Tag: AR »

Pixel Press Floors has a lofty goal: to make it possible to turn sketches of video game levels into ones playable in their platforming game app, done through the magic of augmented reality. Download and print the Floors Sketch Guide and Sketch Sheets, follow the instructions for layouts and objects in the levels, and if properly done, it'll be turned into a level that can be played in the app. It's also possible to draw levels in the app itself.

Check out the trailer below, and the PixelPress Vimeo channel for more videos on how it works. Pixel Press Floors will be available on April 30.

Virtual Reality was a major theme at GDC this year, but Seebright’s prototype head-mounted display (HMD) stood out to me for one very important reason: it’s not a gadget-filled headset, but rather a frame to hold your iOS device and turn it into an affordable, self-contained VR headset.

The device is still in the preliminary stages, and as such will undoubtedly be seeing some deign tweaks in the future, but what I was able to see during my hands-on demo was quite promising. Using special software, the iOS device will display two separate images at slightly different angles. Once it’s placed into the headset interchangeable mirrors (one for a translucent heads-up display and another for a more solid image meant for gaming) reflect the images back to the user’s eyes and create the 3D image. What’s more, it’s able to use the device’s own motion tracking technology in order to allow users to look around in their virtual environment.

Personally I’m quite interested to see what Seebright does with their prototype in the coming months. The combination of accessibility (due to pricing) and the fact that it use preexisting iOS technology certainly opens it up to all manner of possibilities.

I've killed many a zombie, both in video games and board games, but never in a combination of the two. That's the sort of vibe I'm getting from Table Zombies, though; it's like a weird hybrid of video and table top game in the form of augmented reality. What's currently available is more of a demo level than anything, but there are plans to add even more levels and zombies in the future.

Playing Table Zombies will require a bit of work - you'll have to print out the various markers yourself - but once everything is ready you'll be able to set it up on your dining room table or your desk and start blasting away. Or you could just spin the board around and marvel at the tiny hopeless battle from different angles as it unfolds.

You can download the Table Zombies lite version/demo now, for free.

Tic Tac has made an update to their minty augmented reality app, Tic Tac Viewr, to mark the launch of their new flavor, Fruit Adventure. The update adds a game to the AR app, Whack-A-Tac, with a fruity theme.

To play the game, players point their iOS devices at a Tic Tac pack (with the Tic Tac Viewr app open) and scan the label. The game instantly begins. Players tap fruits, avoid stinky stuff, and avoid "forbidden fruit."

The Tic Tac Viewr includes up to 20 microgames and more "tongue-in-cheek" tips for their Shake It Up campaign. Users can scan Tic Tac boxes, various types of ads, and the Tic Tac Facebook page with the AR app to access the microgames and tips. For users that don't feel like going out into the world to discover Tic Tacs ads, they have convieniently provided all of the ads on the Tic Tac Facebook page ready to print out and be scanned.

Smartphones are changing how we see the world. With the cameras on them becoming more and more powerful, phones are now able to see our reality and present it back to us in an augmented form. It may ultimately just be an advertisement for their "Shake it Up" campaign, but Tic Tac mints' new Tic Tic Viewr app still shows off how novel augmented reality can be.

Using their phone's camera, users can scan Tic Tac boxes and ads to reveal hidden content. Users will find funny and inspirational "Shake it Up" tips as well as 20 "Shake It Up" microgames providing extra fun after the scanning is over. Imagine getting a new game just by scanning a random Tic Tac ad at a bus stop. It's as easy as taking candy, in this case mints, from a baby.

Tic Tac Viewr is currently available for free on the App Store. Uses can also download it by texting "MINTS" to 313131.

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When it comes to buying TVs in stores, the problem is naturally that it's difficult to tell how the TV will look where it's actually going to go while in the store. TV manufacturer Philips has made a TV Buying Guide app to help potential TV buyers figure out what Philips TVs will look like in their living room or other space where it will go.

The app uses augmented reality to help users see what the TV will potentially look like where they want it. Users print out an AR marker from the Philips website, and either lay it down flat on the area where the TV will be placed, or put it up on the wall in the area where the TV will be wall-mounted. Then, the user fires up the app and points their camera at the AR marker, and a 3D model of the TV will appear. Users can choose from a variety of Phillips TVs to display, can choose from different sizes of TV to sample, and can even get a sample of how the Philips Ambilight feature would appear in their actual room. A snapshot of the model of the TV in the room can be taken and shared, as well.

This is an example of how augmented reality can be used to benefit both consumers and corporations; users interested in Philips TVs can get a sample of how the TV will look before they buy it. Also, Philips gets to put out an app that could catch some eyeballs and help sell their TVs. It's a win-win situation, and an interesting use of this kind of technology. While the requirement of an AR marker is a hindrance to using the app (and it won't work if the marker is just displayed on an iPad screen, it needs to be printed out on a piece of A4-sized paper), it's still a very inventive use of augmented reality.