AugTopia action figures is a project I am developing at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program in collaboration with Scott Wayne Indiana (39forks.com).
AugTopia will debut at the ITP show Sunday May 9th.
Each original, limited-edition AugTopia figure is specially designed using emerging augmented reality technologies that enhance play with computer-generated images and scenes. Patterned markers located on the chest of each figure can be detected and tracked by any webcam-enabled computer to track the figure in three-dimensional space, blending computer-generated imagery with the real-world environment. These patterned markers are also interchangeable. Markers can be used in multiple AugTopia figures and traded among players, allowing for a wide variety of possible interactions using the same set of figures.
In conjunction with the collectible AugTopia action figures, the online AugTopia universe will serve as a social networking platform, enabling the upload of user-generated images and videos that bridge the real and virtual worlds.
The core group of four prototype AugTopia action figures and the AugTopia website (AugTopia.com) will be introduced at the ITP Spring Show on Sunday, May 9 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Monday, May 10 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (721 Broadway between Washington and Waverly Place). Visitors will be invited to handle the prototype figures, and Scott and I will be on hand to demonstrate the augmented reality capabilities.
