Augmented reality: and Java?

Ever heard about augmented (or enhanced) reality?

Here’s its definition in wikipedia: “Augmented reality is an environment that includes both virtual reality and real-world elements”.

One of the first samples most of us we’ve certainly seen about augmented reality was in the movie Robocop. The robotic-human protagonist had a view sense enhanced in a lot of ways by computer processing. He was able to zoom at small objects from away, to apply run-time image processing filters to improve some details, to mix other sensor-based data (f.i. temperature) to obtain a real time map of certain environmental conditions. But augmented reality promises much more.

When Robocop was produced, in 1987, Internet was not the big net we know today, and one of its biggest applications, the World Wide Web, was not invented yet. That poor policeman/robot was really alone in its enhanced world. All the extra-information about the external world had to be obtained by himself. His metallic body needed to have too much sensors, too much memory to remember everything. A project like Robocop would be hardly affordable even with today’s technology, even taking away all the electronic-organic connections he had in the movie.

But today, in 2008, we know very well the power of collaboration, and therefore of distributed software. Mixing augmented reality and Internet is now possible to build some layers on top of the real world, store them in distributed environments, and retrieve information from them just when we need it. A typical, very known virtual layer on top of the real world is that one provided by GPS, or from services like google maps. Satellite navigation devices already offer an experience of enhanced reality: when you’re driving you’re getting extra-information about what you’re seeing. Now imagine to have a screen on your car, instead of the normal front glass. The installed software on your car will display you information about others cars’ speed, traffic signs you’ve not seen, dangerous water puddles etc. etc. Or let’s imagine completely different applications. A surgeon, while performing a complicated heart intervention, will wear reality enhanced glasses. These glasses will provide of course image processing features as Robocop (zooming at details etc.). But a big professor will be able to look at the intervention from his office, at 1000 kms of distance, seeing the same images, and will be able to suggest something to the surgeon by moving pointers, speaking with him and so on.

Now, my question is if Java can be the right tool for that kind of applications. The answer is, probably, yes. Java provides a lot of libraries for working with cameras, has been made for networking. And we have some good hardware to play with sensors, like SUNSPOT for instance.

Most of Robocop’s technology can be today replicated with low cost hardware and free software. I really hope we’ll be able to use it in the right way