What is augmented reality?
Augmented Reality is a technology that takes the world around you (say through a camera or head mounted display) and adds virtual content on top such that it looks like it's actually there in the real world.
While there are a number of different types of AR, perhaps the most engaging and exciting form uses fancy computer algorithms to analyse camera images looking for pictures to bring to life. This is called vision-based augmented reality and it's at the heart of most modern AR apps, such as Zappar. These apps are super-carefully crafted so they can analyse at least 30 images every second, giving the user a fluid and rich 3D experience. The best apps feature diverse interactive platforms allowing for immersive game-play, the ability to link through to other digital experiences online, and the sharing of photos or videos.
While Augmented Reality may seem like a new concept, the principles behind it have been around for quite some time. AR technology actually dates as far back as the 1950s and 1960s when university students and researchers were conducting extensive experiments on “human-computer interaction”.
The term Augmented Reality just doesn't roll off the tongue so Zappar is often easier to remember. The clue is in the name: Zappar is a free app in the Apple App store or on Google Play, using AR that allows you to ZAP things in the real world and bring them to life. Zappar is already being used for video games, concerts, clothing, movie trailers, product companies, publishing companies and of course real estate agencies. The possibilities are endless.
Ten Things You Might Not Know About Zappar
1. Zappar looks for the lightning bolt which tells the app that there is something Zappar Powered
2. The app opens up a camera view in "scanning" mode
3. Once the app detects something that's Zappar Powered it assembles all the content and brings that thing to life on-screen in front of your very eyes
4. Zapcodes can be colour coded to fit on different backgrounds
5. Zapcodes can come in a variety of shapes and sizes
6. Zapcodes can be as small as 8mm or as large as you want them to be
7. You can update content on your code at any time and republish in real time
8. Using your smart device you can scan the zapcode at any angle, you don’t have to hover directly over it
9. You can also scan the codes at a distance, you don’t have to be up close
10. Zappar is a FREE-to-download app on iOS or Android.
