Hal's Blogs

Here is a video showing a company's augmented reality technology. For you not familiar with the term augmented reality, it is the concept of merging computer-generated imagery with the real-world in real-time. You could for example wear special glasses and whereever you looked, the real-world would be mixed with 3D computer generated imagery. Companies like Boeing and Bombardier have already put many years research into this, so that for example, a technician could view the schematics of a jet engine super-imposed over the real engine as he's working on it. Advertisers are looking forward to custom-targetted advertising, where a city's billboards would have ads tailored specifically to you. Applications to the game industry should be obvious: Games like laser-tag or paintball now could take place in a variety of fictional settings yet still be played in person.

In this video, the demonstration relies on mixing a live video feed with the CG. My question though is whether they truly did this live or if it was editted after the fact just to "demo" the potential of the technology.

Update Mar. 1, 2005: Here's a great video demonstating D'Fusion's software in action. They show how the software uses key objects in captured video to figure out in real-time how to display the 3D virtual objects.