Aug 08 2011

Augmented Reality – Ball Invasion

Ball_invasion

In ‘Virtual reality’,  the real world is replaced with a simulated one.

In ‘Augmented reality’, our live view of the real world is superimposed with extra information, like the ‘heads up display’ of a fighter pilot.

Augmented reality apps use the iPhone’s camera, GPS system, gyroscope and compass to give you ‘live’ information about the things around you. For example, using the app Wikitude, hold the iPhone up so that the camera points at the Eiffel Tower, and the image on the viewfinder includes a label ‘Eiffel Tower’, with its history and what people are tweeting about it right now.. Using Star Walk, hold the iPad so that the camera points at the night sky, and the screen shows the names of the stars on view.

Ball Invasion is a new app for the iPad 2 that uses the iPhone or iPads camera to make a 3D model  of your actual surroundings, and allows you to fire a virtual cannon at balls apparently floating in the room in front of you.

The technology is called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). SLAM makes it possible to build and track a simple 3D model of the world around you in real time, using only the device’s built-in camera. The technology was originally invented by NASA to be used by autonomous vehicles on space missions.

The game was developed by 13thlab.com, and is a free $1.99 download from the app store. (thanks Ian)

What I Learnt On 8th August in other years

One Response to “Augmented Reality – Ball Invasion”

  1. Ian Kamerman says:

    Hi Tony, Ball Invasion isn’t free. It’s $1.99!

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