Augmented reality has been a buzz phrase for a while now. Not only does it sound cool, it is cool. The problem is that most of the main examples of the technology and its applications are limited to videoclips on vimeo and the like, which whilst cool, don’t necessarily generate the *wow* factor which this kind of technology should. And the other examples that you can actually play with (that I’ve seen at any rate) have felt clunky at best. So whilst reading about this kind of stuff is great, it’s not something you’re going to get the whole office down to your desk to look at.
This, on the other hand, is. GE have built a site using AR to showcase (and dramatise) their ‘smart grid technology’… and my oh my it’s fun.
Imagine the possibilities. It’s not perfect, but you kind of get the impression you’re quite literally playing with the future.
Arthur C. Clarke once wrote that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. And this kind of stuff, my friends, might just get someone burnt at the stake.
Go play.
hector 