Sun Seeker: 3D Augmented Reality Viewer is hot application currently available in the App Store and we were lucky enough to snag an interview with the developer. First let’s discuss our hands-on with the application.
The app’s description says that it ‘Provides both a flat view compass and an augmented reality camera 3-D VIEW showing the solar path, its hour intervals, its winter and summer solstice paths, rise and set times and more.’
When you first launch the app you are presented with a top-down compass view showing the sun’s path throughout the hours of the day. In a glance you can see sunrise and sunset, length of day and night, and where in the sky the sun will be. You can also choose to view the sun’s information for any date you select.
Pressing the camera button brings up the augmented reality mode. This starts the phone’s camera and nicely overlays the sun’s path over a ‘grid-like’ pattern. In addition to the sun’s path you can also see the elevation, azimuth, sun’s position throughout the day, and the direction of the sun’s current position.
We really like this application and felt it offered all of the solar information you would need in a beautiful package.
App Store Link: Sun Seeker: 3D Augmented Reality Viewer $2.99
Now for our interview with the developer of Sun Seeker, Graham Dawson.
1) How did you come to your decision of developing an ‘augmented reality’ application?
The other main inaccuracy is in the digital compass heading, and this one does affect Sun Seeker. This is typically reported by the device as being accurate only to within +/- 25 degrees, although in practice (in non-magnetically-polluted spaces) it is often good to within several degrees, in which case it is near enough for almost all practical applications.
The other major sensor component involved is the tri-axis accelerometer – but that is generally of good accuracy, and can be further calibrated for even better results, so this one needs little further future refinement.
Although only required for certains types of AR applications, a key missing factor in AR on the Phone is the ability to do real-time video camera analysis. It would theoretically be possible to use video analysis to supplement GPS and positional data (eg. be recognising nearby buildings, landmarks or even people) and thereby sometimes being able to get a much better idea of your exact position.
I also suspect that we will eventually start to see dedicated AR devices which will allow us to see AR information without having to look at our mobiles – for example in eyeglasses or contact lenses. In that case perhaps no-one need even know that you are using it, and it could be ubiquitous and fully accepted that people would use it. Perhaps one of Apple’s future models will be the “eyePhone”?!
4) Do you plan to develop another augmented reality application?
Yes. I am working on another idea which I don’t wish to disclose yet, and it will require some trialling to determine whether or not it works well enough in practical situations. Its certainly an exciting area to work in, although a little risky in terms of time and effort spent to prototype your ideas, in an area which is still quite novel and “bleeding edge”.
We thank Graham for his insightful answers and look forward to his future projects.
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