This Amazing Flashlight Creates Augmented Reality Without Forcing You To Wear A Headset

augmented reality flashlight Lumen

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Who among us (that has seen any of the Iron Man or Avengers movies) hasn’t wanted to have access to the super cool augmented reality tools that Tony Stark and others use in those films?

You know what I mean…

How awesome would that be to be able to really use augmented reality in the real world? Well, if Arvind Sanjeev and Lumen have their way we will be able to do just that. Not quite on the scale of Tony Stark, but the technology behind their new augmented reality flashlight could definitely change how we interact with our world. BONUS: It’s also super easy to use.

Check this out, from the flashlight’s website

The main inspiration behind Lumen was imagining a future with no more screens and trying to see how people will interact with the environment around them. This therefore lead to the design question:

“How might we immerse people in alternate realities without isolating them using a headset?”

All popular AR/VR technologies today that lets you immerse relies on headsets or screens, Lumen challenges this trend and explores how people can feel immersed in their natural space by merging bits with atoms.

According to Mental Floss, here’s how it works…

Using a built-in camera and a special algorithm, the flashlight can identify the objects in its path. Direct it at a stereo and it will project its own interface with dials you can actually use; point it at the ground and it can show an arrow leading you to your destination like a maps app. Developers can work with the interface to program their own responses to appear when Lumen lands on a certain item.

Lumen is also capable of impressive visuals tricks. It features a depth sensor that enables it to wrap pixels around 3D objects in a convincing way. Bring the light to a museum and it can change what you’re looking at by superimposing moving faces over portraits and statues.

Here it is in action…

 

You want one now, don’t you? I know I do.