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Microsoft's Augmented Reality, Video Photosynth

Posted by timothy on from the what-are-you-looking-at-punk dept.

Al writes "Microsoft demonstrated new augmented-reality software for cell-phones at the 2009 TechFest conference, which was held this week in Redmond. Instead of using GPS or WiFi triangulation, the prototype system relies entirely on scene-recognition to identify its position and add virtual objects to a video picture of the real world. TechFest is a showcase for lots of projects at Microsoft's various research labs. Other technologies on show included Photosynth for video, an image-tracking system for handwriting, a way of refining image searches using colors, and a 3-D version of Microsoft Surface."

7 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Who says.. by QuantumG · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Microsoft speeds too much money on research that they fail to turn into products.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:Who says.. by TubeSteak · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Microsoft speeds too much money on research that they fail to turn into products.

      The visual processing algorithms they've developed are worth big bucks all by themselves.
      Even if Microsoft doesn't execute this 'right', now that the idea is out there, someone else will

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      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    2. Re:Who says.. by djupedal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      > "The visual processing algorithms they've developed..."

      Not hardly. Please don't do that - don't start another MS myth.

      Algotithms such as these have been in existence since at least 2002 when 'Augmented Reality' (and display hardware) surfaced at domestic universities. The phrase was originated by Jaron Lanier, the founder of VPL Research - a respected outfit which was started in a Palo Alto cottage; 1984.

    3. Re:Who says.. by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 3, Insightful

      > "The visual processing algorithms they've developed..."

      Not hardly. Please don't do that - don't start another MS myth.

      Algotithms such as these have been in existence since...

      Someone should have told Google back in 2000 that such a thing as a web search results algorithm already existed. Hell the phrase "search engine" had originated years before Larry and Sergey even thought of Google. Those fools thought they could make money off of improving a previously existing technology with their own patentable work--such silliness.

      Also, fuck you.

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      Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
  2. Re:Copying Apple by perryizgr8 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    i think you did more research than gp.

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    Wealth is the gift that keeps on giving.
  3. stitching is old tech by jipn4 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I have always wondered whether Google Maps uses similar technology.

    Image stitching has been around for a long time, and Photosynth is based on a lot of technology and research developed elsewhere.

    Photosynth caught on because (1) there are lots of images to stitch now, (2) because they did a good engineering job stitching images that were taken under different conditions, and (3) they did a good engineering job on the UI.

  4. kneejerkism at its strongest by MisterSquid · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Also, fuck you.

    The point of your parent is that crediting Microsoft with pioneering these algorithms is sort of akin to saying Al Gore invented the Internet.

    While Microsoft may have in fact taken augmented reality into the domain of cellphones and made the tech more accessible and mainstream, they should not be credited with inventing the technology.

    None of this is to say that the grandparent (TubeSteak's post) suggests Microsoft invented this technology. I'm only pointing out that all of this defensive and aggressiveness over Microsoft is really unhealthy and, more importantly, unnecessary.

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    blog