Week 2: Prototyping with Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) blends the digital and the real, allowing people to visualise 3D virtual forms in a physical setting in real time. 

Inition's "AR 3D printing"

Using AR when learning to weld with Soldamatic

Using AR as a prototyping tool allows users to experience a realistic simulation of the the prototype without very little or all functionality.

Using Microsoft's HoloLens as a protoyping tool

Exercise: Design a variation of an everyday object, using AR as a prototyping tool

The everyday household object that I have chosen is a floor lamp. The design variation on the stock standard lamp is a lampshade that can change design and be customised to suit the owner's aesthetic preferences. For example, the lamp shade's colour could be changed to suit the interior decoration of a living room, it could display a montage of the owner's Instagram photos, or it can project unique moving silhouettes over the room. 

Customisable lamp shades could look similar to this. Source: Random Good Stuff

It may be difficult to produce a working prototype to communicate how the final product may appear, especially in early stages where the technology may not be fully realised (possibly using something like projection mapping or coloured e-ink).  Using AR will allow designers and users to visualise the different design possibilities and get a good understanding of the final product. 

Colour-changing film, E-Ink's Prism

The AR device will digitally project the user's chosen lampshade preference onto the plain lampshade which acts as a green screen. The user can customise the lamp's settings using a paired smartphone app where they can choose from various colours or patterns or import their own images, and see them displayed on the lamp in real time. 

References:
http://www.dezeen.com/2013/01/04/inition-develops-augmented-3d-printing-for-architects/
http://www.cnet.com/news/the-next-big-thing-in-tech-augmented-reality/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873657/hands-on-with-microsofts-hololens-the-3d-augmented-reality-future-is-now.html
http://gizmodo.com/color-changing-e-ink-is-here-but-not-in-ebook-readers-1677767392