Augmented Reality Apps to Arrive with iPhone 3.1 Update

[MacRumors]

The L.A. Times reports that Apple will begin allowing developers access to the tools they need to produce augmented reality applications starting with upcoming iPhone OS 3.1. While there have been many impressive demos floating around showing the possibilities, these applications have used unpublished APIs which prevent them from being allowed on the App Store. Apple, however, told one developer that the tools necessary would become available with iPhone 3.1.

Apple told Acrossair, developer of the Nearest Tube train finder, that the app will be approved for distribution after Apple releases version 3.1 of the iPhone software, which the developer expects will land in early September.

The New York City version of this app is called Nearest Subway and is demoed in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH6r2tIaRXU

Augmented reality uses the device's GPS, camera and digital compass to overlay real-time data onto live video. Other possibilities include iPhone games as well as the Layar browser we've highlighted before. iPhone 3.1 has been seeded to early developers but the exact release date has not been revealed.



Article Link: Augmented Reality Apps to Arrive with iPhone 3.1 Update

[Maclver]

I like how they know when 3.1 comes out..... But I cant wait!

[justinm]

Thats so cool!

[Treq]

Holy Crap! That's Awesome!

[SydneyDev]

Sounds like Jenna Fischer's voice (from The Office).

This will be a whole new class of app, like goggles but practical.

[kymac]

that. is. ****ing . sick.

[nagromme]

Very cool--is it September yet?

While I'd love to think 3.1 is "just around the corner," September does sound realistic. I have enough little problems with 3.1 that getting it soon would make me fear they haven't all been fixed. (And in the case of one 3.0 issue, Apple actually contacted me to get the logs on my phone that will help them track down the cause. I had no idea they did that.)

[anubis]

The focusing box that constantly pops up is really annoying

[dark-saito]

Wow.

Speculation time! Okay, so does something like this, which will quite obviously bring in a flood of apps that would find this feature useful, hint more towards an iPod touch with a camera? Honestly, there are already many people who can't get their app to the iPod touch users, which likely makes for more than half of the app store customers, due to the limitations of said iPod's hardware.

Anyone agree?

[ghostface147]

That is one of the most amazing things I have technologically seen in awhile.

[Stately]

That's ffffire right there !

[ericksgotmac]

I honestly just had like...a mini bug out right there. That is probably one of the most amazing Apps I have seen since Jaadu VNC and Skype over 3G

[mambodancer]

And now you start to get a glimpse of the shape of things to come...

Scale this to a 10" device and the possibilities are endless. I can think of a whole new category of virtual/real time gaming.

[NJMetsHero]

That would be a very useful app. As long as you're above ground of course. Hopefully there is something that can help you while you're in the subway.

Augmented Reality apps are going to be awesome.

[kymac]

Originally Posted by dark-saito

Wow.

Speculation time! Okay, so does something like this, which will quite obviously bring in a flood of apps that would find this feature useful, hint more towards an iPod touch with a camera? Honestly, there are already many people who can't get their app to the iPod touch users, which likely makes for more than half of the app store customers, due to the limitations of said iPod's hardware.

Anyone agree?

ipod touch doesn't have gps, like this said it requires.. and i doubt apple will add gps to the ipod touch.

[t0mat0]

I'm thinking September date is there for a reason - here comes GPS and a camera for the Touch. Bring out the feature to both come September (which will also likely hopefully be the date that official accessories start pouring out (e.g. TomTom and others who're being embargoed it seems).

[SFStateStudent]

Gawd, what else are they keeping from us?

[d_saum]

Holy %$^&#*@ #%$& $#!7!!!!! That is seriously amazing. I cannot believe where we are heading when it comes to tech!

So.. this bears the question.... when is this implemented into a pair of eye glasses?

[dark-saito]

Originally Posted by kymac

ipod touch doesn't have gps, like this said it requires.. and i doubt apple will add gps to the ipod touch.

Can't it get it through wifi? Granted, it wouldn't be GPS, per say, but couldn't it get the information it needed through a data connection?

[mklnz]

Originally Posted by anubis

The focusing box that constantly pops up is really annoying

Second that... hopefully developers will be able to hide the focus box.

[nfl46]

Well, I guess its safe to say we'll get MMS in early September. That's basically the end of the summer...well the end of September is, so that sounds about right.

[iMaggot]

Now that is awesome.

[xIGmanIx]

now this is something to get excited about. This is from a concept that i saw with Microsoft and how they interacted with the environment. Regardless of whomever brings this to light first, i see an integration of camera, GPS location and data being synergized in a lot more products

[Cleverboy]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...0&postcount=38

Originally Posted by Cleverboy

Sorry to be the wet blanket, but to my knowledge, the iPhone... even with 3.0, DOES NOT provide a LIVE VIDEO STREAM from the camera in a fashion that developers are able to use. I'm hoping this has changed, but to my knowledge, just as you cannot create an iPhone app that automatically takes stop-motion photography (the user must initiate the taking of the picture), you cannot create an app that puts a layer over live video.

Here's hoping Apple has/will fix this, but Layar can look at the iPhone all it likes, but a "compass" is the least of what the device needs to be capable of. By using relative positioning, its possible to simulate a compass with access to the live camera feed (just mark "north" and use the shift markers to "move" the scenery relative to that position).

So, I guess this must have been an "unpublished" API that is now being "published", as developers show Apple how important it is to prioritize it. I am TRULY hoping that this means that more "abilities" will be unlocked in Apple's official SDK with 3.1. For instance...

Originally Posted by Cleverboy

This sounds like a more functionally rich version of their "camera" API, that presents users with the ability to choose a photo from their photo album or take a picture from the camera, but provides devs with NO control over the camera itself. It's like having the "browse file" control in HTML, but not giving the web page the ability to automatically upload files from your hard drive without your say-so.

While the security model is comforting, it does NOT allow for "stop-motion video", "automatic timed shots", "remote automatic upload of live camera imagery" (which would be a nice addition to 'Find My iPhone'), or... most of all... "augmented reality".

I think the doors will REALLY start expanding when Apple allows a live screen capture of the iPhone's screen to be sent through the video connector (you know, like that OTHER unpublished API let's you do). I mean, being able to send YouTube, Video Podcasts, Movies, and TV Shows through the video port is excellent, but if you start allowing accelerometer controlled gaming to be sent to a big screen... I mean, combine THAT with augmented reality and things start getting almost BIONIC.

Hello singularity. When did you get here?

~ CB

[calvy]

How the hell would you get a GPS signal in the subway? I bet it's a struggle to get a GPS fix even on the streets of Manhattan.

And I would think there would be a hell of a magnetic field coming from that subway to through the compass off.