Second Life as a Platform for Augmented Reality

I’m not in the habit of posting videos to my blog that are posted elsewhere on the Net. I usually just bookmark them in del.icio.us and let them post automatically to my daily link blog.

But this one demonstrating the use of Second Life as a platform for augmented reality is extraordinary:

(via reBang)

More examples of Georgia Institute of Technology’s work are available on their AR Second Life Website.

I was particulary taken by the interaction with avatars, which suggests a whole host of uses for mixed reality events, from teleconferencing to education.

I’ve seen this type of thing before. Take a look these videos of from Demo2007 and Demo2004 showcasing Total Immersion’s D’Fusion software which enables the real-time integration of interactive 3D graphics into live video flows.

For more information and videos check out Total Immersion’s website.

If you poke around on YouTube at videos related to the Demo2007 one you will come across many other interesting examples of how this technology is being used. For example: YouTube – Augmented Reality by Hitlab.

What strikes me about Georgia Institute of Technology’s Second Life version is it’s accessibility. When I saw Total Immersion’s version I thought it was cool, but assumed it would be a while before it was accessible to the public. But the Second Life version brings this type of technology into the world of the attainable. They are using a modified Second Life client (another win for open-sourcing the client!) on a regular PC. I couldn’t find any information on their website about it’s availability, but let’s hope it’s open source too.

Virtual worlds as virtual workplaces

A related idea is that of using virtual worlds as virtual workplaces.

If anyone has any doubts that 3D virtual workplaces are going to be big in the future, then they should take a look at this video – MPK20: Sun’s Virtual Workplace (28.6Mb .mov file), and read this article – Computerworld – Sun building collaborative, virtual world for teleworkers.

You can also view an in-depth video interview and demonstration (23.6MB .mp4 file) of the project from Nicole Yankelovich or get more information from the MPK20: Sun’s Virtual Workplace website.

And this is just one of many projects by companies exploring using 3D virtual world platforms as virtual workplaces.

links for 2008-01-30

• Linden Lab Working To Beef Up Second Life Stability, Usability — Second Life — InformationWeek
  The company is rolling out upgrades to Second Life’s s physics engine, developing a Web browser that will work in-world, and putting the finishing touches on a lightweight client for text and voice chat. In April it plans to open-source the SL server.
  (tags: secondlife virtualworlds)
• Reuters/Second Life » OpenSim worlds lure Second Life’s outcasts
  OpenSim worlds like Central Grid work by allowing its users to host regions on their own computers, with Central Grid Inc providing the centralized inventory server and grid architecture that allows avatars to seamlessly walk from one region to another.
  (tags: virtualworlds secondlife metaverse opensource opensim)
• Central Grid Connecting Virtual Worlds – www.CentralGrid.com
  The Central Grid is an independently operated virtual world, currently using the opensim software. We are building a community platform for other opensim grids to connect to The Central Grid.
  (tags: secondlife virtualworlds opensource opensim)
• Welcome to the Openlife – OpenlifeGrid
  The OpenlifeGrid is a virtual world built on technology from the opensimulator project.
  (tags: secondlife virtualworlds metaverse opensource opensim)
• YouTube – Second Life as a Platform for Augmented Reality
  This demo shows the use of Second Life as a platform for Augmented Reality. With our modified Second Life client, avatars and other Second Life graphics can be superimposed perspectively correct on a live video stream and in real-time.
  (tags: 3d secondlife augmentedreality virtualworlds)
• Total Immersion | Augmented Reality
  D’FUSION® is a real time visual software which makes possible to create Augmented Reality Applications with standard PC receiving one or several video inputs, with high performance and high quality images.
  (tags: augmentedreality software 3d)
• YouTube – Demo 07: Total Immersion, D’Fusion
  Total Immersions’s software, D’Fusion, enables the real-time integration of interactive 3D graphics into live video flows. Operating on standard PC devices and compatible with HD, this technology blurs the line between the virtual and real world.
  (tags: augmentedreality software 3d)
• Total Immersion – D’Fusion (DEMO 2004)
  This is a video from DEMO 2004 showing Total Immersion’s D’Fusion technology, which was rumoured to be used in Nintendo’s [then-unnamed] upcoming console, Revolution.
  (tags: augmentedreality software 3d)