Junaio: Will Editable 3D Objects Offer AR-Based Foursquare?

Written by Dana Oshiro / November 5, 2009 4:36 PM / 6 Comments

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Metaio Augmented Reality Solutions is about to announce the release of the company's Junaio iPhone application and ReadWriteWeb has an exclusive pre-release review. While other products like Wikitude, Robotvision and Layar allow users to view notes and text above a location-based layer, no other service offers us a chance to add 3D objects and animation. While the demo may seem frivolous for now, the possibilities for branded scavenger hunts, real-world easter eggs and Foursquare-like location-based games are limitless.

Similar to Wikitude, Junaio offers location-based information on historical sites and points of interest. However, some of the unique features of this service include the ability to edit AR layers, add 3D animations and share edited scenes via social networks like Facebook and Twitter. These social features have us thinking about the current popularity of location-based social games.

While Foursquare and Gowalla offer users a chance to share their location-based experiences and compete for prizes, these products are placed above simple 2D maps. The potential for a similar product above an augmented reality layer is finally possibly with Junaio. While the video merely demonstrates the ability to edit text and images, there remains a huge opportunity for game-related exploration. Imagine setting animated booby traps during a scavenger hunt, or finding your friends' graffiti while waiting in line at the DMV or even being the first of 50 people on-site to receive a rare song download. While Junaio and editable AR-layers are still in their infancy, the potential for game-related interpretations are a natural next step. Junaio is currently pending approval in the App Store, for updates on the release follow the company's Twitter account @twitt_AR.

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Comments

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Dana,

I enjoyed your article and agree that AR is going to be the next game changing disruptive technology.

For developers Apple must open up the video API more for computer vision systems to work in real-time. The folks at ARToolWorks launched their iPhone kit recently -- the Android platform may gain a quick advantage with developers as they are more open.

The opportunity for two-way augmented reality with consumer generated AR assets is key to pull in the social web and let people create an entire new content stream on top of the visual AR web. This has interesting new revenue models for AR social media gaming with a UGC overlay.

I found a few more interesting AR revenue models such as:

Augmented Reality Ecommerce

http://www.holition.com/howitworks.php
http://www.inition.co.uk/ (Technology Partner for Holition)

Augmented Reality Music Video Project tied to UGC YouTube Videos

http://www.lostvalentinos.com/

(Tip - Screencap the Marker, cut out in Photoshop and email it to your iPhone email)

The entire print media world will also change with AR Markers on ads. We already see this with QR Codes in Japan, where entire magazines are made up of QR codes!

Thanks for being a leading content network for augmented reality information.

Cheers, Tim Reha - Seattle

Posted by: TIm Reha | November 5, 2009 11:45 PM

Seems good. But I think I’ll need to see videos and examples to make full judgment. Specifically also, what sort of private/public user interaction is possible on it. Can users leave public messages? Or just between friends?

Posted by: r4 ds | November 6, 2009 4:22 AM

Interesting article. I like the social and community aspects that junaio seems to offer.

Can't wait to try this out myself :-)

Posted by: Peter | November 6, 2009 8:22 AM