Augmented reality

19/10/09 posted by Liz Niland

I blogged about our favourite iPhone apps the other day, but that was before I knew about Layar, the newest, and probably the coolest, free app I've seen so far.

Like spy goggles for your phone, Layar uses your mobile phone camera lens and GPS software to layer digital information over the streetscape in front of you. Type in what you would like to find, such as “coffee” or “pizza” and tell Layar how far you’re willing to walk to get there. Point your phone in the direction that you want to go, and, voila - touch the markers to make your decision. You can even check out who's been Twittering nearby or read up on local points of interest using Wikipedia. 

The technology is known as “augmented reality” (AR) - a term coined by researcher Tom Caudell way back in 1990. Obviously he wasn’t using the phrase to describe the quickest way to track down a decent coffee via his mobile but, even back then, AR referred to the intersection between the physical and digital worlds and the way that can enhance our perceptions.

How do you get your business in on this? It’s not yet functioning at 100% here in Australia but your best bet is to make sure you’ve got a solid web presence, use social networking, and get listed in the Yellow Pages and other relevant directories.