By Paul Nicholson
April 24 – When Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg launched its augmented reality Camera Effects developer platform last week at its annual developer conference last week in California, Manchester United teamed up as the demonstration guinea-pig to demonstrate the applications.
Augmented Reality allows users to overlay information and grahics over the 2D picture they are viewing. It superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, providing a composite view.
The Facebook demonstration with Manchester United featured interactive effects and 3D masks, as well as a live statistics feed – all superimposed over a live match feed.
The technology will, for example, allow fans to share real-time information on the Facebook platform. Facebook is developing the AR technology for the camera phone (rather than for headsets like the now withdrawn Google glasses) as most people already have a camera phone.
Facebook is now encouraging developers to use its Frame Studio and AR Studio tools to create visual effects using the Facebook camera.
The tools allow developers to use precise location, object recognition and depth detection to create their effects. Facebook’s camera will be able to recognise specific objects and overlay 3D effects, for example stats or fan images.
While the Facebook Camera Effects platform will very likely be the first mass consumer launch of AR technology in its simplest form, other development platforms may not be far behind and are similarly encouraging developers to start creating.
At the Virtual Reality show in London last week Microsoft Hololens demonstrated ‘glasses’ that allow you to see and walk around 3d holograms superimposed on the real world. Users can walk around the holograms to see a different perspective from the back of the image. They can include movement and you can interact with the holograms through hand signals and voice.
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