In recent years, augmented reality has become more democratic and is becoming increasingly important in our daily lives. More and more companies are implementing applications, not only for professionals, but also for the general public.
Augmented reality is a technology designed to include additional virtual information (objects, images, text ...) in real time and superimpose them on reality to enrich it and this, interactively.
Many tech companies are investing heavily in augmented reality. Microsoft wants to go one step further in the sector.
His latest recently published patent and with her the giant from Redmond wants to exploit an idea about augmented reality annotated world concept where users and businesses could add virtual information to real-world objects and places and enable other users of reality.
Microsoft's patent wants to allow a community of augmented reality users who are likely to wear helmets while driving, rate other drivers in the community by leaving feedback on their performance.
Windows United, the Windows 10 and Windows Phone community, finds the concept a bit scary, but Microsoft plans to implement it.
Microsoft aims to change driver education
The Microsoft patent that will allow the evaluation of the drivers of a community of augmented reality users is based on HoloLens, the company's augmented reality headset has been available since March 2016.
Feedback will help drivers avoid driving errors and feedback from members of the community in the future.
According to Microsoft's notes describing the patent at the time of publication:
“An infrastructure is presented to support a community of drivers based on augmented reality (AR). Each driver's view (for example, with an AR device) in other vehicles on the road can be supplemented with virtual information about other drivers in the community.
Community users can express their opinion on the behavior of other community users.
Driver reviews can be collected and compared to get a cumulative assessment of a particular behavior for a particular driver.
A driver's vision on their AR device is complemented by the community's assessment of that driver's driving behavior, which can affect future driver behavior. «
This information, which summarizes the comments of community members, it can be seen by the rider when wearing AR glasses, for example.
However, Microsoft's patent goes beyond comments on the driving behavior of motorists.
Communication, scoring and information on drivers in "real time"
Information provided by the community can also, for example, warn the rider of a danger that surrounds him.
Drivers can also be warned by the concept of things like their speed or other important telemetry, like Waze.
Waze is a GPS community that brings together millions of users around the world, a mobile GPS navigation application that is based on a map that can be modified by its users.
Waze allows you to avoid accidents, jobs, traffic jams, it has a travel memory that allows you to provide other users in a community with the routes most used by group members.
In various configurations, eA driver's vehicle can be configured to provide an AR experience while driving.
The system can provide telemetry of the driver's vehicle, which provides information about members of the neighboring community and their vehicles on the road.
The system can expand the driver's view of the real environment, for example, through a portable device enhanced with virtual objects that display the received telemetry information.
However, in a context of privacy crisis that prevails in recent times, Microsoft's concept raises personal data protection problems to the extent that many other companies can apply for and obtain the patent under license to exploit it.