Smile, you’re on augmented camera!

When you’re using AR on your own, you’re free to do what you want. Viewing virtual items or virtual characters? They won’t complain. But what if other people walk into your AR scenery?

If you’re using AR and you’re clearly pointing at people, you have your own social senses to notice if the person in view is OK with it. But: are you just viewing, or recording the AR? That might make a difference.

Snapchat AR lens: “Shirt Copier” / https://www.instagram.com/p/CfJiKTsonh5/

And what about AR you can use without someone even noticing it? Like in this example below. Using subtle head gestures to control a virtual plane.

Operating your AR device subtly, didn’t work out well for people who gave Google Glass a try. I did. And I even solved some of the privacy issues people complained about.

Being an AR enthusiast since 2009, with a special interest in AR wearables since 2013, I’m really curious how to get “AR in public space” right. I prefer not to see a premature ending to the next AR age!

my fascination for AR wearables thoughout the past decade

Wouldn’t it be preferable to have a lively temporary shared mixed reality space (depicted on the right) compared to what we see often these days, people connected to the whole world but not to their local context?

(Although it does have benefits when everyone is obsessively staring at a smartphone. Not even aware of me turning them into AR appearances)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdfz5NQI_51/

And there’s absolutely nothing to complain about if you anonimize the people you’re augmenting, right? Letting anonimized strangers appear in your AR scene should be OK.

“Multi Mario” Snapchat AR game

But despite the recording YES/NO rule, it does matter how it appears to the outside world. For example, what about appearingly ‘stalking’ anonimized coin generating strangers with this “Multi Mario” lens?

The criteria about recording and anonymizing are less relevant when you’ve non-strangers in view. But there’s one aspect that’s relevant whoever is in front of your camera. What if the AR itself is .. doubtful? Like in this ‘distant hand’ Snapchat lens?

But if the intention is right, and if the AR is ok there might be situations where the rules can be interpreted freely. What matters there is how transparent you are with the AR intervention.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjvzavmIlvx/

Adding sound can help to communicate to passersby that they’re traversing an AR activated public space.

Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfLe9TZo7ev/

AR in public space can be a great way to bring people together in interactive semi-virtual playgrounds with infinite possibilities. So it’s important to find out under which criteria we can make use of it. Instead of avoiding it fully because of fears or worries.

And besides that, it would even be good to find out under which circumstances you could enjoy sneaky AR experiences, letting other people unknowingly be the NPCs in your games or stories. For example when playing with the “Public Space Laser Game” lens in which you lose points when people stare at you. Great fun playing it in a supermarket!

Let’s keep in mind that now is the time to get a better understanding about what it requires to do AR in public space responsibly. Because sooner or later, it will be less obvious who’s walking around with an AR enabled camera. (Big tech will soon want us to capture our environment 24/7 so it’s not missing any input that’s needed to make our life better and efficient)

But let’s not worry too much. There’s also worry free AR, even when it uninvitedly involves other people. For example as AR performers of the Triadisches Ballet.

And one day, we’ll not even care that we’re being recorded. Even when we’re fully aware of it.

There sure will be some government regulations, somewhere, sometime.

And unavoidably, some people will reject any kind of AR in public space no matter what criteria or precautions have been made. Especially when it involves using AR with kids.

But not me. Some might call me an uninterested smartphone staring parent. But that’s only partly true!

Link: https://twitter.com/sndrv/status/1639916339799179266?s=20