If you aren’t already familiar with augmented reality, I’m sure Hollywood has introduced you to it once or twice without you knowing it. Augmented reality is a field of computer research which seeks to combine real-world and computer-generated data in real time to enhance your experience of the present. By enhancing one’s sight with digital information, 3D objects and digital projections, what you see will always be more than meets the eye.
Realtà Aumentata – Augmented Reality from soryn on Vimeo.
When we blur the line between what is real and what is computer generated in our daily lives, the digital and the physical become one, and the world will never look the same way again. Slip on a pair of sunglasses, say a command and buildings surrounding you are labeled with business names, street addresses; they are filtered for only Chinese restaurants, ATMs or public restrooms. Forget handheld GPS units—directions will be projected in front of your every step. Temperature, time of day, chance of rain, whatever is important to your current location and your current interests will be available to you. This is science fiction, right? Perhaps but augmented reality is slowly starting to become a reality.
TED (which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) has wowed online audiences with video coverage of its annual conference of the world’s greatest thinkers who share their life’s work. The above such video from Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry entitled “Sixth Sense” shows exactly what kind of thinking is currently being done around augmented reality. The current device might not be pretty, it might not work exactly as promised, it is nowhere close to being practical, comprehensive or attractive, but nonetheless, it is astounding.
Relevant information about your location was once left to instinct, song or story. Somewhat recently compasses, maps and atlases made life a bit easier. The digital leap forward of handheld GPS navigation makes it almost impossible to get lost—what I like to call “taking the long way.” What, then, is the future? Enkin. With seamless access to digital information, it really does augment our physical world–or it will, eventually.
What does all of this mean for the world of advertising? What kinds of practical examples of augmented reality exist right now in the world of marketing? How about MINI’s ad that appeared last year in several German automotive magazines? Hold the ad up to your webcam and give it a spin! Not only would I hold on to the magazine, I would be compelled to bring it to my computer, follow through with the call-to-action and my reward is fun, interactive and just plain cool.
Need more convincing? How about GE’s recently launched ecomagination Smart Grid Augmented Reality campaign? Print out a smart grid, hold it up to your webcam and you have windmills! Blow on your mic to make them go faster, send the fun along to a friend and ecomagination spreads!
I see great things in the future of augmented reality. Just use your imagination!