What it Takes to Make True Augmented Reality
As more people begin to read about and to experiment with wearable technologies and Augmented Reality, there is increasing confusion around definitions and concepts. A very common source of confusion is the label “AR and VR,” or “ARVR” for short. As has been pointed out elsewhere, this confusion surrounding Augmented Reality does not help anyone. Customers can’t clearly explain what they need. Providers of technology are often unable to express what they offer.
In August 2014, long before the current wave of interest in VR, the question of what “True AR” means and what it takes to deliver it was the subject of an international workshop hosted by Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST)’s Interactive Media Design Lab. Researchers conducted a series of lectures and chaired round table discussions.
An excellent white paper written based on the workshop outcomes has recently been released. The collaboration between researchers Christian Sandor, Martin Fuchs, Alvaro Cassinelli, Hao Li, Richard Newcombe, Goshiro Yamamoto and Steven Feiner spans questions of definitions (What exactly do we mean by True AR?), benefits and approaches before exploring the technical and ethical challenges.
This paper should be required reading for those new to the field of Augmented Reality or for those who persist to blur the lines between AR and VR or AR and other forms of information presentation. For those who do not have time to digest the full report, a synopsis of the paper’s key concepts has been published on TechCrunch.