It is recording a real image, in real time, and then using technical wizardry to add virtual objects to the scene. A real-world positioning sensor allows the virtual objects to be manipulated via computer to create an image that unites the real video with the virtual — fixing the virtual objects in the real landscape.
It’s a small but revolutionary advance for architecture, industry, defense, cinema, leisure…
Here is one of many examples:
World-famous beer brand Heineken, widely known as the armchair-footballer’s best friend, won big points at the Milan AC-Real Madrid UEFA match with an unusual strategy: Heineken offered Milan fans’ female companions free tickets to the lyric opera — but only if they could get their boyfriends to come along. The opera’s scheduled date and time, though, would confront the men with a very difficult choice: miss THE match, or please the girlfriend.
In the end, more than 1000 courageous guys made the right choice and opted to miss the football broadcast — and after 15 minutes of violin and arias, pain and regret showed on 1000 faces. But then a message appeared: “Hard to say no to your girlfriend, isn’t it? And to the match?” A few seconds later, a new message popped up: “How could you even think of missing the big match?” (Smiles started reappearing on those same 1000 faces.) Then came the winning play: “Are you still with us? Real and Milan AC are on the pitch; let’s enjoy the match together!” Shouts of joy and thunderous applause …
1.5 milion people watched this extreme fake-out on Sky Sports, more than 10 million saw it the following day on TV news, and it generated 5 milion unique Internet visits in the next two weeks — along with thousands more on blog and social media sites, which are still spreading the buzz.
“Heineken. Made to entertain.” Seems these guys got the message.
