What is augmented reality? The first thing that comes to any person’s head is the well-known dreams of virtuality, complete immersion, whether it be a movie or a computer game. However, this is not the case.
Acquaintance
Augmented reality is a whole technique that allows you to complement the real world with new information using digital technology.
Another definition is mixed reality perceived with the help of computer-added elements in the current time.
Scientist Ronalz Azuma determined in 1997 that augmented reality technology is a system that combines the virtual and the present, interacting in the current time and working in 3D.
As you can see, the concept of virtual reality is only part of something much more than just an accessory for entertainment.
First steps
In order to understand what augmented reality is, it is not necessary to understand the processes taking place in a computer. People for whom words about virtuality do not say or explain anything can recall examples from childhood.
Did you have a printer or computer in your youth? Now people cannot imagine life without digital technologies, and in the distant 90s, children wrote essays and essays by hand. It seems where you can find augmented reality? Abstracts in schools were written on A4 album sheets. Someone who is smarter to get out smoothly lined the sheet with a pencil and a ruler, but some were luckier. In families, one could often find a stencil - a sheet of paper with clearly and brightly applied black lines. If you put an album sheet on top of it, then these lines will be visible through, and a person will be able to write like a ruler. The stencil supplemented the album sheet with lines.
Or maybe someone remembers the stencils in engineering and design bureaus. Transparent films on which variants of diagrams and drawings are applied in order to be applied to the original.
The Russian army still uses glass tables with a double surface and backlight. A terrain map is placed between the two planes, and combat plans are drawn on the upper transparent surface. Thus, a prototype of the working virtual place is created.
Microsoft innovation
The development of modern applications does not stand still. Many have now heard that various companies are developing augmented reality glasses. An example of this technology is Microsoft HoloLens. This is a modern gadget made in the form of glasses designed to create augmented reality. The device is controlled using gestures or voice commands and allows you to control virtual objects created on top of real objects that are visible through transparent lenses.
During the presentation of this gadget, 3D video viewing was arranged, and the ability to create three-dimensional objects was also demonstrated. Moreover, the creators assure that the models created in their device can be immediately sent to a 3D printer and print.
The mechanism of operation of these glasses does not use holograms, but simply creates an image on the surface of the lenses so that you can track eye movements. In fact, the entire virtual picture remains exclusively in your head. These glasses do not require any cameras, sensors or connection to a computer.
Google discoverers
Despite the obvious progress in creating augmented reality glasses at Microsoft, the first to create a working prototype were specialists from Google X. The so-called google glass were presented in 2012 and were supposed to combine video diary, augmented reality, mobile communications and the Internet.
The gadget is mounted on the head, it is equipped with a small display and a camera. Management takes place by voice by keyword. The idea was realized for people who wear vision-correcting glasses of augmented reality, so that it is possible to replace lenses for each individually.
Play life
Oddly enough, augmented reality games have entered our lives for a relatively long time. Of course, regarding the creation of points. An interesting fact is that the entertainment industry is always one step ahead of serious projects. Unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, they did not acquire the format of mass enthusiasm. Most likely, for this to happen, a massive upheaval in consciousness is needed. Although there is a possibility that humanity is simply afraid in the end to confuse reality and virtuality. Here are a couple of games using augmented reality technology.
- Real strike is not even a game, but just an application. It uses the camera of your smartphone. At startup, the camera turns on, and a weapon model is superimposed on the picture. There are no opponents. So a user with a calm mind can "shoot" annoying neighbors, boors on the road, got the boss. Good nerve discharge app.
- One of the popular genres of computer games is the so-called Tower Defense. Crowds of embittered monsters trying to destroy your tower. The action of the game of augmented reality AR Defender 2 takes place in your room, office or class. In the same way as in the previous version, the gadget's camera reads information about the surrounding space and already displays an image on it. The advanced application engine absolutely clearly perceives surface irregularities, which provides an even higher level of immersion.
- A good way to take a break from work is to play virtual basketball. The AR Basketball application allows you to create an image of a basketball basket in the place where a special QR code is attached. You can print it and place it on any surface, at least just on the wall, at least on a mug of coffee.
Not up to games
If you are a serious person who believes that games have no place in our lives in general, then there are augmented reality applications for official activities. Thousands of programs and utilities to make a good marketing move.
- How do you like the idea of installing an augmented reality system in a clothing store in the fitting rooms so that visitors do not take things from hangers, but simply try them on a computer?
- Or the National Geographic channel’s action, which introduced people to the world of wildlife without leaving the city.
- The ability to create a 3D building project in the application, with the transfer from place to place without any problems.
- If you are an avid tourist, then augmented reality browsers will help you find any necessary information at the place where you are, or find a way if you get lost.
Do it yourself
If you are a practicing programmer and you are interested in augmented reality, the Swarp SDK will tell you how to do it yourself. The product developed by Russian programmers is used to create an augmented reality application at home. Since programming is a complex creative process, we will not delve into the intricacies of this action, but simply describe the general software interface.
- Bin is the directory where all Swarp SDK libraries are located, as well as the Mogre control engine.
- Docs - all documentation, the license agreement, as well as the user's FAQ are stored here.
- Examples - Here are examples created by Swarp SDK developers.
- Trackable - there are several ready-made markers needed to place a virtual object in reality.
- Utilites - there are 3 built-in utilities, two of which are used to view the license and general information about the application, but the third one creates markers for augmented reality objects.
With the help of this software augmented reality is created, the programs that use it, as well as the codes necessary to implement virtuality in real life.
Examples
Augmented reality has already firmly entered the everyday life of many people. Apart from computer technology and gadgets, humanity uses it to solve a variety of problems.
In modern combat aircraft and helicopters using augmented reality systems, an indicator panel, an aiming mode are implemented, in general, everything that can be quickly and easily viewed without being distracted by the rest of the dashboard.
In printing, augmented reality is also used in large enough volumes. Different magazines, newspapers, guidebooks or maps contain special codes that must be read by special browsers designed to view them. Such marks can contain absolutely any digital content - text, video, images or even music.
Augmented reality on the Android platform is implemented in the form of gaming and entertainment applications.
This technology is also used in medicine. For example, to localize a tumor in an organ, a scan is performed and then the result is superimposed on the model of the affected organ, thus preserving more healthy tissue. Augmented reality now saves thousands of lives. Even though it is still in its infancy.
Future
Augmented reality technology is penetrating deeper into our lives. The level of distribution of cyber technologies and their integration into the sphere of human life is so high that in the near future we may not need many things that are familiar now. Despite the fact that augmented reality applications are not very popular right now, it is possible that they require at least some action from a person - to go out and move. It is difficult to say what will happen to humanity in the near future thanks to these technologies. We can either completely atrophy, sitting at computers, or step into a new world full of interesting events, technologies, attractions ... that is, play a lot, completely immersed in virtuality.