Technology is always evolving, it has progressed rapidly in the last 50 years,
but it is in the last 20 years that we have seen the furthest leap. With this in
mind this application could be on a brand new device that hasn’t been invented
yet. Augmented reality is a new technology that has become very popular for
instance, the 3DS uses it as part of a mini game built into the console. This
technology cannot only be used for games but for marketing and information
too. These augmented reality business cards are a fantastic idea and would
make you stand instantly out and has more potential to a client or an
employer. The person you give it to simply holds it up to a webcam and the
camera which registers the image on the card, a program then reads this and
shows more information related to the card. This idea could be used for the
“ Museum” part of the application.
This software is also being used in shops like Lego. “Having trouble picturing what that Lego monster castle/spaceship/robot will look like when assembled? Lego is rolling out augmented-reality store displays that show shoppers, in 3D animation, what a completed kit will look like.” (Hornyak, T. 2010) This was developed to help shoppers pick the best Lego set for them. They also have images of what it looks like on the box but with this new technology lets you go one further by holding up the box to a camera. It will
show you a fully 3D rendered model which is animated. I think this is a
brilliant idea that is very helpful. It’s an idea that was based on
resolving a re-occurring problem of not knowing fully if the product
it what it actually is on the box.
The devices we use in the future might even be wearable, such as these glasses. “In the future, this technology will be combined with augmented reality (AR) to create a near-invisible and natural user interface for your PMC.” (Chin, R. 2011) Using a combination of eye tracking technology, augmented reality and voice recognition software it’s quite like a computer you can wear on your face. This technology could really apply itself to my application. You could wear these glasses and actually see Time slips and old images of the area through the glasses. You could give voice commands to E.V.A about what you want to do too. Plus the glasses look quite stylish. “Your PMC will display information on your glasses much like a heads-up display (HUD), for instance, with symbols projected along the periphery. Look at a symbol and speak and your PMC will act on the broadcasted message.” (Chin, R. 2011)
Nokia has also created a pair of glasses, although they are more of a concept of something they might make in the future rather than a working model. You can see that they are a lot more like a pair of glasses but still function like the other pair, with voice activation, augmented reality and eye tracking. “If you watch the video, the glasses would be considered a highly advanced HMD, but the overall message they are sending is way off-base. Nokia’s vision of the future lacks depth and creativity and instead relies on a sexed up futuristic form of texting?” (Jones, G. 2009). The video doesn’t really show the full potential of the glasses but they look a lot slicker and more like a pair of glasses than the other ones. Wears wouldn’t have to feel conscious about wearing this device as it looks like a normal pair of glasses. Both of these could host my application really well. Rather than cameras to look at the location the user could just use there eyes and the Augmented reality would appear on the screens. Also rather than scanning your finger the glasses could scan the users eye or voice to activate the application.
“Each method of viewing augmented reality has brought the experience closer to the eyes while giving increasing amounts of freedom to the user. Once you unplug yourself from a wall, one of the last logical steps in this progression is contact lenses.” (Jones, G. 2009).
With the development of augmented reality from screens to glasses, contact
lenses seem the most logical route to go on. You would be plugged into all
your information all the time, not needing any power or glasses. This would be
very handy and really make my application feel real. The person would only
need to look through the contact lens to see my application. The only downfall
is with Augmented reality people can suffer headaches from it. Plus not
everyone is keen on wearing contact lenses, especially if they were electronic.
This could end up limiting the amount of people buying and using the application. It’s not ideal to cut a part of the market out like this. Augmented
Reality in a contact lens might be for everyone but it could be a
future technology.
“In the film Minority Report, Tom Cruise utilizes amazing technologies from the year 2054, including talking billboards, jetpacks and, most famously, augmented reality gloves that allow him to interact with a computer interface without ever touching it.” (Parr, B. 2010) This technology was inspired from the film “Minority Report” (2002). The two students did this for a project and spent less than $100. They’re able to control a map on screen, click, and move icons and zoom in using the gloves. The gloves have sensors on that are worn under a webcam that registers the movements. I couldn’t directly apply this to the application buts it’s good to know about future technology.
With technology getting more compact and users getting busier, technology is
now being designed for this type of lifestyle in mind. We have laptops and
tablets but these are still rather big, not as small as the smart phones
and other gadgets we carry. Now even computers are becoming small with
the idea of having them project onto surfaces. This is saving space as it
doesn’t need a screen, it’s already half the size of any laptop.
“The concept would make it easy to project pictures, movies or presentations almost anywhere. Because the display stretches to fit the size of the available glass, the display could be much larger than that of a laptop but simpler to operate than a projector.” (Salvator, A. 2011).
The design is very slick, small and modern. The GUI looks beautiful yet
simple and could really be more user friendly. I think it’s a fantastic piece of
technology and could really revolutionise the way we use computers.
With this research into future technology my application could end up running
from any kid of device. Augmented Reality technology is evolving and becoming
more accessible to the masses. It seems to be increasing in popularity that can
only mean good things for this application. The devices I have discovered could
really change the whole experience of this application. The user could look
through their glasses and see “time slips” as they walk through the city. Plus
with the idea of eye tracking and voice activation the application could become
more user friendly than it already is.
