A GPS to Augment Your Entire Reality

Your cell phone will provide the important linkage between the real world and the digital universe.

By Stephen Cass
Aug 11, 2008 5:00 AMNov 12, 2019 6:31 AM

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

“Press F1 for help.” When you’re working in a computer program and you get stuck, you can press a button and a handy guide pops up alongside whatever you’re puzzling over to clue you in. Wouldn’t it be great if real life worked that way? Out on the town, you could look at a restaurant, press a button, and get advice on whether the staff is surly or what wine to order. Motorola Labs, the research arm of the Schaum­burg, Illinois, telecommunications giant, is developing a method to make that possible.The key is augmented reality (AR), a technology that combines stored digital data and information from the real world. A car navigational system is a simple form of AR: It works out your physical location using the Global Positioning System (GPS), consults a map database ,figures out a route to your destination, and provides a constant stream of directions to guide you.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.