Volkswagen Demonstrates MARTA AR App To Help With Repairs

Given how complex cars are, repairing one is not exactly an easy task and with every new model that is released, mechanics will have to familiarize themselves with the newer models and technology that is being used if they hope to do a good job of repairing it, but what if that job could have been made a lot easier? Well Volkswagen is hoping to do something about that and has since unveiled an iOS augmented reality app called MARTA, which is short for Mobile Augmented Reality Technical Assistance. Basically this app has been designed specifically for the Volkswagen XL1 concept car and what it does is that it walks technicians through the repair or service.

The app will be able to let technicians know the sort of jobs that can be performed on the vehicle, as well as what are the types of tools needed in order to accomplish them. The goal is to allow those working on the vehicle a faster way of identifying things that need to be worked on quickly and more accurately, meaning that mechanics who work on the car have no excuse to gloss over an identified problem area as it will be pointed out by the app itself. It sounds pretty cool although we’re not sure if this can be applied to all vehicles in the future, but in the meantime you can check out the app in action in the video above to get a better idea.

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  • Volkswagen Demonstrates MARTA AR App To Help With Repairs original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    LEGO Calendar Syncs with Google Calendar: Brickmented Reality

    There’s already an official LEGO calendar, but design studio Vitamins made a more practical version with the help of custom software. Even though the calendar is made entirely out of LEGO pieces, Vitamins were able to make it interactive and sync to the studio’s online calendar.

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    Each month is represented in the calendar by long rectangular panels. For instance in the image above you can see a three month timeline. Each month is divided into columns that represent the days of the week. To assign a project, employees simply attach a brick onto the proper date. One brick represents half a day alloted to a particular project, with the color of the brick representing a particular project. Should there be a specific employee assigned to a project, that employee will be represented by a minifig.

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    The LEGO calendar helps employees take note of their schedule at a glance, but what if they’re not at the office? That’s where Vitamins’ custom program comes in handy. Anyone can take a picture of the calendar and send it to a certain email address, and in doing so the studio’s Google Calendar account will be synced to the LEGO calendar. The syncing program was made using openFrameworks.

    Vitamins said that they’ve been using their system for almost a year and are very happy with it. They love that they have a tangible representation of how much time they have – the bricks – and that they can literally share their time with each other by trading bricks. They promise to upload the code for their program to encourage more people to adapt or play with their design. Perhaps the syncing can be automated with a camera or a color sensor?

    [Vitamins via Creative Applications Network]

    Recon Instruments gets Intel Capital backing for wearables drive

    Intel has thrown its weight – and cash – behind wearables, backing Google Glass rival Recon Instruments as it prepares to launch its new Recon Jet headset. The deal, financed by Intel Capital, the chip company’s investment arm, is for an unspecified amount described only as “significant” but also includes support for expanding manufacturing and […]

    Google Glass on tour as roadshow demos rare wearable

    Google is taking Glass on tour, offering curious would-be wearables users the opportunity to try out the coveted headset as well as talk it over with the development team. The first stop for the Android wearable will be Durham, NC, on October 5th, though Google says it intends that to be just the first of […]

    Microsoft multi-million wearables grab for Osterhout Design Group rumored

    Microsoft is reportedly close to acquiring key wearables patents from the Osterhout Design Group, a US military contractor and research specialist, in what’s said to be a $200m deal to help take on Google Glass, Apple’s rumored iWatch, and more. The purchase – which could consist solely of patents and assets, or may involve key […]

    Qualcomm shows off Vuforia Smart Terrain, makes your living room a game

    The Qualcomm Vuforia Augmented Reality platform is just one of many impressive technologies that the San Diego based company has in the works, and this week we they showed off a brand new addition. We’ve seen Vuforia in the past, making magazines and books come to life on our mobile devices, but at Uplinq they […]

    Pioneer’s New HUD Brings Augmented Reality to Cars for Less Than $1,000

    Pioneer's New HUD Brings Augmented Reality to Cars for Less Than $1,000

    Just a couple of years ago, the idea of a device projecting driving directions onto a car’s windshield seemed super futuristic. Now they’re becoming a reality, with the European release of Pioneer’s NavGate head-up display the latest. And believe it or not, this one’s actually pretty affordable.

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    Samsung Galaxy Gear vs Google Glass

    Samsung doesn’t have a Google Glass rival, but it does have a new wearable, and the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, and there’s no shortage of overlap between the two despite the obvious difference in form factors. Both make ample use of voice control, and both make compromises on the amount – and type – of data […]

    Google Glass To Make Visionaries Out Of Small Business Owners

    Google Glasses for Small BusinessWhile Google hopes to launch Google Glass by Christmas,
    there’s a lot of speculation as to its acceptance in the business
    world. Surely with an anticipated price tag of slightly under $1500, at
    first glance (pun intended), one would think only larger brands would be
    able to afford this innovative new device.

    The future arrives: Pioneer launches sat-nav with augmented reality

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    We’re sufficiently old that we remember when the windscreen augmented-reality display from Knight Rider 2000 seemed fanciful. Still, 200 years later, and finally, such things are a reality. Pioneer is launching NavGate, a sat-nav with a built-in projector that’ll overlay a 30-inch display over the road ahead. Using the unit, drivers can see turn-by-turn directions, the current speed limit, distance, a clock and the estimated time of arrival. The hardware pairs with various smartphone platforms and will even pull data from the CoPilot and iGo Primo navigation apps. It’ll be available from October and will set Europeans back around £600 ($933).

    Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!

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