Augmented Reality Browsers

Augmented Reality Browsers work by gathering information from online sources and placing it on the smart phones screens. In effect, they label the real world. The browsers use a smartphone's camera, compass and GPS information to locate the user and then retrieve information based on those geographical coordinates. The information and graphics are then overlaid onto the camera view.

Layar

One of the first AR browsers was Layar which was first released only for Android phones in the Netherlands. In 2009, it was launched globally for Android, and it is now also available for the iPhone. In Layar, augmented data is stacked in layers. The user can click to view different layers of information. For example, if the user points a smartphone camera at a building, there may be a layer for architectural history or a layer to find a restaurant and an another layer may even give the user access to the restaurant menu inside the building. [5] Layar, world's first Mobile Augmented Reality Browser

Junaio

"Everything around you has a hidden story to tell. Unlock the digital secrets for all of the places, products and sights in your vicinity. View augmented content, check out the best deals, be the first to grab a bargain, and find the best steak in town or the hottest show." (Junaio website)

Wikitude

Wikitude World Browser is a free downloadable application for iPhones and Android phones. The browser allows users to access data about their surroundings, nearby landmarks, and other points of interest by overlaying information on the camera-view of their Smartphone. When the user first downloads the Wikitude browser, it asks if it can use the user's current location to find information relevant to that location. With the geolocation data and internal compass, the browser then presents a list of Worlds and Points of Interest (POI) The user next enables their smartphone camera and points it to buildings or areas of interest. Users of Wikitude.me are able to add their own content to locations. See Wikitude World Browser for iPhone

Wikihood = Google Maps + Wikipedia

Other Browsers

Acrossair

Word Lens

Next up: History of Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality in Education was a created by Karen E Hamilton as part of the Curriculum, Technology and Educational Reform (CTER) program at University of Illinois- Urbana. Karen is a professor and online coordinator in the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences at George Brown College in Toronto, Canada.