Augmented Reality and the New World Order

You look through a magazine and see something that catches your eye - maybe a car, a handbag, a new gadget-you want more information about it.

Instead of typing in the URL or ringing the stockist’s number, you can now simply ‘snap’ a small code on the picture and information is instantly streamed into your mobile phone. This same technology allows you to point your phone at a crowd and instantly find all the people who are ‘tweeting’ or on Facebook – or walk through a national park and have information about flora and fauna stream into your phone as you walk through a trail.

Augmented reality smart phone applications and mobile tagging are some of the most rapidly evolving, and potentially revolutionary, technologies in the market today. They are set to change the way we do business, the way we learn and how we conduct our day to day lives.

I recently attended LATENT 2010 and a venue for educators and technologists to come together and learn how emerging technologies can contribute to learning and education in NZ. Steve Wheeler from the University of Plymouth gave a great overview of some of the changes happening in education around the world as a result of the digital revolution and developments in Augmented Reality. His presentation is online and worth a flick through.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Chris South from Contrast Media yesterday. He came and spoke to students in my class about mobile tagging and augmented reality and the impact of these technologies on the way we do business. He also provided some insight into the changing nature of technological entrepreneurship and how cloud management practices have lowered barriers to the marketplace. Take a look at their website to view the leading edge in marketing.

It was clear from hearing both Steve and Chris, that the developed world is in for dramatic change in the next 3 years. 3D printing, wearable technology, portable worlds and cloud computing practices are the tip of an iceberg of technological innovation that will make the real and the virtual increasingly indiscernible. I would predict that, at the same time, the trend in handcrafts and back-to-basics living will exponentially increase as 21st Century Luddites grow in number. Backlash is inevitable - we are human after all……at least for now.