Staging your Augmented Reality data with Google Earth

I have watched a lot of discussions about Augmented Reality over the years and mused how the core technology has existed for some time already. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are not maps but analytical systems for geographically located data that are presented as data visualisations (maps) - however people often think GIS is just the flat map.

Augmented Reality is simply the placement of appropriate data in a familiar visual geographical context - not a map anymore, but just a different type of display showing it exactly 'where' you need it.

For years, Google (and many other companies) has been presenting this geo-referenced data in Google Maps and other flat-earth projections but also in the less-well-known Google Earth ( Google Map's 3d cousin). Google earth takes the same data you see in Google Maps and presents the locations ALONG WITH HEIGHT as they would appear on a relatively similar sphere as that on which you now sit reading this.

It is a very small step indeed to think that where data can be presented within a virtual 3d environment that is meant to simulate our earthy home, it is possible to take the same data (and its location) and simply transfer it to reality rather than a simulation via a display. There have been many brilliant prototypes linking enterprise data to such systems.

On small scale, that GPS track or Fitbit journey that you transferred into Google Maps on a flat surface, can also be put into a 3d environment within Google Earth to show just how treacherous that last hill was, or the fact that you just cycled up a mountain! This data can be simply moved onto a different type of display and Voila! suddenly you are looking at yesterday's track through your heads up display with statistics showing you how quickly you reached that point yesterday in comparison with how well you are doing today (you should definitely not have eaten that last bagel before you started!).

Of course there are many more practical business applications for referencing data than a simple Fitbit example, but judging from all the personal social media posts about the topic it seems a good one to use to present the concept.

With Google's announcement of the open sourcing of Google Earth Enterprise, suddenly we will be one step closer to enterprise production of Augmented Reality, as this virtualised data staging area allows you to 'fly through' your data (or several data categories) and assure its fit-ness for use (pun intended). You can even integrate live Augmented Reality data API into Google Earth for stunning real-time AR (search for "Google Earth Santa Tracker" if you want to show your children his exact location, this Christmas... look for the 3d sleigh and its team as it circles the globe!).

This open sourcing of Google Earth heralds a major milestone in the democratisation of Location Data production and testing, which should give the AR industry the boost it needs to go mainstream in no time. Please see the article below for a more indepth discussion of the impact of this release by Google.

http://www.directionsmag.com/entry/googles-geospatial-evolution-is-open/490745