Layar: An Augmented Reality Browser

One simple yet very useful application of augmented reality (AR) is to overlay the screen with locations of shops, restaurants, places of interest, etc. One day there could potentially be thousands of people and companies offering such augmented overlays in their own specialist fields. Which raises a question: how do you manage them all?

That’s a question that Amsterdam based company SPRXMobile hopes to answer with Layar, described as the world’s first “first mobile Augmented Reality browser”. Unlike, say, Wikitude, Layar isn’t a self-contained app but rather an enabler. The idea is that a variety of people will make available a variety of Layar compatible AR overlays – layers – which you can then view using a single browser.

Raimo van der Klein, co-founder of SPRXmobile, said:

Eventually, the physical and the virtual worlds will become one. Many visions on Augmented Reality have already been developed, but we are proud to be able to bring this one step closer to reality

I think the idea’s great but do have one reservation. For this to take off there needs to be a huge library of layers, everything from commercial to personal interests. If layers really are to become “the equivalent of web pages in normal browsers” then like the web anyone should be able to write a layer. However the Layars website talks of “content partners” in a way that suggests a formal layer creation process rather than an open, published Layar spec and toolset. This may well help to ensure quality – and provide a monetisation channel – but could also restrict the uptake of the app.

Update: Wikitude AR browser embraces crowd sourcing