Microsoft's Augmented Reality, Video Photosynth

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."

Comments

Who says..

[QuantumG]

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

Re:Who says..

[djupedal]

> "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.

Re:Who says..

[Arthur Grumbine]

> "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.