World's First '4-D' Theme Park Opens in South Korea

Move over, Disney. The traditional theme park just doesn't cut it anymore.

Today's world demands even more interactivity for guests. Hence, the world's first "4-D" theme park: Live Park in South Korea. Live Park uses RFID and augmented reality technology to engage guests in a series of 65 attractions (that are actually 3-D).

D'strict, the interactive technology company that constructed the park, created its seven distinct stages using a huge array of RFID technology and Microsoft Kinects. As you see in the video, there's a lot of variety to the different attractions. In some, the Kinects enable guests to interact with augmented reality characters and holograms on huge screens and stages. In others, the guests create their own avatars, which interact with Live Park characters.

Over the next few years, D’strict plans to open similar theme parks in China and Singapore.

Mercedes Creates Gesture-controlled Vehicle With Augmented Reality Windshield

Mercedes, the German luxury auto manufacturer, had an interesting submission at CES 2012: its Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience (DICE). The Mercedes DICE concept is a fully customizable dashboard with gesture-based controls. It enables the driver to scroll through, select and control a variety of vehicle functions with basic hand motions.

Interestingly, the flat-panel dashboard also uses augmented reality to digitally display real-time information on the windshield. With a wave of a hand, users can skip music tracks, message friends, and even make a reservation at a local restaurant.

Damon Lavrinc from Auto Blog tested DICE in the video above. He said it's an interesting but buggy system. One big problem: The system's proximity sensors can’t yet distinguish between a gesture and a non-gesture -- for example, if the driver were telling a story and using his hands. No worry; the company will have plenty of time to de-bug DICE. After all, a Mercedes executive said we won’t be seeing gesture-based dashboard in mass-produced Mercedes vehicles for another 20 years.

David Cronenberg's Gorgeous, Creepy Films to Become Augmented Reality Game

Augmented reality games seem to be everywhere these days, and their inspiration is coming from some pretty interesting places.

Coming soon, renownded director David Cronenberg will see some of his amazing films turned into an AR game. Using GPS software, smartphone cameras, social media tools and more, developers are going to bring Cronenberg's films to life for gamers in what is being described by the Toronto International Film Festival as "stylized social-media meets psychological-thriller game play."

In fact, TIFF has created a job posting for a Project Manager on the Cronenberg AR project. Anyone interested in applying?

For my part, I'm just excited to see what movies will be included in the game, which should be released by the end of next year. eXistenZ is an obvious choice, as is Videodrome. But I wouldn't mind playing an Eastern Promises-themed game either. As long as it isn't too true to life. 

Augmented Reality Pioneer Layar Lets You Augment the World

Introducing: Stiktu from Stiktu on Vimeo.

If you’re familiar with augmented reality, you’ve heard of Layar, the company that’s been instrumental in bringing AR to the world of smartphones and tablets. Now, the company is rolling out Stiktu, an app that lets users combine their digital posting with real photos and share them with each other.  

Although the Layar software has been downloaded millions of times already, it’s been a bit too “techie” for most users. After launching in nine European markets on Tuesday, Stiktu may be the app to change all that.

"From the very start we always wanted to give this powerful technology to people so they could use it to their own benefit. With Stiktu we created an app that does exactly that," Layar co-founder Maarten Lens-FitzGerald told Reuters. "Now everybody can publish augmented reality content on anything they care about."

Download Stiktu here, scan an object with your phone and add text, images, sketches or stickers to it. Comment on a ridiculous bumper sticker you see. Edit a book title to speak the truth. Or draw something disgusting on your spouse’s headshot.

Then, share it with other users to share your unique spin on the world. Anyone who scans that item will see your post directly on top of it, no matter where they are in the world. It works especially well with flat, well-lit items like posters, magazines and product packaging, according to Stiktu’s website.

Apple and Google Both Working on Wearable Augmented Reality Smartphones

Sure, pretty much anything Apple and Google do right now will create buzz. But link those two companies with the words “wearable augmented reality smartphone,” and people are bound to really take notice.

In an effort to (eventually) integrate your smartphone into your life even more, the companies are exploring augmented reality phones that serve as more of a “window on to your world”—not just a screen that you interact with.

At Google, researchers in the super-secret Google X labs have been working on developing devices that interact directly with Android smartphones, helping you to digitally immerse yourself into the world around you. According to 9To5Google, one project involves augmented reality glasses that would plug a user in to real-time search results that correspond to what he or she is viewing.

To me, this sounds like a natural step for the whole idea (and name) behind Google Goggles. In fact, Google may be hinting at this new wearable product with a recent blog announcement about a Google Goggles upgrade.

9To5Google claims the AR glasses would be unobtrusive, styled much like a pair of normal, thicker-rimmed glasses. They would include just a few buttons on the side that help the wearer “communicate with the cloud,” presumably through an Android device.

This blogger is skeptical about AR glasses ever being “unobtrusive.” I envision a jumble of Google search suggestions popping up every time I turn my head. I wonder how Google plans on giving the user enough control so he or she doesn’t get overwhelmed.  

In the meantime, the New York Times Bits blog, reveals that Apple has been secretly working on a wearable computer that wound use Siri and fit on your write like an iPod Nano. It seems there are several different prototypes in the works; one of them was intriguingly described as a wrist-worn “curved-glass iPod.”