The sudden success of “Pokémon Go” is introducing mass audience to augmented reality, the surprising technology that mixes the digital and physical worlds where many are placing big bets.
Since its launching last week, the internet has gone crazy for Pokemon Go. The augmented reality game is sweeping the world and taking gaming to the streets. Using a combination of ordinary technologies built into smartphones, that include location tracking and cameras, the smartphone app is encouraging people to go above and beyond seeking virtual loot and collectible characters to try to nab them for their collection.
How does it work? Augmented reality displays digital images on a view of the real world, such as Pokémon characters on a city sidewalk. Pokémon Go shows the digital characters on a smartphone display, overlaid on the phone’s view of its surroundings.
Sounds like a sci-fi game, but the whole process is extremely intuitive and the learning curve is incredibly small for this core part of the game… When you see a Pokémon on the map you tap on it, then you center the Pokémon on the screen and flick Poké Balls at it with a swipe of your finger. The balls even obey the laws of physics, falling by the gravity.
Before this, most uses of AR have been tied to very specific experiences and locations rather than a person's daily routine, and that´s why Pokémon Go is so revolutionary and definitely puts augmented reality on the map. Nearly overnight success means that almost no one will ever need to explain what augmented reality is.
Just in case... Augmented reality refers to a view of the real-world environment where elements are overlaid with computer-generated images and sound. It differs from virtual reality, where the real world is replaced by complete immersion in a computer-generated space.
Since early versions of augmented reality (such as Google’s Glass headset) several tech companies are working toward devices that could display animations alongside real objects. It is true that while nowadays consumer-grade VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are available, high-profile AR projects like Hololens are still only in the developer stage. However, Google’s Project Tango has his world's first enabled smartphone and that is just the beginning.
The technology behind hit game "Pokémon Go", is becoming increasingly appealing to investors and companies. Immersive augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people and Pokémon Go is a great introduction to this technology, showing people how it works and putting the idea into people's heads that there could be something more to the world around us. As people get used to the idea of pointing a phone at an object or place to reveal a hidden layer to it, it'll become second nature to them, paving the way for more substantial AR experiences.
About Ariel Sztern
Ariel is a Software Engineer with more than 20 years of experience in Software Development with experience in managing projects in more than 16 countries
Nowadays Ariel is responsible for managing the operation in USA as President of TISA Software LLC.
Beyond his technical knowledge and passion for the technology Ariel enjoys watching the NBA and playing Ping-Pong, he also like sci-fi movies and was recognized as one of the 40 under 40 by the Houston Business Journal in 2014.
