Smartphones, Smart Objects, and Augmented Reality

Two major types of augmented reality seem most likely to see academic use in the coming five years, markerless and marked. Markerless augmented reality uses the location determined by a cell phone to serve as a basis for adding local information to the camera view. Marked augmented reality uses a two-dimensional barcode to connect a cell phone or personal computer to information, usually on a web site. Both approaches are already being used in museums and college libraries. Marked augmented reality is especially powerful because it makes physical objects clickable, such as a web page. Augmented reality creates some exciting new opportunities for libraries.