Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

[AlHazred]

http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/09/20/dutch-augmented-reality-start-up-ready-to-disrupt-business/

 

I've got to figure out how to port this into my Traveller Hero campaign, maybe as the foible for a really annoying planet. I can definitely see this as being illegal in many areas, perhaps under some broad fraud statute or as theft of business.

 

EDIT - In fact, you can combine it with this technology and all hell breaks loose.

 

http://www.gizmag.com/celebrity-face-substitution-system/19901/

[sinanju]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

Not just one really annoying planet. I think it will be ubiquitous anywhere the technology exists. It will be like being online all the time. You'll be plugged in 24/7, with vast amounts of data (useful, amusing, or annoying) available instantly. There will probably also be an ongoing war between advertisers/spammers and users, just like the internet. I expect you'll be able to customize the "overlays" in nitpicking detail, so you can see only the tags you're interested in. This isn't a new idea--I remember reading about the MIT media lab playing with the concept many years ago. But now it's turning into a real thing.

 

I use a system like this (except it involves a visor you wear) in my starship repo man novels. The visor has a desktop-like interface that can read your eye movements and learn to recognize your intent, so you hardly have to think about what you want to see or do (open a phone link, for instance) and it will happen. Or you can "Google" someone you meet instantly.

 

I'd like to have one of those.

[Christopher]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

I know of one space opera rpg where only one civilisation uses a complete AR/paralel VR network (called "Horizon") that even spans across systems and is used on board of their starships or for ground troops (Tac-Horizon).

All the others have the technology too. But each is in some way opressive and does not want's his citizens to have that amount of easy access to information. The only civ to actually use it (and maintains the expensive sattelite network needed for it) is by far the "freest". I think it is in part because they have it, not the other way around.

 

So I would asume high Law Levels will make that tech less common (afaik it lowers the TL availible to the public anyway) or might even banned it when it could be easily done.

Just look at China for an example.

[AlHazred]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

See, I can't see this being deployed to every planet. You're talking about a massive high-tech computer infrastructure necessary to support this as a viable business model. Sure, you could walk around TL7 (think 1940s tech) planet and put your own virtual signposts and stuff, but where is the information being stored? Such a world doesn't have ubiquitous computers, let alone ones dedicated to this kind of commercial virtualization. I'd say you need a couple of things in place: computers everywhere, prominent use of virtual experience technology (i.e., VR glasses), and computing resources dedicated to sustaining such a virtual world. Eventually, everyone needs to pay the bills, so it's a peculiarly fragile business ecosystem unless every business can dedicate its own resources to the project. And many planets with strict laws might take exception to the idea of a virtual world that their own citizens can modify ("What? You want to live in a world not controlled by our Glorious Beloved Dictator For Life?!? That is a treasonous thought, citizen! Under Section 3, I am obliged to liquidate you for the greater glory of the State!") Similarly, some religions might hold virtual worlds as inherently evil due to their manufacture by human (and therefore innately flawed) hands. Lastly, some worlds might have such a system in place, but it's been so abused and overcommercialized that its use has fallen out of favor; the citizens know not to go there, and the only saps...people who do are tourists renting the VR gear.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

Let me add this card to the deck.... LED contact lenses.

 

http://www.elementalled.com/leducation/blog/innovative-technology/led-lights-make-augmented-vision-a-reality/

[Doc Quantum]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

It sounds like the wi-fi tech of the new edition Shadowrun.

 

There is an office building near where I catch the bus that has a sign over a vacant ground-level space. The sign has one of those scanner codes on it like UPS uses now and the label on it says "AR APP".

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

Let me add this card to the deck.... LED contact lenses.

 

http://www.elementalled.com/leducation/blog/innovative-technology/led-lights-make-augmented-vision-a-reality/

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaHUpWuqNHY

 

Was I the only one reminded of the above Futurama episode?

[sinanju]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

That Futurama episode explains why I don't WANT a cybernetic implant. A visor/earpiece combo (that I wear, WEAR!) will do just fine, thanks.

[Doc Quantum]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaHUpWuqNHY

 

Was I the only one reminded of the above Futurama episode?

 

 

I don't know but that vid reminded me of this Conan O'Brien sketch.

 

[Midas]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

Am I the only one the think Eyes of the Overworld on reading this thread?

[Lucius]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

Am I the only one the think Eyes of the Overworld on reading this thread?

 

You were, but now you have me thinking it too.

 

I was just thinking Minority Report

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Now I'm thinking of a palindromedary

[mallet]

Re: Augmented Reality Start-Up Ready to Disrupt Business

 

This type of tech is great in theory and in books, games and movies (things that are controlled by the creators) but will be such a hassle in real life that it will never work without tons of control and oversight, the very thing most technophiles on the internet fight against.

 

Just look at the example in the article about real space vs. virtual space. Of course real space will end up owning their own virtual space. Do you think the Whitehouse is going to let anyone super impose a porn site or porn images over it in virtual space? That Apple will let another company offer ads in one of their stores? No, way.

 

The same goes for people. It is only a matter of time (if not already available) for a person to have a virtual reality "space" around them. Do you think anyone should be able to add "tags" to you if you don't want them to? ie, someone looking at you in AR see's a pop-up add for erectile dysfunction pills?

 

So, if companies and people and own and control their own "virtual space" (I like the term "virtual presence" better) then all this tech will ever amount too is just another way of selling stuff (ads, ads and more ads) or as a dating/sex tool (ie, walk into a club and see who is single, what they are looking for, etc...) and never amount to anything too exciting.

 

On the other hand, if by some miracle, no laws/rules are passed and virtual space becomes totally free, then there will be so much spam, crap, childish comments, ads and junks floating around everywhere, that the whole thing will be useless.