Rich features of Junaio cause rush in developer sign-up

April 14th, 2010
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San Francisco/Munich, April 13th, 2010 – The number of registered developers for the mobile augmented reality browser platform junaio has rapidly grown since the announcement of opening up the API four weeks ago and has reached more than 200 until now. With its open API, junaio gives developers and content providers the opportunity to create their own channels with state of the art augmented reality applications.

junaio`s open API allows developers to create their own AR applications with numerous features. It is easy to use and does require only basic knowledge in programming, e.g. XML and server side programming, such as PHP to create state of the art augmented reality applications. The platform experienced a run from developers and can announce over 200 developers – only four weeks after they opened up their API for the public. “We are very pleased with the number of developers. The feedback we receive is that junaio is a great opportunity for developers to create state of the art applications without spending any money”, states Peter Meier, the CTO of metaio, the company behind junaio.

The creative potential of junaio is vast: AR Mashups, multiplayer games or scavenger hunts, interactive, indoor and outdoor exhibitions, tours with animated 3D characters, edutainment right on the spot and location independent gaming. It is up to the developer to challenge his imagination and become as creative as he wants to. Starting is very easy, developers only need to register for an API-key on the website.

Junaio flowchart

Developer contest promises a reward of US$5000

Furthermore metaio wants to directly reward the effort of their developers and thank them with US$ 5000 for the developer who creates the best channel. Everybody registered as a developer and sets up a channel before June 16, 2010 takes part in the competition automatically. The five channels with the most subscribers will be shortlisted. An independent jury with AR- and IT-business experts will then select the winner. Among the jury members are Robert Scoble, ReadWriteWeb´s Chris Cameron, Mobile Consultants Christine Perey and Ken Blakeslee, Industrial AR expert, enthusiast and blogger Thomas Carpenter and finally Prof. Dr. Geiger from Duesseldorf University of Applied Sciences Department of Media Mixed Reality and Visualization.

Developers can register on junaio`s website.

junaio @ ARDevCamp in Berlin on 24th April, 2010

Developers who are not sure yet how they can use junaio`s different features should consider joining the Developers camp at the AR DevCamp in Berlin on 24 April 2010. The junaio team will give an insight in what developers can do with the new junaio API in free and moderated coding sessions. In addition, ideas for new channels will be collected together and findings will be taken into consideration in the future developments of junaio. The session will be a good starting point for the developer contest and the chance to win the $5k challenge. metaio is looking forward to a prolific session at ARDev Camp which will take place at Beuth-Hochschule für Technik, Luxemburger Strasse 10, 13353 Berlin. Registration starts at 8 a.m.

Please visit the ARDevCamp page for more information and free registration.

Outstanding feature: indoor usage

One of the most outstanding features of junaio which differentiates it from other AR browsers is its ability to use it not only outdoors but also indoors. This makes it especially interesting for usage in museums, exhibitions and shopping malls where GPS data is not accurate enough: http://www.youtube.com/junaio#p/a/u/1/lULKsnRniO0

Outstanding feature: dynamic reaction

junaio`s dynamical reaction can be illustrated by the example of BART. In San Francisco junaio partners with BART, the Public Transportation Service in the Bay Area. The junaio user can not only find the nearest train station but he can also get the time of the next possible train connection – in realtime at his current location.  http://www.youtube.com/junaio#p/a/u/0/nbAVMrNQhJI

Attention Developers: win $5,000!

March 30th, 2010
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With junaio’s open API, developers can create state of the art augmented reality applications. You don’t need any experience in programming for embedded systems. Challenge your imagination and contribute to junaio’s exciting world with AR Mashups, multiplayer games and scavenger hunts, interactive, indoor and outdoor exhibitions, tours with animated 3D characters or location independent gaming. All you need to do as a developer is to register for an API key and start challenging your creativity.

You can not only win $5,000 but they will also invite the winner to their metaio Technology Fair to visit with them and to attend the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich.

All you need to do:

  • Register as a developer here.
  • Become creative and set up your own channel before June 16, 2010
  • The 5 channels with the most subscribers on June 16 will be shortlisted and an independent jury will select a winner

Welcome SLARToolkit

March 1st, 2010
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Silverlight Augmented Reality Toolkit

SLARToolkit is a flexible Augmented Reality library for Silverlight with the aim to make real time Augmented Reality applications with Silverlight as easy and fast as possible. It can be used with Silverlight’s Webcam API or with any other CaptureSource or a WriteableBitmap. SLARTookit is based on the established NyARToolkit and ARToolkit. SLARToolkit uses a dual license model and could be used for open or closed source applications under certain conditions. See the License page for details.

Features

Live samples and videos

There are two samples available; one uses Silverlight’s 3D projection capabilities and the other the 3D game engine Balder. The samples are part of the source code repository, but not included in the binary release.
A webcam and at least the Silverlight 4 runtime must be installed to run the samples. At the moment the beta developer runtime is available for Windows and Mac. Alternatively there are also videos of the samples in action linked below.
The SLAR and / or L marker should be printed non scaled at the original size (80 x 80 mm) and centered for a small white border. See the Markers documentation for details. Then hold the printed marker in front of the camera and move it around. Make sure the camera is set up properly and the scene is illuminated well without hard shadows.

Silverlight Projection Sample

Open the sample and press the “Start Fun” Button or watch the video.

See this blog post for details.

Balder Sample

Open the sample and press the “Start Fun” Button or watch the video.

See this blog post for details.

Easy to use

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// Load marker and initialize detector with the a CaptureSource instance

using (Stream markerSlarStream = App.GetResourceStream(new Uri("SLARToolKitSample;component/data/Marker_SLAR_16x16segments_80width.pat", UriKind.Relative)).Stream)
{
var markerSlar = Marker.Load(markerSlarStream, 16, 16, 80.0, "SLAR");
ArDetector = new CaptureSourceMarkerDetector(captureSource, 1, 4000, new List<Marker>{ markerSlar });
}
// Detection event

ArDetector.MarkersDetected += (s, e) =>
{
var detectedResults = e.DetectionResults;
}

See the Marker Detectors documentation for details.

Additional Information

SLARToolkit – Silverlight Augmented Reality Toolkit announced this project and included the Silverlight 3D projection sample.
World# – Real Time 3D Augmented Reality with Silverlight provided the first Balder 3D sample.

Semi- Augmented Reality on iPhone 3.1

September 10th, 2009
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Come on iPhone! you can do it, son

Apple gave users (and developers) the impression that the 3.1 firmware would provide support for AR apps. However, as Orin Inbar points out on Games Alfresco, 3.1 only brings ’semi support’ for AR apps. While developers can now overlay graphics on a live video stream, it is still not possible for developers to actually analyze the live video stream. Many AR apps like ARSights track markers or objects and then replace them with their own info. On the iPhone, this is currently only supported through a private API and, as Inbar notes, chances are that Apple won’t allow such an app into the store.

On the other hand, though, apps that don’t need this functionality and only need to be able to overlay text over a video such as Layar or Wikitude should now be a possibility on the iPhone after they already made their debut on Android quite a while ago.

US and Canada will get iPhone Augmented

September 1st, 2009
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33 North American cities

As soon as Apple approves “3.1″ applications for the iTunes App Store, Discover Anywhere Mobile will be releasing Discover Anywhere Transit. This app will provide detailed listings for rail, light rail, subway stops and airports across North America (and maybe more by launch date):

Transit information can be selected:

* by transit system
* by what’s near me right now
* by search
* by user favorites

The AR view in Discover Anywheres app is just one of three, map and list views are also available for all data sets.

The AR view in Discover Anywhere's app is just one of three, map and list views are also available for all data sets.

To the question: “Why users would need an AR view?”, President David Janes said:

“In my mind, AR is a feature rather than a product. It’s something that we think would be useful for our customers. For example, I was in Atlanta a few weeks ago and walked out of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) downtown. Even knowing that the MARTA existed would have been useful then – but when we got out it would be great to be able to orient yourself toward landmarks. It’s the ‘oh yeah, there it is’ experience.”

So, we could say that a new generation of landmarks has arrived to iPhone (OR will arrive..) because as it seems iPhone wont release the iPhone OS 3.1 version at least until next October… and keep waiting.

Wikitude Drive – AR Navigation System

August 28th, 2009
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PRESS RELEASE.
Mobilizy GmbH reveals a preview of it’s augmented reality navigation system, the first fully functional mobile AR navigation system available for the Android platform. Wikitude Drive was developed by the Mobilizy Research & Development group in Salzburg, Austria, to satisfy the curiosity of the developers to see if it was feasible to combine real-time navigation with mobile augmented reality. The result of this quest is Wikitude Drive, a fully-functional, light weight navigational system which overlays point-to-point directions on a camera-view, without the need for maps.

Wikitude Drive boasts the following features:

* * Mobile AR navigation, similar to a heads up display (HUD);
* * Fully functional, map-less navigation;
* * POI 2 POI navigation;
* * Integrated voice commands (additional text-to-speech engine required);
* * World wide navigational data which is accessed in real-time from the internet; o (a mobile internet connection is necessary to access data while in motion)
* * Peer-to-peer navigational functions o Social navigational features will be implemented in future releases
* * Interfaces with existing navigational APIs (for example: NavTeq, Map24, TeleAtlas)
* * Launching for Android and iPhone soon.

ARvertising Note: All these AR browsers (Layar, Wikitude..etc) will get into the REAL THING the day HMD (head mounted displays – lets say “AR sunglasses”..-) will come to stay. Before that, in my opinion,  they are not going to give to final users something really useful (you can’t drive watching your phone’s screen for AR directions, sorry).

Maybe the “pedestrian” versions have one point…

Which AR Mobile Browser you'd prefer?

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AR community vs iPhone

July 7th, 2009
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Open letter to Apple

Here’s a letter sent to Apple Developer Relations, signed for the most relevant research groups and AR companies:

Dear Apple,

We are a collection of augmented reality (AR) enthusiasts and professionals (from business and academia), who have been working on a multitude of AR apps for the iPhone. These apps are poised to change the way people interact with the real world.

But here is the rub: we are currently unable to publish these apps on the app store because the iPhone SDK lacks public APIs for manipulating live video.

We are asking Apple to provide a public API to access live video in real time, on the iPhone.
We will be happy to offer additional technical details.

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