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Codebreaker

Sony demos AR system

John Moe May 31, 2011

Augmented Reality has been the Next Big Thing for a while now, although it never manages to become the Actual Current Big Thing. Will Sony’s new Smart AR system change that? Can’t say. But it looks cool. Sony demonstrated the new system in advance of the impending E3 video game expo (get ready for a LOT of video game stories in coming weeks). Sony’s system let’s you appear to look through your phone or other small device to “see” things that aren’t there in reality. The device appears to work as a frame. Kind of hard to describe but there’s a good video here.

From Technology Review:

Unlike many augmented reality systems, Smart AR does not use satellite tracking or special markers to figure out where to overlay a virtual object. Instead, it uses object recognition. This means it works where GPS signals are poor or nonexistent, for example, indoors. The markerless system is more difficult to pull off, but it allows many more everyday objects to be used.

A real snazzy, responsive game is screaming to be made with this thing.

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