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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."

8 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.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. 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.

    2. Re:Who says.. by shawnap · · Score: 5, Funny

      ..., and a 3-D version of Microsoft Surface.

      Microsoft Volume?

    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.

      --
      Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
    4. Re:Who says.. by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Funny
      I can't wait to see Ballmer get excited about that...

      Stand clear! Steve's going to squirt...

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  2. Blue Danube by gmuslera · · Score: 5, Funny

    When you see it with their cell phones, sometimes it suddently display a text with that background. Is like magic!

    Too bad that text starts saying "A problem has been detected and Window has been shut down"

  3. MS stealing "innovation" from Apple again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Steve Jobs demonstrated the Reality Distortion Field as far back as 1982, when he took over the Macintosh project.

  4. Re:Reality no longer good enough by hoooocheymomma · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure there will be benefits from such technology, but everything is a two-edged sword.

    except for single-edged swords