From Technology Review (05/17/07) Greene, Kate:

Researchers at Hewlett-Packard’s lab in Bristol, U.K., are developing software that will let people use their portable devices as platforms for GPS-enabled games and tours. HP Labs recently launched a site that provides location-based games and city walking tours. The site also offers the opportunity to modify some of the existing games and tours, or even create a new application from scratch. The HP project uses a concept known as augmented reality, or combining physical data with virtual information. As location and guidance technology improves and PDAs become more powerful, numerous augmented reality programs are being developed. Nokia is working on a project that will help people navigate new areas. The user simply has to take a picture of a landmark, and the program uses GPS coordinates to create a hyperlink with the image. Research manager for HP’s project Phil Stenton says this type of technology will be useful for such things as entertaining out-of-town guests during work hours. University of Bristol computer science professor Cliff Randal says HP is making an important contribution to this type of research. However, not everyone is completely impressed with HP’s initial offering. Georgia Institute of Technology computing professor Blair McIntyre, who has developed similar software for local tours, says HP is not creating a truly immersive augmented-reality experience. Stenton admits that the program has some limitations, but notes that future versions could include software for working with Bluetooth wireless devices, infrared sensor data, in-phone accelerometers, and possibly even heart-rate monitors. Stenton believes that future generations of this technology will allow people to create programs such as exercise routines that can be shared with friends.

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