Augmented Reality

My new blog this time is about Augmented Reality. I was surfing on the internet this afternoon to find an interesting topic which has something to do with media use. During this internet session I came into contact with the concept “Augmented Reality”. I have never heard of it before and I was really surprised about the fact that there are technical applications like this, notwithstanding we live in a “digital world” nowadays. If you have also never heard of this concept before, you are hopefully getting a bit curious. First, I would like to explain something more about this great concept and later on in this blog I’ll show a video to get a better idea and to give an example of Augmented Reality.

Augmented Reality is a topic that is aimed at the adding of digital, computer-generated images to the reality (things that are really there). It is as far as I know, one of the latest and newest hypes on the field of internet, technology and marketing (correct me if I’m wrong). It is used in some organizations to encourage people to go to their website or to promote certain products, services or events. As is shown in the video at the end in this blog, you can imagine that it is very original and striking to make use of Augmented Reality. It can also be used to attract people’s attention for different reasons, to increase the visitors experience in attraction parcs and musea.
Augmented Reality increases the interactivity and the degree of information provision. It works for several purposes, but here follow a few examples:
-it can add information to peoples sight (for example to the sight of a mechanic, as is shown in the video below)
-it can function as navigation or a simulation, for example to practice for your driving license.
-it increases the quality of videogames and other interactive purposes for in peoples leisure time.

A Dutch Layar application is introduced and it integrates live internet within the physical environment on a mobile phone. “Layar” places different layers on the image of a camera, as the name suggests. In this way, the camera adds some virtual layers on the reality which results in the fact that your mobile phone can function as a tour guide for instance. There are shown two videos below. One which shows the way how Augmented Reality can increase the work of a mechanic and the other in what way it can increase the interactivity in a playful, but instructive way. I hope you like the videos and please let me know what you think about the concept!