GE’s Augmented Reality Using Flash

I stumbled into this advertisement in YouTube’s sidebar. It was an ad for GE where you can print out their pattern and then flash reads that pattern and creates the 3D Augmented Reality Image in REAL TIME. The way it works is that it calculates the pattern in the middle, motion tracks it and shows us the 3D loop animation in the perspective the pattern is in. Here’s GE’s Augmented Reality Website, GE’s Wind Turbine AR, and Solar Panel AR. And yes, YOU DO NEED A WEBCAM! The Wind Turbine animation has the panel in the middle of the symbol open, and then the 3D “ground” comes out and then the sun comes out of that panel and slowly rises to the top. The Solar Panel works the same way except for the ground. It has been transformed into a desert scene with the solar panels protruding on the soil.

I first saw it here and months after, surely enough, a German Mini Cooper Company hired the guys that made the demo and paid them to create an ad using their newfound technology. The ad basically says to go to the website, hold up the magazine in front of the webcam and wait for the magic to happen. The website is pretty hard to understand (considering that it’s in German) but here’s their pattern and the website is supposed to detect your webcam right away. Just click on your webcam name and you’ll see the demo.

I’m pretty sure the guys from Boffswana were the same guys that did the ads. I really wish to see more of this kind of advertisement soon.

Curious on how it works? Check out the FLARToolKit - this link was provided by GE.

Lemme know what’cha think! Peace out!