Augmented Reality is a concept that has a lot of potential in the coming years. In particular, technologies like Layar could prove to be very useful as the GPS accuracy and the underlying dataset continue to get more accurate.
A few years ago we showed you a neat augmented reality tool of a product called ARSights. They allow you to print out a “target”, and then when you held the target in front of your web cam it would appear that you were holding an actual 3D model in your hands. It was very cool!
They’ve now just released version 2 of their SketchUp plugin that features a variety of enhancements, so it’s a great time to see how things have advanced since then. Here’s a quick video to show how it works, along with some of the new features.
As you can see in the video above, the new version allows you to use multiple targets at once, allowing you to piece together buildings like that. It’s a minor enhancement that could have a major impact on the uses of the product.
To get started, your best bet is to begin with their “Quick Start Guide” (PDF – Windows | Mac) and go from there. After that, install their plug-in, print out the marker and give it a spin!
What do you think of it?
About Mickey Mellen
Mickey has been using Google Earth since it was released in 2005, and has created a variety of geo-related sites including Google Earth Hacks. He runs a web design firm in Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife and two kids.