(Because we focused on this topic for two weeks, I decided to split my post into 2, so that it won’t be so long. This is Part 1, Augmented Reality. Check out Part 2, Virtual Reality, here!)
Today’s topic will be quite futuristic as well, in my opinion. I will be focusing on augmented reality applications.
Not to be confused with virtual reality, augmented reality, simply speaking, brings the virtual world out into our human world. (In contrast, virtual reality brings us into the virtual world.) If you still aren’t sure, I’ve made a little something (below) that I hope will help you to understand the difference! If you still can’t get it, then after reading this blog post and my blog post about virtual reality, you will be clearer about the distinction between the two!
Augmented reality actually serves to make our lives easier by helping us to complete tasks with greater… well, ease. Check out this video by Qualcomm (2011)! It’s pretty amazing what people can do with technology. Later on, we will take a look at how technology has progressed in augmented reality by comparing it with a newer application!
How does that help make our lives easier, you say?
Let’s take a look at the second game mentioned in the video: Inch High Stunt Guy (1:13min). Using the cool board (that is also a great marketing tool, I guess, since they printed the name of the game in HUGE block letters), users can create and move obstacles around to create a course for the Inch Guy to ride his stunt bike on. He then soars through the air triumphantly or explodes in failure, and users can re-set the course with a tap of a button. Quick, simple and tidy!
Without augmented reality, users would have to physically get the obstacles and build them, then set up a little stunt man on a bike on a ramp before he can ride the course they built. In this case, there would be less of a visual and sound impact, as there would not be accompanying noises (such as the revving of a powerful engine, or the explosion noise), nor would there be a huge red flame of virtual fire if there was an explosion.
Not only that, but users would have to manually gather and re-build the course again from the pieces scattered around by the stunt man’s first round. All these adds up to a less entertaining, messier game, which probably would take up more space in storage as well (due to the addition of the building blocks for the obstacles). #troublesome
Explosions- not so good in real life
I was going to say that it would be safer to have a little stunt guy breaking apart obstacle courses in the virtual world as opposed to one in the human world, but with all the exploding handphone cases these days, I guess I can leave this point out. Lol.
Even though the examples in the video are all games, it still shows how augmented reality brings virtual elements into our lives, and makes our tasks (to play!) easier.
So that was the example from years ago. What about now? Let’s look at more recent developments in the field of augmented reality technology. Frankly, I was quite amazed at how much it had progressed in such a short span of time (2-3 years). Look at this application, launched just last year! It’s called Anatomy 4D and is free to download on Apple and Android smartphones. I decided to talk about Anatomy 4D even though there are applications that were launched in 2014, because it is a great example of a combination of e-learning and augmented reality.
Developed by DAQRI, which is said to be a pioneer of AR, Anatomy 4D is an application that will greatly help medical or biology students learn in a fun and interesting manner. Or just anyone, in general. It is a really educational application, so much so that “dozens of professors and universities, including the University of Illinois, Stanford, and Trinity College” has recognized this application and commended it on its part in educating about the human body. In addition, its popularity is in part due to the ease of use.
What is does is to create a 3D image of a 2D target image:
A peek into how the Anatomy 4D looks like.
- Users then take a photo of the target using their smartphone camera.
- Anatomy 4D will show not only a 3D image of the human body, but it will include organs as well.
- Users can switch between male/female bodies.
- Users can zoom in and out of the target image, or change the angle of the image.
- Users can also choose to view only certain parts of not only the image, but of specific systems such as respiratory, skeletal or lymphatic systems. For example, one can view only the skeletal layout, then layer on veins, followed by muscle tissue, then add in organs.
This is the target image mentioned in step 1.
DAQRI Anatomy 4D Target Image
Check out DAQRI’s video for Anatomy 4D below:
Perhaps in the future, we can see this sort of application, with projected images of the human (or any other creature) body, that can be easily used with any smartphone.
Projected imagery of the human system.
COM125 Introduction to the Internet 
[…] (Because we focused on this topic for two weeks, I decided to split my post into 2, so that it won’t be so long. This is Part 2, Virtual Reality. Check out Part 1, Augmented Reality, here!) […]
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