Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with virtual computer-generated imagery – creating a mixed reality.

We have seen how recently many companies employed AR to create an awesome ad campaign that created a huge buzz simply because of the novel media used.

I picked 4 of the many applications of AR in the playlist below… my favorite is the BMW Z4 one that well integrates it into the other online media as well…

The one with Lego was also interesting how it showed a demo of the product in the AR point of sale system…

httpvp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2B49F2BDD6279CD0

What Next???

I recently read an article on the advances in Gestural Computing…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXuxK6IeQfo

Some smart students at MIT have figured out how to turn a typical LCD into a low-cost, 3-D gestural computing system.

Users can touch the screen to activate controls on the display but as soon as they lift their finger off the screen, the system can interpret their gestures in the third dimension, too. In effect, it turns the whole display into a giant sensor capable of telling where your hands are and how far away from the screen they are.

“The goal with this is to be able to incorporate the gestural display into a thin LCD device like a cell phone and to be able to do it without wearing gloves or anything like that,” says Matthew Hirsch, a doctoral candidate at the Media Lab who helped develop the system. MIT, which will present the idea at the Siggraph conference on Dec. 19.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/gestural-computing-system/

I was wondering how this new technology could revolutionize advertising… if a cheap way to manufacture this gestural interface system was created.

With these new technologies… advertisers can do so much more than was ever possible…

• Imagine how we could have product demos with people being able to twist and turn the product… Virtually!
• Think of a dress in a showroom… how you could try it out… even without entering the place!
• May be a new nail polish shade… or a lipstick color…???
• …

Only sky is the limit…!!!