#01

Hello! AR World

Hello!

My name is Mr.Cube. I'm a sensor engineer of AKM. In this column, I want to introduce the tech topics in the world that interest me, hopefully in an easy-to-understand manner while sprinkling in some of my personal opinions. I am planning to update this column as regularly as possible, so please be sure to check back frequently.

For the first topic, I’d like to discuss Augmented Reality technology that has been a hot topic in tech circles around the world recently. Augmented Reality (AR, for short) is a technology that uses a computer to "augment" the real world that we perceive around us. There are various definitions of "augmentation" but, simply speaking, it is a technology that makes things visible that should be invisible. AR is currently realized by superimposing virtual images on the real world through the use of smartphones and smart glasses. Many people have learned about the existence of AR technology through the emergence of Pokemon GO (a popular smartphone game app) in recent years. The app uses position information and orientation information to find monsters. The AK0991x electronic compass from AKM contributed significantly to the application. When I played the game myself, I was crawling outside (literally!) until midnight looking for monsters.

There were a few interesting things that I noticed about the Pokemon GO phenomenon. The biggest surprise was that it wasn’t only young people who were part of the craze, but also middle-aged people and even senior citizens were playing the game. While new technology is usually more readily adopted by geeks, tech enthusiasts and young people. Pokemon GO has transcended these traditional groups and the AR technology in general has caught on with a much more diverse group of people than expected. In order to talk and interact with virtual characters floating in space, it is necessary to use technology that accurately captures human motion and a variety of sensor technologies for getting feedback. With the development of AR technology, with higher definition and the ability to superimpose realistic images in ordinary settings, the world may become a place where it is nearly impossible to distinguish between the real and the virtual.

The S-cube products presented on this site can be used to detect humans motion using magnetism and as a wake-up trigger for AR systems. To build an interesting and exciting future using AR technology in this and other ways, AKM, as an IC manufacturer, is constantly developing new products every day that push the boundaries.

See you next time.