Siemens launches new camera phone game
Kick Real to use Augmented Reality technology
Siemens Business Services, in partnership with Australian petroleum company OMV and household appliance manufacturer Miele, has released a new "Augmented Reality" football game for mobile phones titled Kick Real.
Augmented Reality solutions supplement the standard image in a camera's viewfinder by superimposing information on the display, in a similar fashion to Sony's hugely successful EyeToy peripheral for the PlayStation 2.
In Kick Real, which will be used as a promotional tool for this year's World Cup, the ball, pitch and goal in kick real are all virtual - but the foot kicking the ball belongs to the real-life player.
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Rather than using standard mobile phone game controls, players must point the camera at their foot, which will then appear on the screen and allow them to strike the ball at the goal using real body motions.
The innovative technology has been developed as part of an EU research project which was set up to find new solutions for training installers. The idea was to design an application that would provide the most important information to employees on the road regarding the industrial systems they service, facilitating swift repair.
The technology has also been adapted for use in sales rooms - users can make their mobile device display information and real-time variations on a real product, either as text, graphic or a 3D element.
More information on the Augmented Reality project and Kick Real can be found by visiting the Siemens website.