Living in an Augmented Reality

This link wandered into my inbox this morning, and I must say, I’m impressed.  It’s the first use of AR I’ve seen in a long time that seems genuinely novel and interesting;  not just a gimmick or a trite repacking of an old idea.  On the video, it seems like it would be upsetting and jarring (in sharp contrast with the novelty and “awe” of seeing this hybrid scene).

When I think about the discussions we have in our experience design class about how we need to design media experiences that take into account the media culture of the time, I can’t help but think that this is a great example of that.  I wonder how many people are fascinated by the technology, and watch because it’s novel and exciting (judging by the faces of the folks in the video, many do), but then find themselves slightly uneasy about being captivated and entertained by what is otherwise an upsetting thing to watch.  The conflict (however minor) this sets up in someone would be the ideal vehicle for having them reflect on the message and remember it.  Not as in-your-face upsetting as some of the bloody public-service announcements we’ve seen recently (such as the gory anti-texting-while-driving ad that was put out in England this year), but something that causes people to be reflective without needing the shock value.

I wonder what it would be like to experience it;  if anyone reading this has seen it, please add a comment and tell us what it’s like.