TripWolf has become the latest travel content provider to throw its efforts into an augmented reality system, launching through its iPhone app.
Developed by the Salzburg Research institute in Austria, Tripwolf’s version of augmented reality throws in around half a million points of interest from its existing content platform onto the app.
When a user opens up the TripWolf app they will see markers indicating attractions, sights, restaurants and hotels live on-screen using the Apple’s on-board camera.
Here’s a video explanation as to how it works:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dIo1DUTAnk
A big bonus for this particular version of augmented reality is that the content is already included in the app and therefore users will not be forced to connect to a live web stream and, inevitably, pay expensive roaming fees if overseas.
TripWolf’s launch follows similar products from the likes of Lastminute.com, a bizarre effort from Hotels.com and Tripsay’s tie-in with Layar.
I just updated the app and tried this out for Sydney – worked great!
Tip: To get the augmented reality to work turn the phone 90 degrees to the RIGHT (it doesn’t work if you try to turn it to the LEFT.. and took me a while to figure this out)
Actually this is very, very similar to Wikitude which is one of the first AR apps. I wonder it is not mentioned above. The user interface looks almost like the same.
Wikitude additionally offers the option to integrate several channels of information – I’m expecting it to provide a Tripwolf channel soon.
@thungsten – thanks for the comment. And, yes, fine work by Wikitude on other AR developments.
We have previously mentioned Wikitdue here:
http://www.tnooz.com/2009/09/29/mobile/augmented-reality-mobile-search-and-maybe-getting-it-wrong/
Cheers!