Ubiquitous consumer services & augmented reality

On 8 December 2006, HIIT's Digital Content Communities (DCC) and Ubiquitous Interaction (UIx) research groups together with VTT's Virtual Models and Interfaces group organised a half-day seminar and workshop on new ubiquitous consumer services based on augmented reality technologies. Charles Woodward and Petri Honkamaa demonstrated VTT's state-of-the-art mobile augmented reality techniques. Tatsuo Nakajima from Waseda University presented research on context sensing and ubiquitous user interfaces. Giulio Jacucci talked about UIx and Ulla-Maaria Mutanen showed how physical objects can be linked to online discourse through ThingLink.

Contact: Vili Lehdonvirta, vili.lehdonvirta(a)hiit.fi

Presentations

Mixed reality on phones and installations
Giulio Jacucci / Ubiquitous Interaction, HIIT

Augmented Reality Anyplace
Charles Woodward & Petri Honkamaa / Virtual Models and Interfaces, VTT

Real-World Interaction using Sensors and AR
Tatsuo Nakajima / Distributed and Ubiquitous Computing Lab, Waseda University, Tokyo

ThingLink
Ulla-Maaria Mutanen / Aula Design

Virtual consumerism & Introducing the Digital Brand Commodities project proposal
Vili Lehdonvirta / Digital Content Communities, HIIT

Digital brand commodities

Based on the themes of this event, HIIT, VTT, Waseda and UIAH are planning a new research project titled Digital Brand Commodities. The project's goals are tentatively defined as follows:

• Develop advanced AR video overlay techniques, markers, identification and networking for a heterogenous device environment
• Show how new consumer services utilising advanced AR techniques can be feasibly deployed, assuming end-user hardware that is widely in use today and/or in the near future
• Show how digital commodities and related services should be designed to deliver value to consumers
• Study the new business models that digital commodities enable for companies including brand owners, mobile operators, online community managers and furniture manufacturers