It's a, kind'a magic????

AR has already augmented much of my reality, but now it is beginning to impede on my fantasy (DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT FANTASISE ABOUT MAGICIANS).

I only present this to you as an example, of where technology is going, which is quite literally everywhere. But it will take a lot more to convince me that a digital effect is magic.

It's lucky he doesn't do sword balancing, because I think he's missed the point.

"Here is the first test of my "Magic Projection" system out on the streets in Tokyo. "Magic Projection" is my new augmented reality projection tracking system created for use in my magic stage performances. Have a look and let me know what you think.

Special Thanks to: Zachary Lieberman for software development and for creating OpenFrameworks. Thank you to Danjel van Tijn for his arduino and Wii engineering and Nolan from PeauProductions for the M12 IR filter modifications on the PS3 camera. Also Parte Koishi, Shingo, Teddy, Lisa, Shige, Miki, Masayo, Chika and all at Empire Entertainment Japan for helping me on location in Tokyo. Makiko-sensei for programing me in Japanese. Johnny Chung Lee for his inspirational work with projector based tracking and to all people creating amazing free tools available to artists everywhere: OpenFrameworks, OpenCV, Arduino, MacCam. Made with openframeworks (openframeworks.cc)

The music is 'Open Electro' by Vincent Girès' jamendo.com/en/artist/silence and can be downloaded from archive.org/details/silence-silence."

Retro retro Maan!

The world continues to celebrate what is essentially old...



Well if you can't beat them, join them!
I've recently bored out my old pet turtle and am attempting to attach my new cat to the inner shell. I see why they tend to do these things with technology and not animals.

AR-vatar

I think it's easy to get complacent over technology whilst we sitting in a digital tower. Augmented Reality for many, and indeed the general public, is a new and exciting development, yet every digital head seems to poo poo and turn as if just having been presented with a turd on a platter when presented with a new AR idea.

Mattel have launched forward through this digital snobbery and released the first ever AR enhanced toys. It's a bit like Visionaries for us a children, someone always has to put the latest tech in a toy:

Remember these Nights of the Magical Light?

And so it has come to pass; Mattel have released a set of Avatar toys all with their own AR 'i-Tags'.



It looks pretty limited, but it's just a start.

AI: Artificial insects

Well the insects aren't artificial, but ironically the intelligence is.

Some mad scientist has wired up a beetle to enable controlled flight from the comfort of his personal computer.
Chucking pulses down 3 electrodes, implanted in the poor creatures brain and either wing, allows the user to control height and direction. Want to turn right? Just electrocute his left wing. It's kinda like rowing a boat, but instead of oars you've got a miniature cattle prod and instead of a boat, you've got a beetle.




Don't worry, the DIY kit (Direct Insects Yourself) will be available in all good toy stores before Christmas.

Find out more here.

Augmented My Box!

If this doesn't make you week at the knees then you are officially not a geek. Congratulations!
For the rest of you...

Augmented Reality Texture Extraction Experiment from Lee Felarca on Vimeo.

It's crazy what they are doing these days, yesterday I heard a man used a computer as a sex doll and consequently died. It's a funny old world!

Transforming bipedal battlebots

Meet OmniZero.9 the new bitch slapping robot set to defeat all other Robots at this years Robo one competition. (Yes a real robot face-off without the annoying Scouser!)

But this self praising Robot could not scratch his nuts without raising his arms for a round of applause. GET OVER YOUR SELF!

But what could be better than having your very own Transformer...


Having 2 and making them fight!!!


GO GO!!!!
I feel it's a little unfair towards the little dude who's only transformation seems to be from a standing to a crouched position.

Sensitive business cards

In this over crowded, over creative world, it becomes constantly harder to stand out from th crowd.
Whether you are the next apprentice or a graphic designer, you'll now be expected to go that extra mile.
This truth has always been, and probably always will, but it has never been more obvious than in business cards. I remember the scene from American Psycho when one colleague silences a room by revealing his card to be 'eggshell with romalian type', yup you all know what I'm talking about.
Well... just look how the game has stepped up:



Heat sensitive cards that reset with a flick of the wrist.
Suck on that Patrick Bateman!

Augmented Gaming is undead

This mobile app allows users to observe a well rendered 3D environment and blast the shit out of Zombies.
'Arghh', created by Augmented Environments Lab, is an AR game that allows users to view and interact with a 3D environment through their camera phone (unfortunately not many platforms can handle this yet as it was built for the Tegra). Users can blast zombies and even place ironically sweets treats on the map, to further destroy the already dead.



Awesome!
Can't wait to see what other monsters are being created in the A E Labs.