Mobile World Congress 2011 / International Standards Meeting - Focus on market trend of AR on mobile devices

Bitmanagement CEO Peter Schickel reports on development of an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) online platform / Cooperation with Fraunhofer Institute IGD / X3D is standard for interactive mobile content format for 3D scenes / Bitmangement gives lecture on first development results of „InterAR-Augmented Reality“ a German Ministry of Economic and Technology sponsored project.

The present market dominant trend toward mobile devices like iPhones and iPads proved true again on the Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, which ended February 17, 2011. According to an official Congress report more than 60 thousand visitors and about 2900 journalists joined the event, where tablet PCs clearly have dominated the exhibitors scene. Almost every relevant manufacturer has presented an proprietary designed tablet PC. Based on15 million iPads sold by Apple on its own has spurred the mobile telecommunication industry. Significant larger monitors of iPhones and iPads have now allowed for 3D Augmented Reality applications.

Figure 1: Overlay of 3D graphics based on X3D format over live video in the BS Contact viewer on a Nokia N900 device.

AR applications on mobile devices have been also a matter of an prepared paper which Peter Schickel, CEO from Bitmanagement Software GmbH, Berg near Munich, held for visitors of the “international AR Standards Meeting” during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Schickel explained the aims of the „Inter AR – Augmented Reality“ project which is sponsored by German ministry of Economic and Technology is to some extent a cooperation between Bitmanagement and Fraunhofer Institute IGD.

The project aims to create an Augmented Reality platform for 3D scenes and products based on the content format X3D. Bitmanagement contributes to the project a scalable mobile 3D viewer for commercial and on mass markets available mobile devices like iPhones and iPads as well as like Nokia mobile phones and others.

Figure 2: Service and support applications for AR mobile.

The 3D software required in line with the InterAR project will be compatible to a variety of mobile devices. Its content is based upon the X3D standard and a server based mobile positioning application. It will overcome the main troubles referring to an accurate data positioning. These difficulties occur owing to inaccurate GPS signals on mobile phones due to high buildings or sky scrapers in a city.

The X3D viewer technology mainly features a couple of benefits compared to other comparable techniques. In this regard Peter Schickel underlines the difference between MPEG-4 format and the X3D format which is a standardised format. He also mentions in his speech the difference between the exchange format Collada and X3D which is based on a run time architecture for creating, displaying and communicating 3D scenes and objects as far as XML is used. Not only the X3D technology has been developed from long time proved modeling language VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) but also X3D has become today a remarkably updated and refined 3D standard.

Press
i.A. Norbert Böcker
Bitmanagement Software GmbH
Oberlandstrasse 26, D-82335 Berg

Tel.: 08151-97170-8
Mobile: 0171-3337719
norbert.boecker@bitmanagement.de
www.bitmanagement.de

About Bitmanagement Software GmbH

Bitmanagement is a provider of multimedia software with a focus on online interactive 3D visualization. The multimedia technology for 2D/3D, audio and video is realtime and Internetready. Based on the ISOstandard formats VRML/X3D, CityGML and COLLADA, MPEG-4 and Java, it allows an Interactive visualization of concepts and products.

Bitmanagement develops and markets a product portfolio of visualization software, which is composed of visualization software (BS Contact VRML / X3D, MPEG-4, Geo, Stereo and Mobile), documentation (BS SDK Package) for animation and different programming tools up to Workflow optimization such as BS Encrypt.

Bitmanagement was founded in 2002 by three former employees of the blaxxun interactive AG, Munich. The company achieved sales growth and positive result in 2008 and is "cash flow positive" in since its founding.

Bitmanagement is a board member of the "Web3D Consortium" (USA), which is responsible for the standardization and dissemination of 3D ISO standards for the Internet. Bitmanagement is simultaneously also a member of the" 3D Consortium "for the dissemination of stereoscopic visualization.

More information at: http://www.bitmanagement.com
Company Profile at: http://www.bitmanagement.de/de/company/profile