Posted by: Jed Baker

At the grocery store, near the checkout, I spied a rack of Avatar toys. Looking them over, the first thing I noticed was that they had been discounted from $15 to $10. Next, I noticed that they were of an extremely low quality. Poorly painted, flimsy looking, ugly, weird proportions. Surprising, considering how much the movie cost, that the licensed toys would be so cheap. Thirdly, I laid my eyes upon the Jake Sully figure. A young man with a close shaved head, grey t-shirt, jeans, and a wheelchair. Of course he would be in a wheelchair, the character in the film was in a wheelchair, but the idea of an action figure in a wheelchair was positively fascinating to me. Unfortunately, I had already paid for my groceries so I wasn’t able to buy Jake Sully.

The next morning, however, I returned to purchase him and was delighted to find that the price had been discounted again, to $4.44. (This time I noticed another interesting thing; while there were many human characters and a few of the less-featured Na’vi, there was not a single Neytiri (female lead of Avatar) to be found.)

The packaging for the Avatar figures indicated the inclusion of something called a “webcam i-TAG.” The box informed me that this i-TAG “Creates Interactive 3D Model!” and the instructions on the back indicated that were I to visit avataritag.com and point my webcam at the plastic picture of Jake Sully included with the toy, I would be rewarded with a holographic robot of some sort.

How could I resist?

Welcome to the world of augmented reality.

The site accessed my webcam and a live video of me popped up on my screen. When I held the plastic picture up to the webcam, a 3D ship appeared on the screen, floating above the iTAG. When I moved the iTAG, the ship would move too, so I could view it at different angles. Placing my finger over an icon on the iTAG brought up several different info boxes on the screen. Definitely worth the $4.44.

Augmented reality is, in a nutshell and for our purposes, the layering of interactive computer generated content over real-time video, generally via webcam or mobile device. More examples can be found here, and at this Australian Navy website you can easily check this technology out for yourself (you’ll need a printer and a webcam). The band Lost Valentinos is using augmented reality to do something I find particularly awesome.

Augmented Reality could be, eventually, a very useful feature of marketing. Like any new technology though, many people have not yet figured out exactly HOW to use augmented reality. For most, it’s little more than a toy, a trifle. A simple trick. A way to Sell More Toys/Magazines/Books, etc. Similar case: Last year when Esquire released the “first e-ink magazine cover” I bought it right away, simply for the novelty. I don’t usually buy this magazine, I didn’t even read the one I did buy, but the novelty was enough for me to lay down my ten bucks. The (underwhelming, ultimately) inclusion of a new technology did the trick; it made me buy something that I would normally not. Including augmented reality technology in an otherwise unremarkable toy is an attempt at the same thing. (As for the magazine, I looked at it recently; the e-ink has stopped working.)

You sometimes hear augmented reality being compared to holograms, and it works like holograms, but not REAL holograms, i.e. holograms as we have seen them portrayed in films and television (Sam on Quantum Leap, communication in Star Wars, many sci-fi films, etc). In truth, rather than putting us in the same position as Luke Skywalker looking at a holographic Princess Leia, augmented reality puts us in the position of actor Mark Hamill, pretending to look at a hologram of Princess Leia.

Or to use a more contemporary example, watch this from the 2008 Election night coverage on CNN. Wolf Blitzer is not really looking at Jessica Yellin. He’s using that red dot she is “standing” on as a guide for where she will be appearing to us, the viewers.

Finally, here’s a simple graphical explanation:

A.R. on devices like the iPhone is still in its infancy, but the potential is huge. Applications range from simple games that superimpose things like fire or fairies over the world around you to bar guides that show pop-up information for bars in your direct line of view. A hand-held device with an integrated camera can act as a window that we view the world through, overlaying important or entertaining images and information on our reality.

In a similar vein, upcoming video game technology will enable the Xbox 360 and PS3 to use video cameras and motion tracking software and hardware to implement a type of augmented reality. Nintendo’s DSi is doing it already. Of course, similar technology has existed for nearly 20 years. But Nick Arcade was virtual reality in the same way that Jessica Yellin on CNN is a hologram. The inclusion of A.R. in mainstream video gaming consoles can only serve to increase awareness of the technology, and it’s how we use this new technology that will determine how effective it becomes.

Another barrier to the successful use of augmented reality is helping the public to understand what it is and, maybe more importantly, what it isn’t. I recall watching a Today Show piece about a new book about Michael Jackson, the “first book to use augmented reality.” Al Roker held up a picture of Michael Jackson handed to him by the book’s publisher. The screen then showed us some grainy footage of the card, held by Roker, seemingly showing a video of Michael dancing and singing. This footage was from a webcam hooked up to a special site, which is necessary, currently, for any augmented reality via webcam. The person I was viewing this show with, understandably, thought that the pages of the book would be capable of showing video, highlighting the problems with using augmented reality as marketing. Many people will end up being disappointed that they need to view their Michael Jackson book via their webcam to take advantage of this “amazing technology.” And honestly, who is going to hold their enormous book up to their webcam and then look at it on their computer screen?

Personally I think the potential for augmented reality is huge, especially on handheld devices like the iPhone. The use of A.R. for the purposes of both entertainment and information is an exciting and innovative field, and I eagerly await the ways marketers determine to utilize this new tech.

What ways would you like to see A.R. used in the future? Should it be used for marketing, games, or more serious applications, or is it just a flash in the pan?

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3 Responses to “AvatA.R.”

1. Sid says:

   March 17, 2010 at 10:14 am

   It does have huge potential, in fact if you look at the video game industry you’ll notice that they’re going to be the ones to really blow the doors off A.R. Look at the upcoming Project Natal from Microsoft and PlayStation Move to see what I mean. They’re really taking it mainstream, in 5 years you’ll see it everywhere.
2. Sean says:

   March 18, 2010 at 10:17 am

   Huge potential for sure…Yahoo had a cool augmented reality at their Fancouver location at the Olympics…check it out
   http://tinyurl.com/ydsb6xu
3. Deb Cakes says:

   January 14, 2012 at 5:54 pm

   Interesting post. I enjoyed the read. Cheers!