Smart phones combine Internet access and camera capabilities with conventional cell phone functionality.  The most recently released smart phones have global positioning systems (GPS), magnetic compass and accelerometer capabilities built in that determine where the phone’s user is standing, in which direction the phone is pointing, and at what angle the phone is tilted.  This past summer, the Google Android and Apple iPhone platforms were enhanced to enable software developers to interface with the camera display controls and overlay additional information. Referred to as “augmented reality,” these new capabilities enable smart phone users to automatically access selected information about the world around them in order to augment their reality experience.

Augmented reality technology is extremely new, and its full potential still remains to be seen.  Applications have already been developed to help users identify landmarks, learn about architecture, locate public transportation stops and even find their cars in crowded parking lots.  Once an augmented reality application has been downloaded to a user’s smart phone, there is no need to access a traditional website or even enter a street address or other search criteria in order to use it.  The augmented reality data simply appears on the smart phone’s camera screen in response to the phone’s location.  For example, a smart phone user could point the phone’s camera at a local street scene and instantly access prices, room sizes and other information about available real estate within camera range.  Depending on the application, the augmented reality data might appear as an overlay at the bottom of the camera display, or as lines of text superimposed directly on a selected site in the camera’s viewfinder. 

Azavea recently assisted the Department of Records City Archives with a  grant application that could bring augmented reality to the City of Philadelphia.  If funding is approved, the proposed application will enable point-and-view access to designated historic photographs from the PhillyHistory.org website for selected locations around the City.  The Department of Records believes that augmented reality will provide an innovative means of engaging students in the study of history, architecture and photography.  A secondary benefit of this exciting technology would be the enhancement of local tourism, since tourists will be able to access archival photographs and background information about an historic building while literally standing at its doorstep.  Best of all, users will be able to download the proposed augmented reality application at no cost directly from the PhillyHistory.org website. 

The example image below is courtesy of Mobilizy/Wikitude World Browser (www.mobilizy.com).

Augmented reality applications, like the Wikitude World Browser shown here, allow users to access information about the world around them in relation to their locations. The augmented reality data appears as an overlay on the camera display and can be paged through much like standard web pages. The Philadelphia Department of Records is pursuing a grant that could provide point-and-view access to historic photographs of selected locations in a prototype augmented reality application. Users will be able to automatically access and page through the historic photographs by simply pointing a Smart Phone at the contemporary site.