Aurasma Revs up its 3d Engine at CES12

LAS VEGAS, January 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

** Augmented Reality app launches new 3D engine **

** Use the free app to add hundreds of animated 3D characters to the real world **

** Free SDK available for embedding in apps and smart devices **

Aurasma, the world's leading augmented reality platform, has today announced the launch of its new 3D engine. In addition to using the app to bring a world of augmented content to life, users can now use the simple in-app tools to add hundreds of animated 3D characters into the real world and share the experience with friends.

Launched in July 2011, more than two million users have now downloaded Aurasma and Aurasma-enabled apps making it one of the fastest-growing apps in the world.  The Aurasma app is available for free on iPhone3GS, 4, 4S, iPad2 and high-powered Android devices.

Aurasma is also available as a free SDK for developers to build into other applications or embed into smartphones and tablets. The technology opens a completely new window on the real world, allowing users to create, discover and share digital content embedded in printed images, products and even physical places.

With Aurasma's 3D engine, film posters showcase realistic 3D characters who step into the real world and talk to the viewer. A children's pop-up book comes to life with animated 3D dinosaurs and consumer electronics products reveal detailed 3D models to aid assembly. The three-dimensional state of the animations allows viewers to move around the model and experience a whole new perspective.

Aurasma's cutting-edge image recognition technology and unique meaning-based approach to computing allows smart devices to see, recognize and understand real-life images and objects in much the same way as the human brain does. Aurasma then uses this fundamental understanding of the real world to seamlessly augment the scene with virtual content such as videos, animations and 3D objects called "auras". No barcodes, visual tags or special glasses are required for Aurasma to work.

James Loxam, Chief Technology Officer at Aurasma, said: "Smartphones are doubling in processing power every eight months. As their power increases, so does Aurasma's ability to merge the physical and virtual worlds together. Our 3D engine already supports very complex models and they will become even more interactive and realistic as our phones increase in processing power. Very soon people will find it difficult to tell where the physical world ends and the virtual one begins."

Martina King, Managing Director of Aurasma said, "Over two million people have already downloaded our technology onto their smart devices and are using Aurasma to change the way they see and interact with the world. Combined with Aurasma, our smart devices are now powerful enough for us to begin to move from the Internet to the beginning of the Outernet, where digital information is seamlessly embedded in the world around us and we simply point our devices at the things we're interested in to find out more. It's a revolution in the way we engage with information and Aurasma is leading the way."

Aurasma will be demonstrating 3D at CES Unveiled at the Venetian, Las Vegas on 8^th January and competing in the live final of CES Mobile Apps Showdown at the Wynn, Las Vegas on 12^th January.

Links to Editors

Videos:

HP Router augmented with 3D installation instructions:  http://youtu.be/bf9x7DAk7GI

PolAR Bear spotted on London's River Thames: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpIsuECT6B4

3D Dinosaurs roaming the streets of Paris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehmdA7Vcsig

Even everyday objects like a $20 bill or £10 note can reveal hidden depths thanks to Aurasma: http://youtu.be/Ldl-nZfgmKw

Aurasma:
http://www.aurasma.com
http://www.facebook.com/aurasma/
http://www.twitter.com/aurasma/
http://www.youtube.com/user/AurasmaLite
http://aurasmalite.tumblr.com/

Notes for Editors

ABOUT AURASMA

Aurasma is the world's first visual browser - a new platform technology that merges the physical world with the virtual. Available as a free app for iPhone3G, 4 and 4S, iPad2 and high-powered Android devices or as a free kernel for app developers, Aurasma uses advanced image and pattern recognition to recognise and understand real-world images and objects in much in way the human brain does. It then seamlessly blends the real-world with rich interactive content such as videos and animations called "Auras". Auras can be created for printed images, product packaging, clothing, physical places and users can even use the app to create and share their own.

Since its launch in June 2011, Aurasma has had more than two million downloads. Over 1000 partners across multiple markets are using the free technology in their campaigns or embedding the technology in their own applications, including Aurasma has over 1,000 commercial partners in more than 50 countries worldwide including global brands such as Panasonic, Mazda, Virgin Atlantic, Sky, BMW, Procter & Gamble, NET-A-PORTER, BBC Worldwide, Hyundai, Schroders and Universal Pictures. Aurasma was developed by software company Autonomy - an HP Company.

SOURCE Aurasma