Category: Mobile Gaming

Augmented reality and Big Bird work together to help preschoolers read

| January 11, 2013

augmented reality app for childrenSesame Street has just unveiled the first of multiple apps that will be released for children.

Today’s toddlers are using smartphones even before they know how to read, but Big Bird and the Sesame Street gang are now working together with augmented reality technology to help to close that gap with a fun and fascinating mobile experience for kids.

Preschoolers will be able to use the devices to help to recognize the sounds of written words.

This augmented reality innovation is a joint effort between the Sesame Workshop and Qualcom. Their “Big Bird’s Words” app was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show, where the beloved yellow character took center stage.

The augmented reality app is designed for children to use on their parents’ smartphones.

It allows kids to use augmented reality technology in order to discover words in the real world so that Big Bird can help to sound them out. When the child aims the device at the word, he or she can then listen as the Sesame Street character gives them a hint by providing the sound of the first letter and the sound of the word as a whole. For instance, when a child points at the word “Milk”, Big Bird would help out by saying “You found the word Milk! It starts with the letter M.”

The Big Bird’s Words app is expected to become available to the public in mid 2013. Though the augmented reality application won’t be available for a few months, it will be the first of at least two releases by Sesame Street, aimed at preschoolers. Another app that can be expected following the initial release will be “Abby’s Fairy Rock”, which will feature that far newer, but highly beloved character.

According to the Dave Glauber, form the Content Lab at the Sesame Workshop, during his keynote, “We know that kids are entering kindergarten with a vocabulary gap.” It was during this speech that the augmented reality smartphone app was first presented by Qualcomm. Glauber proceeded to explain that “With this app we can introduce kids to words wherever they are and give them an understanding of what those words mean.”

Augmented reality game console from Disney confirmed through patent application

| January 8, 2013

augmented reality DisneyThough there have been only unconfirmed rumors until now, the filing has provided confirmation.

It has just been observed that Disney has made a filing for a patent for a form of augmented reality technology that is meant for a 3D game console, which has now provided the confirmation that has been awaited by many following the initial rumor of its development.

The initial announcement of the game console’s creation had been a slip that was released accidentally.

The company has not made any move to deny the mobile video game console project, but if it had any intention to start, its opportunity has now been quashed with the application for an augmented reality technology patent. The documentation discusses precisely that form of device, including initial sketches and descriptions. The machine that is discussed in the patent application indicates a device that can be compared to the already released Nintendo 3DS.

There are certain differences between the devices, however, such as the application of augmented reality.

This will allow the portable console to be aimed at a certain real scene, capture it, and then apply augmented reality elements to it to provide enhancements and animations. What is therefore suggested, is that it would allow a real image to be taken by the player, who would then be able to watch it come to life through animation, for example.

There was a sketch provided within the patent application that suggested that the appearance of the augmented reality mobile game console would be strikingly similar to the Nintendo 3DS. It showed the dual screens as well as the flip open design for which the existing console is already recognized. At the time of this release, Nintendo had yet to make any comments regarding their opinion of the similarities between the two devices.

That said, the company may abstain from commenting simply because Disney may not have any intention of having their augmented reality game device appear in any way similar to that of Nintendo. The documentation included only a preliminary sketch, and it is more than likely that its final appearance will be considerably different from these first drawings.