The best session I went to all weekend was Gene Becker’s Augmented Reality 4 Poets. It was exactly what I’d hoped for in a Bootcamp: intriguing, informative, hands-on, and fun. Gene was very helpful and took his time going through what we needed to know to author our first AR using Layar and Hoppala. He kept it nice and simple since the bootcamp pitch was to non-programmers and by the end of the bootcamp I had uploaded an image which was visible in the Automattic Lounge using my smartphone. I also found some of the uploads by other people in the Bootcamp. I have an Android HTC running 1.5 so was worried it’d be too old, but was thrilled when it worked without a hitch.
photo © 2010 Sander Veenhof | more info (via: Wylio)
Rather than go through all the steps Gene showed us I’ll point you over to the tutorial he wrote up from the session. I’m anxious to fill my neighbourhood with giant pigs and old architecture. I’m interested in the applications of AR for history & place projects, particularly oral history audio files. My real fear of AR is people crashing into things while they walk around holding their phones out in front of them, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
While there seems to be plenty of interest in AR in the San Franciso Bay Area, I haven’t found any locals working with it yet. If you’re in Windsor/Detroit and want to get involved in some local AR please let me know!