Loading ...First, there was virtual reality. Then there were virtual worlds. Now, we have augmented reality, and it may change the landscape of books entirely.
It’s the stuff of many science fiction scenes; open up a newspaper or a book and, instead of 2-dimensional text, 3-dimensional images pop up. Imagine looking at an Ikea catalog and seeing the items in 3D. Or seeing 3D models of historical buildings in a history textbook. Imagine no more; the technology is here, and it is called augmented reality.
Augumented reality, however, unlike the stuff of science fiction, is not totally independent. It requires software and a webcam in order to work. From an article at Wired.com:
It superimposes 3D objects (like the UFOs) onto the real world through camera recognition software, which is downloaded by a user after the book is bought. The only thing needed is a modern web cam on a Windows-based PC. The key to the AR trick lies in the image-processing software that recognizes the book using the camera and the ‘markerless’ tracking system that creates a combo image in real time.
This new technology is already in use, in advertising, Christomas cards and even graffiti. One German company is planning to publish at least one children’s book using the technique. And, of course, the iPhone has an application for it as well. Here’s a video showing an augmented reality app on the iPhone:
So,what does this mean to me, Laura?
- The definition of “pop-up book” may soon be expanded or changed.
- If this is widely adopted, it may change the fundamentals of reading. Will your library be prepared, with webcams and software installed so that people can read AR books?
- Imagine creating library tours in AR. By using a webcam, visitors could see displays, furniture and signage
- Even LEGOS are getting AR-enabled.
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Well, I am. See that 2-dimensional code to the left? That code contains the following information about me:
- First & last name
- Email address
- Web site URL
- Phone number
- Physical address, including country of origin
All that is in there? What is it for? And why would you use it?
That thing is called a QR (”Quick Response”) code. It’s essentially a 2-dimensional bar code that can encode various types of information. The idea is that a cell phone can take a picture of it and, with the appropriate software, can decode it. It’s sometimes called mobile tagging as well.
Wikipedia says:
“Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone’s browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks.”
As you might guess, these are currently popular in Japan, where mobile use is a totally ingrained feature of the culture. But they are starting to gain some traction in the States, as they are a handy way to link real world objects to the Web.
What does this mean to me, Laura?
- Imagine using these to encode links to book reviews or your library’s web site; the QR code could be on bookmarks, library posters or even door signage. Be creative; how many ways could you think of to link your library’s digital resources to the physical ones?
- More advanced QR codes can even have colors or images embedded in them without disturbing the actual encoded info. See some cool examples.
- This would be considered “bleeding edge” technology, except that the popularity of the iPhone may change that rapidly. QR readers for iPhones are easily available through the iPhone App Store.
- Making a QR code is simple and free. A free one to try is MSKYNET QRCode Generator (Maestro), but there are many others.
