We’ve already seen what augmented reality mirrors can do to our faces, and while they can be used to correct or modify certain features, they can’t change our faces completely.

However, artist Karolina Sobecka wants to change that, and change it she has. Sobecka has come up with a new 3D visualization tool that replaces your face with a three dimensional image of an animal. What the mirror does is show a reflection of the person in front of it complete with real-time expressions and movements, albeit with an animal for a face.

She calls her project “All the Universe is Full of the Lives of Perfect Creatures,” which is pretty appropriate, if you think about it. Sobecka programmed her mirror by using FaceTracker, Unity3d, openFrameworks, Blender3d, and ofxFaceTracker.

[via Dvice]

The iOptik lenses work thanks to a set of special polarizing filters, which separate high intensity light from ambient light, and a secondary internal magnifying lens, which focuses the light into a single, narrow beam. The light rays are transferred independently to the retina, allowing users to focus on far away and close visuals, in full field of view. These contacts allow you to easily view images on a tiny close-up display (such as on a pair of sunglasses) while at the same time viewing your surroundings without any focus difficulties. The contacts do away with the need for the bulky optics usually found in today’s head-mounted displays, and when a compatible display is not present, the contacts would provide normal vision.

Innovega is working with DARPA to create prototypes of these types of lenses and beta test them for the military. A consumer model should also be available within the next couple of years, priced similarly to regular contact lenses.

While we’re still a long way off from displays built into contact lenses themselves, this is a major step forward in improving the usability of portable displays.

[via DVice]

In case you’re having trouble seeing it, the LED is right in the middle of his eye. So what compelled Krasnow to do such a thing? Not that a man needs a reason to stick electronics into his vital organs, but Krasnow was inspired by a very similar project. A group of researchers (isn’t it always a group of researchers? I have no doubt the news announcing the apocalypse and/or the singularity will start with “A group of researchers…”) were able to construct a wirelessly powered, single pixel display mounted on a contact lens and placed their device on a rabbit’s eye. But Krasnow is no puny researcher.

I can’t even put an ordinary contact lens on my eye, so I’ll just tape some Christmas lights on my glasses and use my imagination.

[via Hack a Day]

The researchers call their system the RePro3D. It has three major components: “[a] mechanically-controlled model environment, a tactile interface and a glasses-free 3D integral imaging display.” The RePro3D can project 3D images seemingly suspended in mid-air, waiting to be tickled and other things we shall not mention thanks to “retro-reflective projection technology”. This enables it to display images independent of the location of the light source. Meanwhile, an infrared camera detects the movement of real world objects – say, a human hand – and the system cues the 3D object to react to the “touch”.

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“There are many attractive characters in animations and games, but since those characters only exist within the screen, it feels a little lonely…” Riiight. The researchers are also looking at incorporating wearable tactile feedback devices for users to add sensation and make things less lonely.

[via Diginfo.TV]

If you’re like me, then maybe you’ll find this electric mirror interesting, too.

This augmented reality mirror lets you edit out any imperfections and perform a few tweaks here and there on your face and mirror the results in real time as you face the mirror. Cool, right?

Maybe it’s for all the people in the world who are exceptionally grumpy in the morning or for those who are extremely critical of their own looks. Or maybe it’s for people who want to know what they might look like if they go for plastic surgery. See the face-morphin’ action in the video below…

Vlado Kitanovski and Ebroul Izquierdo of the Multimedia and Vision research group at Queen Mary, University of London, came up with this software-based mirror that takes virtual augmentation to a new level by mapping out a 3D version of your face and developing a video version where the resulting enhancements may be made, digitally.

The AR mirror will be one of the works presented at the International Conference on Image Processing in Belgium next month.

[New Scientist via Dvice]

Unlike other glasses of this kind, the STAR 1200 has transparent heads-up displays so that you can view the “real world” as usual, but when something from augmented reality appears, it’s overlayed onto your vision.

The glasses themselves contain motion sensors to track head movements too. Vuzix previous AR glasses used cameras mounted on their lenses for their augmented reality glasses, but the see-through displays are likely to offer a major improvement in usability.

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From what I can see from the demo and the images, the idea is pretty awesome. Now, all that’s needed is for enough decent augmented reality content to be generated, and we can kind of have our own Matrix. Vuzix expects to launch the STAR 1200 glasses this August.

[via CrunchGear]

The tattoo was created by Colby at Blue Flame Tattoo in Raleigh, NC and it doesn’t always work in bright light, but it works fine most of the time. The cool thing about the tattoo is that it actually makes sense, even when it’s viewed without the 3DS.

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The tattoo is of one of the AR cards that the 3DS can recognize. It promptly renders CBZ’s Mii on his arm. While I can see a future for this type of tattooing, what will happen when the next generation of consoles comes out? A tattoo is forever, but the 3DS won’t last that long. A barcode or a QR code would be a lot cooler in my opinion, especially if there was a way to use those as AR markers.

[via I Heart Chaos]

You can pre-order the Augment Reality t-shirt from Level Up Studios; the men’s shirt costs $18 (USD) while the women’s shirt costs $20. I expect to see the AR card graphic to appear on more items – keychains, gadget cases, stickers, tattoos…

[via Gamefreaks]

Watch the hilarity unfold (WARNING: there’s no nudity, but the captions are definitely not for kids):

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Not exactly Nintendo’s idea of social gaming, but it is quite a convincing promotion for the 3DS’ capabilities.

[via Reddit]

The App Gun from AppToyz is a gun-shaped receptacle for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s a mechanical device, so it doesn’t use any batteries. When you pull the gun’s trigger it moves two rubber feet that tap on the touchscreen of the iPhone or iPod Touch.

The accessory comes with an augmented reality game, which lets you fire away at digital enemies with the real world as your battlefield. Here’s a video of the App Gun in action:

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The App Gun will be available this summer, and will likely sell for $30 (USD) or less. A gun accessory for the iPhone. Who would’ve thought? AppToyz folks, if you’re reading this, I have two suggestions: 1. Make a bazooka accessory for the iPad. 2. Make a laser tag app. You already have the gun, the iOS devices have cameras. Just provide a marker or target that players can put on. YOU WILL MAKE BILLIONS.

[via Nerd Approved & Pocket-lint]

YouTube user hogehoge335 made a custom code that lets him digitally transform into classic Japanese tokusatsu (live action) superhero Ultra Seven. Watch him pull off his moves:

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The flight at the end was a neat touch. This hack only works on a Windows PC,  and hogehoge335 also said that your computer must be pretty powerful to run it – he didn’t mention specific requirements, but he did say that his own PC was a Windows XP Pro with Core i7 CPU and GeForce GTX 285 GPU.

You can download the Ultra Seven code from Google Code if you want to try it out. Keep in mind that this was made by just one guy, probably in his spare time. Imagine what professional developers can do. If only they were as imaginative.

[via Reddit]

Tobias Blum and Nassir Navab at the Computer Aided Medical Procedures and Augmented Reality Program at the Technical University of Munich created their Magic Mirror program which allows you do stand in front of the Kinect, and see a skeleton inside your body.

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Using OpenNI and PrimeSense NITE, they’re able to superimpose high resolution CT images of a person’s insides onto the body of the person standing in front of the Kinect. As the subject moves around, the screen shows a virtual window into their guts. For their prototype, the CT scan came from a different person, so it’s not really accurate. Still, it looks pretty cool to me.

Blum and Navab say that the technology could someday be used as a tool for teaching anatomy. Personally, I’d like to see it used for a video game version of Operation where you have to perform surgery on yourself. That, I’d pay money for.

[via Wired via Make:]

Yankeyan used the OpenKinect drivers, along with image processing, tracking and rendering by OpenCV to create this great real-time lightsaber effect on his PC. All he has to do is pick up a wooden stick, and the Kinect tracks its position and the image processing software adds the lightsaber effect.

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Hopefully, LucasArts will oblige us with the same when their Star Wars Kinect game comes out next year. For now, Yankeyan’s hack will have to tide us over.

Here’s the game in action, played against an appropriate background:

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It would have been more awesome if the game had more interactivity, like if you could “destroy” parts of the footage. Still, you can use your imagination and pretend that your sister’s face is the Death Star.

[via Slide To Play]

The app uses a webcam, which presumably means it is aimed at notebook users rather than those with smartphones. The webcam overlays the person trying on the swimsuits behind the picture of the suit on the screen. The user can then walk back and forth until the swimsuit is in the correct place to see what it would look like. Sorta.

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For now, the app is only for swimsuits, but this could be the perfect way for people to see what clothes look like on them when shopping online. I can only hope at some point in the not too distant future it can mean no more need for the guy chair in stores too, but I’m not holding my breath.

Scientist Tajuki Narumi and a team from the University of Tokyo created this unusual contraption called the “Meta Cookie“. The device combines augmented reality software with a camera and head-mounted display to project a simulated image of the cookie of your choice onto a host cookie (for texture). Then, air pumps blow the aroma of a specified cookie directly into your nostrils, convincing your brain that you’re eating a totally different cookie. The video clip below doesn’t really do the technology justice, but you get the point, right?

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Want a different flavor? Just do like you do with your web browser and clear your cookies.

[via New Scientist]

No doubt, our generation marks the breakout era of video games, transitioning from the nerd’s basement to your uncle’s Facebook account. But will we really like a Grand Theft Auto-esque life? Here’s Schell’s vision of life as a series of mini games, as he stated in DICE 2010:

You see, the problem with Schell’s ideas is that they come after the fact, after the success of Facebook et al. Schell himself acknowledges that today’s big hits came from nowhere, things that even veterans wouldn’t have bet a cent on. So why is he so certain that this extrapolated future will come true? I have no doubt that Schell is a genius, and that what he said may very well come true. But I’m also sure that I, an avid gamer, would hate the life that he is talking about.

Despite it’s many similarities, life isn’t really a video game, not even a series of games. Unless you kill yourself, you cannot always take a break from life. In life the consequences are, well, real. The future that Schell talks about will drive many people insane with its incessant nagging and challenging, but you can’t just shut it off because it’s everywhere and it’s your actual world. The points from ads and companies will give people false values of their worth, in the same way that Xbox 360 Achievements add that shallow validation to gamers, when in fact a lot of the achievements and trophies are given for moronic tasks, trampling on the fact that gamers can and should be able to judge if they’ve accomplished something difficult without needing a virtual trophy.

At the end of his presentation, Schell exclaims, “…I do know this stuff is coming. It’s gotta come. What’s to stop it from coming?” I have one word for Mr. Schell: customers. Businesses and companies have pitched a lot of ideas time and again that exuded nothing but pure awesome when they thought of it, only to be shot down by the paying public. What Schell’s future will do is drive people away from gaming. Video games are not just about rewards and challenges: they’re about stories and epic moments, orchestrated and accidental. And yes, despite the many addicted gamers, pro gamers, hardcore gamers out there, for me and many other people games do offer a way to relax and take time off from life.

I will be utterly disgusted if Life turns out to be The Game of the Future. Points for brushing my teeth? Screw that. Unless I get a Gold Chocobo that can walk anywhere, then I’m all for Toothbrush Points.

[via G4TV]

Similar to the character creation screen typically found in RPGs, customers can select from a wide range of cosmetics (using a touchscreen interface), and the terminal projects makeup onto the customers face instantly, a shower of virtual glitter twinkling as the customer swaps colors or… umm other aspects that vary in cosmetics. Styles or something. Customers can also choose default characters templates recommendations based on their facial features.

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One of my imaginary sources also said that Shiseido is working on a similar device for men, letting them try on different styles of facial hair (none of which are actually decent) and beer bellies of varying shapes and sizes.

[via popgadget]

What happens next? Well, check out the video below – when a camera views the barcode, it’s transformed into a flying dragon.

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The augmented reality tattoo was developed by the Buenos Aries based ThinkAnApp studio. They developed specialized software to recognize the AR barcode on a curved surface like an arm.

[via Designboom]

As you can see, the codes provide a good view of the building. Teradadesign and Qosmo propose that in the future, the codes would allow people to view the tweets of the shoppers inside the building, as well as view shop information and even download coupons to their mobile phones. 3D ads or graphics are an option as well. I’d like to think that we’ll have some sort of implant or wearable tech that will allow us to “read” QR codes. It would be cool to see augmented reality graffiti, or “read” books with 3D content.

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Can you imagine your city plastered with QR codes instead of big and colorful billboards?

[via Buzz Beast via Notcot]