The team has brought the effort to Kickstarter to build the funding that they need to move forward.
Two former employees from Valve are now working together on the development of their own pair of augmented reality glasses, in an effort that has brought them to Kickstarter in order to raise the necessary funds.
The two have come up with the wearable product that they have called CastAR glasses.
They use augmented reality to enhance the vision experience by projecting onto a surface made out of highly reflective material. What this produces is the appearance of what looks to be three dimensional objects directly within the real world view. The name of the new company is Technical Illusions.
The two are seeking $400,000 for the finishing step in development of their augmented reality glasses.
At the time that this article was written, the company had already managed to bring in over $300,000 toward their goal, with a full 30 days left to go. The augmented reality glasses have already managed to attract a certain amount of attention and hype, simply because of the developers, Rick Johnson and Jeri Ellsworth, who were both fired from Valve (which is a rare form of action from the massive game studio).
These augmented reality glasses give the wearer the opportunity to move about a space, such as the room of a workplace or a house, while still keeping up the 3D effects that are displayed for them to see. They are also capable of multiple person support as long as all of the individuals are all looking at the same reflective surface. Through an attachable gadget, the glasses can also be used for boosting the field of vision of the wearer, even when they are not looking at the reflective surface. Another mode provides the wearer with complete field of vision coverage for an experience more comparable to virtual reality.
That said, CastAR is being marketed by Technical Illusions mainly for the projected augmented reality, despite the fact that there are a number of other modes possible through their use. The price tag on the basic headset is $189 along with one reflective board, which is necessary for their use.
The automaker’s supercar is not only advanced on the road, but also in its mobile compatibility.
The Volkswagen XL1 is already being seen as one of the most advanced vehicles in the world, as well as being among the most fuel efficient, but now the auto manufacturer is taking the additional step of adding augmented reality to its repair manual in order to ensure that this automobile keeps itself on the cutting edge right down to the finest detail.
This additional mobile feature is available to iPad users for extensive ownership and maintenance information.
Through a partnership with Mataio, Volkswagen created an augmented reality iPad app that gives the device user the ability to view step by step instructions for the repair, replacement, dismantling, and reassembling of each of the 261-mpg supercar components. Although this is not the first time that an auto maker has added AR to its manual, this is by far the most extensive use of the technology as it has been applied for every intricate component and not just general information about basic maintenance.
The automotive environment lends itself very well to the use of augmented reality technology.
Metaio was selected for the augmented reality repair manual as the company is currently a leader in AR apps, from printer repairs to catalogs. Auto repair fit right into the type or project that they create.
Audi, corporate cousins of VW, have already released an augmented reality app that allows owners of the A3 to better get to know their vehicles and their features. This technology can also be very helpful in guiding mechanics around the complex component systems located under the hood of the vehicles, and that is just the additional step that Volkswagen has taken.
Before beginning any work on the Volskswagen XL1, mechanics now receive a set of instructions regarding the use of the augmented reality app so that it can be initialized for the specific task that must be accomplished. The mechanic is provided with a virtual silhouette of the vehicle which, when viewed through the iPad screen as a kind of viewfinder, overlays the image on the actual vehicle.
Once the augmented reality image is aligned, the mechanic is provided with a number of steps, including the tools that are required, tolerances, double checking real and virtual parts (in 3D relation to one another).
