Surreal trip with cyber spectacles.

"Augmented Reality"? Advanced Reality? do you call it when reality and computer graphics merge. Jan Torpus The artist uses this technology to enchant us - and, for example, in the middle of the summer to snow. The magazine GEE Torpus told of his reality.

 

It snows from the bottom up. Thick, fluffy flakes rise from the meadow on which we walk, into the sky. A little later we see a shiny, intricate entity in itself. How naturally we made our way to the surface of the sculpture blogsnden continue to explore its windings are short and pointed head.

No, the whole is not a dream and not induced by drug intoxication. It is part of the Augmented Reality Project "Playground" of the Basel artist and design researcher Jan Torpus. "I wanted to be anywhere in a similarly fascinating experience to be like kids on a playground," says Torpus? "hence the name."

FOUND IN ...

GEE

Love For Games

February / March 2009

Contents
Current Issue Order
www.geemag.de

This effect is achieved by a mobile device called Clipper Life 2, which Torbus together with colleagues has developed. It consists of a special goggles and a computer. A GPS system that is normally found in surveying the landscape is used, it determines the position of the wearer centimeter accurate, and a tracker, with the glasses is determined head position and gaze direction. Strapped to the chunky design on the back and set the glasses on, transforms the environment into a playground for the senses: then accumulates in the PC the backpack through the eyes perceived visual impressions with effects and 3D virtual objects. To these artists from anywhere in the room placeable shapes, the viewer can then walk around as if they were real.

As good as true

With a webcam and the right software is equipped, you can also use the reality in front of the home computer expand

"Cyber Figure Alice" is a virtual maid rise from a cube, which you considered using a webcam.

www.geishatokyo.com

Pedagogically valuable, however, is the great World Atlas of Atlantica. Keeps it in front of the webcam, mountains grow from the book.

www.atlantica.de

"In contrast to virtual reality, augmented reality is the reality not through a fictional world is replaced," says Jan Torpus, "instead it is something added. It's like a multimedia Walkman imagine." Now begins the search for uses for the technology. Archaeologists have already recognized its merits and in Basel, an old Celtic village virtually rebuilt. Where then Celtic were wooden huts, they now appear, thanks to "Live Clipper 2" around again. Even architects and urban planners show interest. Finally, with Augmented Reality already on site to check how well a planned building fits into the cityscape, though it only as a model in the computer exists. Currently it is all still too costly to mass market customers to find.

For Jan Torpus is "Playground" and the underlying technology, however, the first step in a future in which our video with the fresh air and take them into our environment plays the leading role.