Static augmented reality may be a thing of the past
Augmented reality has managed to make its way into the mainstream, thanks largely to the support of tech-savvy consumers around the world. Typically, augmented reality comes as a feature in mobile applications. These applications often rely heavily on the sensors of mobile devices as well as a static dataset that paints digital content over the real world. Augmented reality itself is a very dynamic technology, thus the static nature of mobile applications may be hampering the technology’s capabilities.
Professors work to make innovative breakthroughs in technology
Professors Matthew Turk and Tobias Hollerer from the University of California – Santa Barbara, have been working to make augmented reality mobile applications much more dynamic. The professors envision a future for augmented reality where the technology is more stable, practical, and capable of higher levels of engagement with consumers. Turk and Hollerer have been research ways to incorporate real-time computer vision into augmented reality applications, which would allow these applications to become much more dynamic in their ability to overlay digital content onto the real world.
Augmented reality showing a stronger presence in mobile commerce
Augmented reality has become a very popular tool in entertainment and marketing. Even leashed by the static nature of most mobile applications, the technology has been able to provide consumers with a wide range of interactivity. Augmented reality has begun breaking away from its traditional fields recently, and entering that of mobile commerce. While mobile commerce often refers to the practice of making purchases with a mobile device, the term also encompasses mobile shopping. Augmented reality has been growing in popularity amongst mobile shoppers because of its capabilities of providing these consumers with context sensitive information on particular products.
Grants help fund ambitious research
Turk and Hollerer have recently been awarded two grants; one from the Office of Naval Research, and another from the National Science Foundation. These grants are helping fund the professors’ work in their so called “anywhere” augmented reality application. The concept strongly focuses on making augmented reality possible no matter where a person may be.
o be a tricky subject for large companies. Telecommunications and technology companies, as well as financial institutions, are well aware of the potential benefits of involvement in the mobile commerce industry, but many of these companies have had difficulty establishing a foothold witch consumers. The challenges facing these companies has not slowed the expansion of mobile commerce and some have even managed to find some success with their endeavors in the industry. Such is the case with Google.