And a step closer to virtual worlds! Sony has unveiled an augmented reality technology that could make this technique - much talked about but that makes little use - much more manageable.
We know already that allow these applications to add real-time dose of virtual video tour of the camera with a mobile phone or with the sensor of a 3DS . Problem, most of these programs have significant flaws: the veneer of virtual items is often rough, they consume a large portion of the resources of the machine (which spoils the experience with many phones), and a "marker" specific - as the cards come with the 3DS - is often necessary.
With its technology SmartAR (you can see a demo video below), Sony intends to change that. First, SmartAR react particularly well to the movements of the camera (1).
But the main interest lies elsewhere SmartAR: it gets rid of the markers usually required. For this, Sony has incorporated a technology advanced object recognition, which can "ask" a 3D model on any surface. The manufacturer does not give many details about his tricks, but it seems that his visual recognition algorithms are particularly efficient, being able to work with ordinary images (photos, drawings, textures ...), including whether the sensor the camera does not distinguish a portion thereof, even if they are deformed.
Technology spatial recognition
Equally interesting, Sony has relied on spatial recognition technologies he has developed some years ago for fire robots Aibo and QRIO. Through them, the camera captures the scene who is able to take into account the dimensions (width, height and depth) of the part filmed and put together the best 3D object in its environment. " It is possible move a virtual character in real space 3D [established by the piece, Ed] as if there were really " , says Sony.
Impressive, even if SmartAR is unfortunately not going to happen in our smartphones . Sony just says he continues his experiments on this project, including the markets for advertising and video games.
(1) Although it is highly likely that the demonstration provided by the Japanese company has been achieved with a much more powerful computer than a mobile phone, contrary to what she suggests.
