Augmented 3D
Electronics giant LG has announced its adoption of what it calls ‘the world's first three dimensional AR browser' for its Optimus 3D phone.
Just to remind you, AR stands for Augmented Reality, and is the superimposition of digital information on ‘reality' - as viewed through the camera of a mobile device. The Optimus 3D was launched at MWC this year, and is the first mobile device to have a 3D screen, furthermore one that doesn't require special glasses.
Given that AR is a layer of information placed over an image, it stands to reason that a 3D display would in some way enhance that effect, so it's easy to see why LG is trying to lead the way on this combination.
The browser itself has been developed in partnership with Wikitude, which had had its AR browser on the market for a few years now. In theory you open the browser, point the camera of your smartphone at your surroundings, and the browser superimposes all kinds of useful information on the places and objects you look at.
LG insists the 3D AR browser: "...allows for better interaction and engagement with real-time user environments. While 2D AR only displays overlapped objects, 3D AR shows places, landmarks and objects in 3D making them easier to distinguish. The browser al-lows users to discover details about their surroundings and access related Wikipedia articles and Twitter information."
"AR technology has been praised for its potential to replace the ‘abstract' realities of standard mobile browsers with ‘actual' reality streamed through the camera of the smartphone," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, CEO and President of LG Mobile. "LG's cutting-edge hardware and 3D API software technology now pushes this reality a step further."
That's about it really. The app will be downloadable from the LG World App Store, for free, from the middle of June, so we figure that's when the phone will become available, starting in Europe. Here are some piccies.
