State of the art in Augmented Reality

It already affects multiple categories of activities, reaching beyond research or prototypes and entering the realm of practical and commercial solutions. Such categories include education, industry, advertising, entertainment and tourism. Thus, we could unite future products in a separate one.

Educational projects can bring, for example, storytelling to a new height, through interactive events or specially designed books. It's a good way to start learning about AR too because we're introduced to two elements: the camera and the fiduciary markers. These two elements are generally encountered in all of the mentioned categories. The camera is needed as a video input device of course, and the fiduciary markers are nothing else but the distinguishable models which can be processed by the software component. This not only provides data on the 3D position and direction based on an angle considered in a (geometric) polar system, but also allows appropriate rendering of virtual objects onto a real medium. Another educational purpose can be compiling an interactive encyclopedia which allows for 3D structure visualisation, proof-of-concept lessons (e.g. the game of chess) or even travelling around the world by turning pages. A tie-in to actual medical uses can also be achieved by learning anatomy or naturally displaying investigation results on a human placeholder so these processes can become more intuitive.

Industrial applications are already in use on a large scale. For example, AR can be used on assembly lines for guidance to putting together or repairing certain devices. In the current context, the relation to advertising is clearly visible through interactive ads for automobiles or windmills. For example, Toyota offers software that anyone can install - you only need a webcam and a printer (to print the fiduciary markers which are provided in a PDF document). On the same rationale, tourism offers even more possibilities. The Wikitude app for Android, essentially a travel guide, creates an overlay of information on real footage of a location, provided by the mobile phone itself. Another amazing breakthrough is represented by Microsoft Photosynth, a new way of visualizing and putting together large image sets through incredibly sensitive interactions. Navigation paradigms also include link based movement, which can also be translated into expanding or contracting photo contexts, being itself a new way to travel or to find out information. CNN heavily popularized Photosynth when Barack Obama was installed as US president, but further used technology to enhance communication when Wolf Blitzer talked to a reporter's hologram.

Entertainment is another category that already implements AR features ranging from mobile phone games to stereoscopic imaging which allows for actual 3D worlds to be created and rendered based on the user's physical point of view. Game producers are already releasing games with such capabilities, but it's likely that we'll see an explosion of products in this field.

The future looks very promising, with upcoming devices such as Morph, by Nokia, which is enabled by nano-technology and which showcases a never before seen flexibility and wealth of features. For example, you can wear it like a watch and even spill liquids on it without affecting it.

Another concept, only in prototype state for now, is Sixth Sense. It brings interaction to a whole new level, significantly improving various aspects of users' lives. A central component is the cloud computing, which already proves immense benefits and ubiquitous characteristics.