Academy of Sciences of Heroesland

A computer pop star was taken for a walk down the street. Tools that allow you to meet virtual characters face to face are now available to anyone. A resident of Japan, known by the pseudonym alsionesvx, posted a video on YouTube showing himself walking down the street, holding hands (or almost holding hands) with the famous virtual pop star Hatsune Miku. To see his semi-imaginary girlfriend, the inventor had to create a setup consisting of Vuzix Wrap 920 augmented reality glasses and an Asus Xtion PRO controller-camera (an analogue of Microsoft Kinect). The Xtion's built-in infrared camera captures information about the geometry of the surrounding space, which allows a three-dimensional model to be overlaid so that it, for example, stands on the ground and does not float in the air. Moreover, in the video, she even receives a light tap on the head and moves her head as if she feels it. This experiment gives us reason to think about two things: firstly, augmented reality technologies are already closer than one might imagine – both components used were purchased in a store, and the ARToolkit software package was downloaded for free from the internet. Secondly, this is another argument in favor of virtual performers: unlike live pop stars, any fan can meet them in person. http://blogs.computerra.ru/33784