CSA Online by Andrew Moore-Crispin ADDING A LAYER TO REALITY This isn’t a story about Pokemon Go. This is a story that shamelessly uses Pokemon Go as the faddish hook to talk about something more important with broader, longer-lasting interest. News stories about the phenomenon that is Pokemon Go are probably the first time you heard the term “augmented reality.” While some games use augmented reality, augmented reality is not at all about games. What is Augmented Reality? In the last CSAOnline column, we talked about virtual reality. That’s computers taking over your senses, essentially becoming your whole world for as long as you’ve got the headset strapped on. Augmented reality doesn’t do that. Instead of taking over, augmented reality lays graphics, text or other computer-generated input in a layer that sits on top of the real world. In Pokemon Go, players look at the screen which, in turn, looks at the world through the smartphone camera. The titular pocket monsters pop up on the screen and players move around to get them in their sights. In other words, Pokemon look as if they’re hanging out in the real world; a little computer-generated character could appear as if it’s standing atop your coffee table. That’s augmented reality. Think of a heads-up display (HUD) in a car or airplane and the way in which it projects digital information onto the glass that the driver or pilot looks through, so they can get important information without taking their eyes off the main task at hand. That’s augmented reality too. Today, there are augmented reality glasses and headsets that project a data layer on top of the world which we see every day. The future of AR could see digital information projected straight onto our retina (Visual Retinal Display). Maybe that’s where the technology is headed (though I’m personally a little squeamish at the idea of having things projected onto my retina), but we’re not going to take such a deep dive. Apps running on your smartphone or tablet are the best place to see what augmented reality can do today. Here are a few that are worth a look. Google Sky Map Free, Android Point your phone up at the sky and Google Sky Map tells you what you’re looking at. Move around and see stars, planets, satellites and constellations named on your screen. You can even point down at the ground to get a glimpse of the sky on the other side of the world. As you move your phone or tablet around, the screen shows the various heavenly bodies. Some can be tapped to gain deeper insight or to view spectacular photos taken by deep space telescopes. If you’re looking for something in particular – a planet or a specific constellation – you can use the search function and arrows on your phone’s screen will guide your gaze across the night sky until you’re looking at the thing that you seek. If you’ve ever wished that you, like Carl Sagan or his protégé Neil deGrasse Tyson, had the ability to gaze upward in the starry night and point out all of the celestial bodies, this app can save you all that schooling. With this app running, you can locate not just the Big Dipper, but every constellation, every known star, nebula and planet that dots the sky as we see it. Augmented Car Finder Free, iOS Bringing it back down to earth, this app serves as a sort of radar that’ll help you locate your vehicle when it seems intent on not being found. When you park, just note your car’s location. When the time comes to leave, fire up the app. You’ll see your vehicle’s marker on the screen, along with the distance which you’ll need to trek to get there. All along the way, on-screen directions lead you on your way to your errant auto. You’re probably not going to use this app every time you go to the grocery store but, when you have to park somewhere unfamiliar, especially in one of those big, sprawling lots at a sporting event or theme park, this app is definitely one worth having. While this specific app is only available on the iPhone and iPad, you’ll find similar apps in the Google Play store. Just search “car finder AR.” 52 | www.snowbirds.org
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