video demo after the cut

Not only does the animated PEN E-PL1 show off all its key functionality, you can mount it on a virtual tripod and scroll through the various photo and video special effects.  Then you can take stills or shoot up to 10 seconds of demo video, reviewing them either on the virtual camera's display or by uploading them.

It's a good use of a technology that, while generally impressive, can also feel a bit gimmicky.  If you're more interested in the Olympus PEN E-PL1's performance as a camera rather than as an AR demo, check out our full review.

[via Edward Boches and via Twitter]