BMG Online Space

The information points located below on a drawing of the layout of the Arts University College at Bournemouth and Bournemouth University.

Researched road signs from the Highway Code

Map of the Arts University College at Bournemouth to look at where to use my information points.

I have been thinking about maps but don’t see a way of using them in my work. So I got thinking and you use maps to find your way when you get lost. The Ordnance Survey maps are excellent and they plot the surroundings on as well ie forest and rivers, however no matter how good the maps are you still need place names so you know were you are. So it’s signs as well that help the most, so why not signs for my augmented reality information points. So I went down into New Milton and took some photos of road signs.

My view of Augmented Reality is that it is basically adding to the real world what you might find useful. I believe that the best way to describe it is to say this:
When using a mobile device or computer it has to have a video camera to display extra content on top of it, like layers in Photoshop.

The Nearest Tube App for the iPhone is an excellent example of what I think Augmented Reality is, this is also one of the things that got me interested into augmented reality in the first place.

http://www.acrossair.com/apps_nearesttube.htm

A Definition of Augmented Reality

❝ There are two commonly accepted definitions of Augmented Reality today. One was given by Ronald Azuma in 1997. Azuma’s definition says that Augmented Reality

• combines real and virtual
• is interactive in real time
• is registered in 3D ❞

Extract from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality

This marker is designed to be used with the Flash Augmented Reality Toolkit and has come in really handy in my work. This marker controls where the image or information you wish to be located in the real world via a web cam or video camera device is. This design is the default one when starting out with the software package.

I have designed my own markers to be relevant to my project and the campus I will use them with.

The first marker I designed was with the first letters of the Arts University College at Bournemouth however I found out that the design was too complicated to be recognised by the Flar Toolkit, software I was using to make a demo work.

I then made a series of markers with just one initial of the name of the institute and these seemed to work much better than the over complicated design. I had to keep my designs simple. This is also one of the reasons why I kept my main designs that got the information across simple, I wanted to keep consistency across my work.

I have been watching the BBC Electric Dreams programmes on the iPlayer and also looking through the Electric Dreams website. This video is on old mobile phones from the nineties. The Electric Dreams programmes and website has helped me find relevant information about how mobile devices have changed throughout my life time, not just mobile phones but also how portable games consoles (hand-held) have changed.

This is the sort of thing I want to do, just keep it nice and simple and develop it out from there. I just want to try and display something and I will be happy. I will just keep looking at all the different tutorials I can get my hands on, on the internet.

Found this nice example of augmented reality, it is from GE a company that is into the climate and renewable power, trying to be more green with the power we have. This is really cool and once you’ve printed out the marker and the wind turbines have popped up if you blow, obliviously into the microphone the turbines speed up. This is a really nice idea but I think I will keep things nice and simple for what I end up doing.

You can find this and try it yourself right here http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/#/augmented_reality

These images are from the New Forest Information sign in New Milton.

Firstly we have adverts and accommodation information for staying somewhere, some are hotel adverts.

Also we have my favorite sort of information which is maps, I might go with a map idea of some sorts.

We also have contact information like the local police number, doctor, post office and the mother of all tourist information visitor information center’s numbers.