Off Course-On Target: Augmented Identity & Reality = Augmented Cognition

January 22, 2010

Augmented Identity & Reality = Augmented Cognition

Below is a nice combination of postings from Ewan McIntosh on face recognition based Augmented Reality (AR) apps and some thoughts from David Truss on the applications and implications of this when used in education.
I'm delighted and encouraged by the questions and issues Ewan and David raise as I see the implementation of AR as one of the many examples of exponential rates of change. I'd also suggest you see through the clumsy use of "screens" and displays such as those on cameras and phones and instead think of these disappearing through the use of eye glasses, contact lenses and implants such that the notion of a screen or a display goes away and everything is just sensory input, visual in this case, to our brains, and what is being augmented is our cognitive capabilities more so that "reality".
Augmented Identity
Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for a while. Fans of Monday Night Football have always had the television advantage of ’seeing’ the first down line conveniently added for their viewing pleasure. A more advanced version of augmented reality can be seen here, where you can see information about all the nearest subway locations in New York superimposed onto your iPhone’s camera view.

And now from Ewan McIntosh I’m introduced to this application of Augmented Reality, possible due to face recognition software.

Ewan says, “…In a schools context this could be seen as lethal.” And then he asks:

“But there are some amazing potential side effects – what would yours be?”