Augmented Reality iPhone Apps

According to Augmented Planet, there were 42 brand new iPhone apps that used Augmented Reality released in June 2010. There were also 57 updates released to existing Augmented Reality apps. This kind of growth is no accident. Augmented reality gives users a very exciting method of obtaining up-to-date and pertinent information about wherever they are. This kind of location based data delivery combined with visual overlays produces products that are helping to reshape and redefine many businesses and many industries.

Listed below are 50 Augmented Reality apps. Many of these apps require the iPhone 3GS or iPhone4 because they utilize the built in compass function that is lacking in the iPhone 3G. Some of these apps are very similar and like many industries these similar products will compete head to head without specializing in any particular niche. The functionality described in the apps below is varied. From complex multifunctional augmented reality browsers to straightforward games that allow you to virtually "shoot" anything or anyone in your "sights," these early developments in augmented reality represent the technology that exists now and gives us an idea of things to come for the future.

One of the first augmented reality apps to go live in the iPhone AppStore. Forget boring 2D transit maps! Try this amazing new application that tells people of Chicago where their nearest transit station is via their iPhones video function.  When you load the app, holding it flat, all 8 lines of the Chicago transit are displayed in coloured arrows. By tilting the phone upwards, you will see the nearest stations: what direction they are in relation to your location, how many miles away they are and what lines they are on. If you continue to tilt the phone upwards, you will see stations further away, as stacked icons. Only available to Apple iPhone 3GS users.

Spyglass™ - fun as well as useful augmented reality navigation tool that includes a milspec compass, tracker and finder for GPS locations, constant bearings, Sun, Moon and stars, inclinometer, sextant, rangefinder, angular calculator, camera (with 5x zoom), maps and lots of other useful features. Spyglass™ displays all the real time information right over the live camera feed or a map.

Theodolite is a multi-function augmented reality app for the iPhone that serves as a compass, GPS, map, zoom camera, rangefinder, and two-axis inclinometer. Theodolite overlays real time information about position, altitude, bearing, and horizontal/vertical inclination on the iPhone’s live camera image, like an electronic viewfinder. Uses are endless, and the app is great for hiking, boating, hunting, golf, sports, sightseeing, photography, and navigation. The app is used by surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, military personnel, competitive sportsmen, and search and rescue workers around the world.

Using topography data from NASA, the Panoramascope computes the view that you would see from almost anywhere on Earth and displays it as a detailed line drawing. You select the viewpoint by searching for a name or by entering co-ordinates, and can then pan and zoom the displayed view using multi-touch gestures.

"With lodestone AR Compass it is easy to find out. lodestone puts a detailed compass over your view of the world to help you navigate. lodestone also includes detailed Google Maps to assist in your travels.

Want to know what landmarks are around you? lodestone also finds Wikipedia articles from your location and displays them in your camera view at their proper compass direction and elevation.

Want to know the elevation of that mountain you're about to climb? Simply tilt your iPhone down to reveal a map, tap to drop a pin and raise the iPhone back up. You'll see the elevation of the pin relative to your current elevation."

"Robotvision augmented reality browser is an exciting new way to explore the world around you. Using the accelerometer and compass technology of the iPhone 3GS, along with new camera capabilities of the 3.1 OS update, you can discover content and locations around you like never before. People say it's like magic!

Search for nearby locations, restaurants, points of interest -- you name it! All using the power of Bing local search. Discover photographs taken and geo-tagged by Flickr users in the area. Find and engage with people on Twitter in your area and explore points of interest on Wikipedia - all just by looking around like you normally would! "

Cyclopedia uses the iPhone camera, compass (so it only works on the 3GS I'm afraid) and GPS together to create an augmented reality of the world by overlaying Wikipedia information over the viewfinder. By moving the iPhone around you will see articles pop up according to the direction you are pointing, You can then click on the title to get a quick overview article and, if you want to know more , you can then dive deeper into the full article.

Layar works by using a combination of the mobile phone’s camera, GPS, compass, accelerometer and a mobile Internet connection. The camera captures the world as seen through its lens and shows it on the screen. The GPS determines the exact location and the compass and accelerometer the field of view. Based on these sensors and the selected layer, digital information is retrieved over a mobile Internet connection and augmented on top of the camera view.

Have you ever wondered "What is the name of that prominent peak over there?" - find the answer simply by taking a look through the camera of your iPhone.

Using state of the art GPS technology, an accurate 3D universe, and all of the iPhone’s high tech functionality, Star Chart calculates – in real time - the current location of every star and planet visible from Earth and shows you precisely where they are; even in broad daylight!

Snapshot Showroom allows you to see what various types of furniture will look like superimposed over a live view of your room. You can browse the various pics of furniture and place them on the screem, then when you hold the camera in the spot that you are trying to imagine the furniture going, it appears there and you can take a snapshot of that view for comparing various options later.

The best Augmented Reality based car finding application on the iPhone. Use it to find your car anywhere you are. Once you load the application you can use the camera viewfinder to see an overlay of where your car is, the direction it is located and how far away it is. Car Finder allows you to add a note when marking the location of your car and also has a built in parking meter timer. The parking meter timer will send you alerts when your time is about to expire.

Have you ever looked up at the night sky, and wondered what exactly you were looking at? Pocket Universe is an easy-to-use app that will help you learn constellations, bright stars and planets. You can literally hold up your iPhone 3GS/4 in front of you, and the app will use the built-in compass to display the same view of the sky you see - but one that's complete with names and information. If you want your kids to learn the constellations, or to impress a date with the names of the stars, this is the only app you need.

Wikitude World Browser is a fun, exciting and informative augmented reality ( AR ) app to either explore or search what’s around you. Choose from hundreds of content-„Worlds“ to view augmented objects and places of interest on your mobile’s screen.

Looking for food and drink in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Tokyo/Kansai, Seoul, Pyongyang, Beijing, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, India, Israel, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Ajman, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, South Africa, Sri Lanka or even North Korea? buUuk will find it for you. Use GPS to find a location nearby, or use the search engine to find a location where you're going to be. Vote and comment on restaurants and read other users comments in real time. Include photos in your reviews.

You can add new Point of Interest (POI) databases to London Tube application via in-app purchase. These options allow you to activate Food & Drink POI, Leisure POI, Attractions POI, and Accommodation POI in all over the UK. You will be able to locate all nearby POI on Google Maps, and through a unique Augmented Reality view.

Heads-Up Navigator provides an immersive, "augmented reality" navigation experience by overlaying floating 3D labels directly onto the world around you, as shown by your phone's built-in camera. The display tilts and pivots as you move your phone through real space, letting you easily visualize landmarks and addresses near you. You have to experience it to understand!

Provides both a FLAT VIEW COMPASS and an AUGMENTED REALITY CAMERA 3-D VIEW showing the solar path, its hour intervals, its winter and summer solstice paths, rise and set times and more.

Check out any line of sight issues with this iPhone App. Just point your iPhone at the sky, tilt it until you get the right angle and then switch on the the camera preview. If there is a clear sky right at the center of the screen, you’re good to go. Simple but very effective.

"Your iPhone becomes a true Virtual Reality display - it is a window into a 3D virtual world full of hostile helicopter gunships and jet bombers coming at you from all angles in 32 levels of increasingly difficult numbers and tactical formations. You are alone on a flak tower armed with an Ack-Ack gun, Rockets, and a limited supply of guided missiles. Use them wisely to survive!  Switch the game to Augmented Reality and fight aircraft in your own space! Play in a real environment! Move the battle to your living room, your office or garden - It's especially cool from the top of a hill!
Watch as guided missiles fly above your head in your room leaving a trail as they chase an enemy Jet!"

As featured in Wired.com's Gadget Lab Review: Firepower is "kind of like playing Doom on your iPhone with real life as your surroundings: You point your camera at your target and tap the “Fire” button to shoot bullets while painting the screen with virtual blood." But now, you can paint the screen with any color of particle effects, thanks to the preset fx available in the settings panel, as well as the new ability to launch the external app called Particle Toy, in which you can edit, and then import back into Firepower your very own custom blast FX. Swapping between the two apps occurs seamlessly from each App's settings panel.

This is the app for you whether you are interested in brushing up on your general knowledge or are keen to learn about your surroundings in a fun interactive way. And it works in any country, anywhere in the world.

Using the compass, accelerometer, and camera in the iPhone 3GS, SpotCrime gives you a realtime view of the streets and city around you, overlaid with specific crime incidents as depicted with bold, colorful icons. Want to know whether it's safe to walk down a particular street? Aim SpotCrime at it and know right away!

Hold your device and point in any direction. Do you want to know something about this strange monument? Where are your friends now? Are those guys Nulaz people? Point your device at them! A lot of knowledge and fun is encapsulated in Nulaz AR. And It works wherever you are, any place around the world.

Provides both a FLAT VIEW COMPASS and an AUGMENTED REALITY 3-D VIEW showing the local wind and weather conditions with animated wind vectors.

"Play Augmented Reality Soccer on your iPhone!
Using your own feet to kick through the camera, you can now play a virtual juggling game with any iPhone. Even the older models!"

myNav offers a variety of navigation apps with AR providing quick access to specific information such as finding your parked car or navigating around specific areas of New York.

"Aure is a service that enables its users a custom augmented reality view.
Every ""blob"" in the screen is known as an Aure, everyone corresponds to a location."

Whichever set of satellites are visible from your current location are displayed over your iPhone 3GS camera real-time picture. This way, you are able to identify which satellites are visible in the sky and if the lines of sight are covered by objects such as trees/buildings.

Welcome to WhereMark! The augmented reality app that will enhance how you experience your environment. WhereMark will find your next meal, get you to the nearest subway, lead you to a museum and remember where you parked your car. You can even create your own wheremarks, augmenting reality however you like - remember a new nightspot or favorite place in the park. Look through the Visor to see wheremarks floating in the world.

WorkSnug Pro is an Augmented Reality tool that connects mobile workers to the nearest and best places to get some work done in the city. Simply point and move the phone and all becomes clear. Note that WorkSnug uses a map view for the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch.

Measure short distances using this unique and innovative app that uses built in camera of the iPhone with no external reference objects required.

AcrossAir provides a series of AR apps that provide all kinds of functions. From locating the nearest subway to finding the nearest places or wikis or twits, Acrossair apps provide a wide variety of augmented reality functionality in a single browser interface similar to Layar.

Yelp provides all kinds of reviews and location based info on restaurants, bars, and businesses of all kinds. Yelp also does augmented reality with Monocle. Overlay business information onto the world around you.

An augmented reality application that allows you to choose from several weapons and fire them.

Look around you! Who's tweeting in your area? TwittARound is an augmented reality Twitter viewer that superimposes current Tweets right at the spot where they were typed.

Augmented ID is a TAT concept that visualizes the digital identities of people you meet in real life. With a mobile device and face recognition software from Polar Rose, Augmented ID enables you to discover selected information about people around you. All users control their own augmented appearance, by selecting the content and social network links they want show to others. Modifying your augmented ID is easier than fixing your hair in real life and, of course, TAT Cascades will make sure you look great!

SREngine stands for Scene Recognition Engine, which is a software engine to recognize static scenes of architectures, streets, posters, rooms, and so on. Due to the ability to specify what user is watching in real time in very strict manner, SREngine has applicable to wide range of AR-related applications (AR: Augmented Reality).

In addition to offering Lonely Planet content overlayed on top of locations you view through your phone's camera view, you can also plan itineraries and get step by step directions from the app.

Sekai Camera shows you the information around you by overlaying data on the screen of iPhone.  It also allows you to post a digital post-its(R) named AirTags to the real world.

This is a mobile augmented reality game that transforms everyday space such as your desk into an interactive virtual world.

The AR.Drone remote-control quadricopter is a groundbreaking device combining the best of many worlds, including modeling, video gaming, and augmented reality. The AR.Drone is remote-controlled by an iPhone and features a number of sensors, including a front camera, vertical camera, and an ultrasound altimeter. The AR.Drone can also be used in video games, such as AR.FlyingAce, a dogfight between two AR.Drones.

Find the cheapest gasoline nearest to where you are! Then, map a route to where the cheap gas is.

Ubiquitous Entertainment has produced a concept product that allows you to strap on a single eye projection piece a-la Star Wars. This hands-free interface attaches to a bicycle helmet and allows the rider to get a real time overview and mapping navigation based directions as they ride along.

See nearby homes for sale and apartments for rent, or search for listings across the US with award-winning Trulia.com for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Perfect for house hunters, renters and real estate enthusiasts alike, Trulia’s App will show you nearby homes for sale or apartments for rent, help plan an afternoon of open houses, find a local real estate professional, or check out local listing prices while on the go.

DISCOVER NEW PLACES AND HOTSPOTS WHEN YOU GO OUT, then share your photos, recommendations and trips with friends!

TagDis lets you design your own unique graffiti and street art with gritty fonts, gorgeous stencils, and colorful cans of digital spray paint. Using Augmented Reality technology, TagDis players see their tags -- and those of other artists -- in the real world. Just look through your iPhone's camera, and TagDis art is displayed on top of real buildings and streets.

Fairy Trails is an augmented reality game that opens a window to the fairy world. Turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a magical creature-detector with Fairy Trails!

Bionic Eye is a new application specifically developed for the iPhone 3GS that enables you to visualize Points of Interest (POI) located in your nearby environment in the US, thanks to a unique Augmented Reality functionality using the iPhone camera.

Experience Las Vegas like never before with MGM Resorts International’s official Augmented Reality (AR) app for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. Scan The Vegas Strip and watch as interactive information about resorts, casinos and points of interest appear on your screen. Book show and restaurant reservations in a single touch and receive exclusive offers via Twitter.

What’s on at the movies, where is the nearest cash dispenser, taxi stand or subway station? The best steak in town, or the hottest show? Finding your way inside exhibitions, getting added information on products, ads or news articles. This and more at your finger tips with junaio®, the most advanced mobile AR browser.

For the description of most of these apps I have taken the text from the iTunes store. Some of the apps I listed above are concept apps or are still in development. These apps all represent something amazing. Augmented reality is going to play a huge role in the way we interface with technology over the next 10 years. Mobile devices provide a near perfect method of accessing the information and providing a useful display. The biggest challenge that mobile devices face for augmented reality interfacing is the idea of a hands-free utilization. Companies have already started addressing this issue, as demonstrated by the ARider app. Augmented reality apps will continue improving and expanding. Keep watching this field as exciting developments are happening everyday.