Studying the impact of innovation on business and society

Goodbye Virtual Reality, Hello Augmented Reality


Credit: Wired

If you haven’t yet heard about Augmented Reality or Web Squared, allow me to make a quick introduction.

This is the next iteration of the Web and also desktop and mobile applications and is indicative of the future hybrid Web and device experience. And no, it’s not called Web 3.0.

Augmented Reality joins the likes of the Semantic Web, Geo-Location, Artificial Intelligence, among many other emerging technologies in what the father of Web 2.0, Tim O’Reilly, refers to as Web Squared.

Augmented Reality (AR) refers to the live direct or indirect view of a real-world environment whose elements are supplemented with, or augmented by, computer-generated imagery. The augmentation is conventionally in real-time and harmoniously displayed through meaningful context with environmental elements.

What does this mean for you?

As a user, Augmented Reality apps merge the virtual with reality – or the augmented data and objects with real life experiences.  As a content producer, you now have the ability to bring your content to life – and this is incredibly powerful and transformative.

In the last weeks, we’ve witnessed the release of several new Augmented Reality applications for mobile platforms.

Examples:

Yelp’s Monocle


My iPhone


Image via ReadWriteWeb

Metro Paris Subway

London Bus Application

Does this inspire creative thinking that opens the doors to new possibilities and opportunities? It should….

 

84 COMMENTS ON THIS POST To “Goodbye Virtual Reality, Hello Augmented Reality”

  1. Simon Mainwaring says:

    Thanks, Brian. Amazing post (and technology!)
    I think it means big changes whether we like it or not. We all have the capacity to control how much technology we allow into our lives, but business and peer pressure is very real. It’s almost as if your value as an employee is now a function of how much you are on top of the latest technology.
    As for our children, they experience and absorb the latest technology as a given without the same perspective we have to make our own choice.
    As the computer or phone screen continues to expand to fill our real world lives, crowding out direct experience more and more, the most valuable application of our time may well be to walk away from technology which, ironically, is where we started before the consumer technology revolution began.
    In the meantime, I like many others I suspect, will be captivated by what’s suddenly possible, and no doubt soon to be replaced.
    Thanks for all the great thinking, Simon
     

  2. Guest says:

    Thank you Simon. Well said….

  3. Guest says:

    SeoNext Augmented Reality (AR) is when virtual graphics and/or data are overlaid onto real world objects.Really a great post.Thanks for sharing such an important infomation with us.

  4. Ann says:

    Nice blog you have, i have put up this site in my favo
    http://www.factasy.com

  5. Bob Stewart says:

    Very cool indeed, VitalLock is committed to bringing the graveside vision depicted to reality.

  6. Guest says:

    Virtuosoarts.com is a community art’s collective that encourages self-expression through augmented reality. We believe that art is an essential part of any thriving community. We believe that art’s lift the spirit and raise the collective consciousness of the citizen’s of Virtuoso Art’s. We collaborate with artist’s and artistic organization’s in an effort to facilitate mutual support, recognition, and the exchanging of ideas. We work to encourage a thriving community of artist’s and appreciation of augmented reality within Virtuoso Art’s. We facilitate classes, lectures, performances, and exhibit’s in an effort to enrich the lives of all citizen’s of Virtuoso Art’s. The Virtuoso Art’s Center strives to unleash the artistic potential of every community member. The Virtuoso Art’s Center is always looking for new Artist’s. If you are interested in unlocking your full artistic potential in becoming an exclusive member of this elite group of artist’s join today!

  7. Brian Remmel says:

    Thanks for the summary Brian. I’d love to see foursquare/latitude/loopt incorporate augmented reality.

  8. Don't think we are quite there yet. I love this book from 1993 on the matter: http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Worlds-Software-Un

  9. Andrea Dawn says:

    There's so much out there, already, and so much more coming in both the near, (and far) future. It only gets better from here.

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