This document discusses augmented reality (AR) and the emerging medium of mobile AR using the Layar platform. It provides an overview of Layar, a mobile AR leader founded in 2009. Layar has over 1 million active users and allows developers to create AR layers that overlay digital content on a device's camera view. Examples are given of informative, creative, playful, social, and commercial AR applications. The document also provides guidance on developing AR layers using Layar's publishing tools and APIs.

1. The Emerging Mass Medium
of Augmented Reality
Gene Becker
AR Strategist

2. About Layar
Mobile augmented reality leader
Founded in June 2009
Based in Amsterdam
VC funded
50+ people worldwide

3. Augmented reality is a new medium of
creative expression that expands human
experience

4. inspirations:
AR past & future

5.
AR
research:
first
HMD
-­‐
Ivan
Sutherland
(1966)
The
“Sword
of
Damocles”

6.
AR
research:
Caudell
&
Mizell
(Boeing,
1992)
Caudell, T., Mizell, D.: Augmented reality: an application of heads-up display technology
to manual manufacturing processes
Overlaying graphics to support assembly of complex wiring harnesses in aircraft manufacturing at Boeing. Coined the term
“augmented reality”.

7.
AR
research:
wearable
compuNng
-­‐
Steve
Mann
http://wearcam.org/steve.html

8.
AR
research:
first
mobile
AR
system
Feiner et al, Touring Machine (1997), Columbia University
http://graphics.cs.columbia.edu/projects/mars/mars.html

9. AR: a vision of future personal computing

10. visual search on the physical world concept design by mac funamizu
source: http://petitinvention.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/future-of-internet-search-mobile-version/

11. querying the natural world concept design by mac funamizu
source: http://petitinvention.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/future-of-internet-search-mobile-version/

12. computational print media concept design by mac funamizu
source: http://petitinvention.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/future-of-internet-search-mobile-version/

13. seeing through space and time concept design by mac funamizu
source: http://petitinvention.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/future-of-internet-search-mobile-version/

14.
is
AR
the
end
of
personal
privacy?
concept
by
TAT

15. and just wait ‘til the glasses get here concept design by mac funamizu
source: http://petitinvention.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/future-of-internet-search-mobile-version/

16. AR in the present tense

17. present
day
mobile
AR:
Layar
Layar
demo
video:
hRp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b64_16K2e08

18. AR Basics – How does it work
GPS Compass Accelerometer Camera
Where am I? What direction am I How is my phone Background image
looking at? oriented in the world
Future: enable computer
Optional: Gyroscope vision projects
smoother experience

19. Layar Platform
Browser Player Publishing Platform
AR view SDK
for your
iphone app
1.000.000 active users Thousands of developers
Launch January 2011 & companies
1.500 layers

20. a few Layar facts
LAYAR is the worldwide leader in mobile AR:
* Over 1.3 million active users
* 1600+ published AR layers
* Thousands of registered developers
* 50+ premier development partners worldwide
* Supported on iPhone, Android, Bada, more coming soon
* Preloaded on Samsung, Sprint 4G devices
* Potential reach in the tens of millions, growing

21. room to grow
Smartphone Market Size (millions)
Layar addressable market
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
source: Gartner

22. The Layar ecosystem
inspirational applications Brands & Media artists enthusiasts
historians scientists
creative producers Agencies game designers curators
technical developers Layar developers
1000’s of content layers
Layar’s open & free platform
cross-platform support
1,000,000+ users

23. Augmented reality is a new medium of
creative expression that expands human
experience

24. AR is expressive

25. Uninvited Art exhibition, MoMA

26. Stedelijk Museum

27. AR is informative

28. Quake information
http://livespot.com.au/

30. AR is playful

31. GRAPH
22 3

32. http://www.c2k.nl/
Conquar by C2K © 2010, Layar B.V.

33. AR is social

34. Foursquare by TAB
http://www.tabworldmedia.com

35. Tweeps around by TAB
http://www.tabworldmedia.com

36. AR is commercial

37. Prince of Persia by TAB
http://www.tabworldmedia.com
© 2010, Layar B.V.

38. Quiznos
http://www.hoppala-agency.com/& http://winvolve.com/

39. Rolling Stones by Mobilistar
http://www.augmentreality.co.uk/
© 2010, Layar B.V.

40. AR reveals the past...

41. Historic Market St. in SF

42. Berlin wall by Hoppala
http://www.hoppala-agency.com/

43. ...and the future

44. Markethall by NAI/in10

45. let’s make layers!

46. Creating layers – Terminology
 Layar: The browser application
 Layer: A content layer in our browser
 POI: Point of Interest, element of data in the AR view (sometimes called
hotspot, or object)
 AR View: The augmented reality view, with the POIs superimposed on the
camera view.
 List View: A list of all POIs
 Map View: POIs shown on a map

47. Radar
Layar terminology
BIW

48. Creating layers
 Layers are built using simple web technology
 HTTP, JSON, HTML
 2 step process:
 Create a layer definition in the Layar publishing environment
 Create a layer server for delivering the POI content to the phones

49. Layar ecosystem

50. Creating layers – Publishing site
 http://layar.com/publishing
 Add all the static content of a layer
 Listing details
 Look & feel
 Service URL

51. Creating layers – Layer service
 RESTful API with a single HTTP GET call
 GetPOIs Request: HTTP request with the following parameters: Latitude,
Longitude, filter settings...
 GetPOIs Response: JSON data containing POI information (hotspots)
 API documentation: http://layar.pbworks.com

52. http://devAPI.example.com/getPOIs/?countryCode=IN
Request &lon=4.887339&timestamp=1249226148713
&userId=ed48067cda8e1b985dbb8ff3653a2da4fd490a37
&developerId=896&developerHash=1ee6d294aa6b639b365899f844257523c5bf9702
&RADIOLIST=a&radius=6245&CUSTOM_SLIDER=23987.0
&lat=52.377544&layerName=snowy4
&SEARCHBOX=asdfdhcgg&accuracy=100
{"morePages": false,
Response "layer": "jsource02",
"errorCode": 0,
"hotspots": [ {
"object": {
"baseURL": "http://layar3d.jsource.nl/",
"full": "ghost.l3d",
"reduced": "ghost_reduced.l3d",
"icon": "icon1.png",
"size": 2
},
"transform": { "rel": true, "angle": 45, "scale": 5 },
"actions": [ { "label": "Visit webpage", "uri": "http://example.com/" } ],
"distance": 0,
"lat": 52000000,
"lon": 4350000,
"attribution": "",
"line2": "",
"imageURL": null,
"line3": "",
"dimension": 3,
"line4": "",
"type": 0,
"id": "asda4494",
"title": "Test object" } ],
"errorString": "OK",
"nextPageKey": null }

53. Creating layers – 3rd party services
 Instead of creating your own layer service, you can use one of the
community created tools, e.g.:
 Porpoise
Open source server software created by Jens
 Hoppala Augmentation
Hosted solution, easy to use.

57. Discuss.
Gene Becker
tw: @genebecker
skype: gene.becker
web: www.layar.com
mail: gene@layar.com