Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (or AR for short) is a technology used with a digital camera to create a visual effect over a photo or video. Here is the definition from dictionary.reference.com :

augmented reality

noun Digital Technology .

1.

an enhanced image or environment as viewed on a screen or other display, produced by overlayingcomputer-generated images, sounds, or other data on a real-world environment. Abbreviation:  AR

2.

a system or technology used to produce such an enhanced environment: With augmented reality, you can get relevant extra information about what you are looking at. Abbreviation:  AR

the #Niprockart students (myself included) have been using an AR application called ColAR for DOT day, and the best way to explain it is to show it:

The application takes an image drawn on a specially designed printoff, and creates 3D spheres, makes it rotate, and does other things with it. it looks really good with bright and similar colours:

I've had some experience using the AR applications with the Nintendo 3DS, as well as with other iOS apps (Action movie FX is a fun one) so I have a good grasp on how it works, but the ColAR App is quite interesting in that it can take any drawing and create a 3D model or animation with it, instead of taking a preexisting 3D model and texture (a texture is the visible outer layer of a CG model) and transposing it over a QR (Quick Response) code, symbol, or barcode. Quite an interesting app, and a lot of fun.