Mapping with Augmented Reality

"Enkin" introduces a new handheld navigation concept. It displays location-based content in a unique way that bridges the gap between reality and classic map-like representations. It combines GPS, orientation sensors, 3D graphics, live video, several web services and a novel user interface into an intuitive and light navigation system for mobile devices.

This project is a submission for the first round of the Google Android Developer Challenge and should not be considered a final product. If you want to learn about it in depth, please read our detailed documentation.

Here is a link to a video showing augmented reality on maps and how it can be used.

http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2008/04/enkin-is-the-li.html

Advances with Nokia

This is interesting! From the previous post, here is Nokia's attempt to incorporate augmented reality. In Nokia’s mobile-augmented-reality prototype, a user can actually point to a near building with the camera of a phone. Then the system actually calculates the building’s location and uses that information to identify it.

The idea of superimposing digital information in the real world through the use of augmented reality has been discussed more in the past year, and there are a number of interesting ideas and proposals out there. Here is an article from this past spring about this topic:

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging&id=18291

View Management

View management is the layout decisions that determine spatial relationships between 2-D and 3-D objects. Here is a picture demonstrating such a visual system:

http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/projects/ViewManagement/vm_small.jpg

"SenseShapes"

There are always various projects being conducted with the use of augmented reality. This site shows one example of a program that uses a variety of tools to help better distance finding with augmented reality:

http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/projects/SenseShapes/

Iraq vets use virtual reality to ease post-battle trauma

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/world/iraq/2007-06-18-iraq-virtual-reality_n.htm

Virtual Reality Lab (VRlab)

Take a look at this detailed site of a virtual reality lab where they create, animate, and model these three dimensional virual reality worlds. You can look at the research that is taking place, events, various projects and more.
Link to VRlab:
http://vrlab.epfl.ch/