Explicar qué es la realidad aumentada (augmented reality) cumple lo de una imagen vale más que mil palabras –o la más reciente de un video más que diez mil–. Si no está familiarizado con este nueva tecnología, lo mejor es visionar el video que acompaña estas líneas antes de seguir. (Fuente The Guardian y Periodista LResumiendo, parece claro que la realidad aumentada enriquecerá el periodismo creando nuevas oportunidades y formatos de distribución de noticias y creación de reportajes. Hace tangibles las noticias al lector de una forma entretenida. Y, no hay que olvidarse, le encanta a la gente que lo ha experimentado.

Si eres periodista, conviene irse familiarizando con la realidad aumentada e ir incentivando a las empresas periodísticas para que trasteen antes de que, como ha pasado a menudo, sean otros quienes copen el mercado.

The New York Times ya lo está haciendo con las críticas culinarias de restaurantes preparando aplicaciones para el iPhone y para el Android de Google. Funcionaría de la siguiente manera: levantas la cámara del teléfono frente a la fachada de un edificio céntrico y te apare en la pantalla, sobreimpresionado sobre la imagen real, información sobre qué restaurantes hay en la planta baja, a qué distancia las estaciones de metro y cualquier otra información útil.

Utiliza el GPS y brújula integradas en el móvil, así como su capacidad de procesamiento para generar gráficos y texto sobre la imagen que entra por la lente de la cámara de manera que va cambiando la información al mover el móvil.

Otros usos que NYT está probando es para el mercado inmobiliario, donde te diría qué apartamentos están libres, precios de alquiler y esas cosas.

O sobre arquitectura, facilitando información histórica de edificios.

Un periodista podría, por ejemplo, saber si en el lugar donde está en ese momento ha ocurrido algo noticioso en el pasado, un atentado, un crimen.

The Guardian ha recopilado en How journalists can use augmented reality una serie de propuestas interesantes, pero hay –y surgirán– muchas más.

How journalists can use augmented reality

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Augmented reality and journalism are made for each other. Journalism gathers information about the world around us. Thanks to augmented reality, this information can be displayed where it got picked up – which is especially interesting for event reporting.

But there are many more possibilities. So, having looked at what augmented reality applications are available, let’s look at how it can be used in journalism.
The living magazine

Augmented reality found a mass market in smartphones last year, enabling users to see additional layers of data or 3D objects when they view normal objects through smartphones or webcams. It is no surprise, therefore, that at the end of 2009 one magazine was making a big fuzz about the subject: Esquire.

The men’s magazine, published in the US by the Hearst Corporation, featured an augmented reality cover, in which Robert Downey Jr introduced the December issue. Holding the issue in front of a webcam and moving it around a bit you could make changes on the screen, like having a model changing clothes as you turn the page, or listening to actor Gillian Jacobs telling a joke.

You are right, the whole thing was kind of a ridiculous PR stunt, and nobody really needed it; on other hand new technology often is a bit clumsy. However, the idea of a living magazine as the London based agency Moving Brands has developed it, makes perfectly sense (watch their video here).

If you have a closer look for example at the animation that the Munich company Metaio made for a toy company catalogue, you get an idea of what is possible.

Yes, Robert Downey Jr was just the beginning: more actors and wannabes are likely be filmed in front of a green screen to be featured as exclusive add-ons. Just think of how the tabloids will use the technology.

But that is just a start.
Sports journalism & augmented reality

There is an exciting potential for augmented reality in live events such as sport. Augmented Planet recently summed up several possibilities for that field: games such as cricket or football can be overlaid with statistical information that is usually delivered by commentators.

In the future, you might prefer to watch a game on your smartphone featuring the blogposts of a sports reporter (as a non-sports person who has to keep up with an Arsenal fan in her private life, I might say the Guardian sports editors do an excellent job that even takes me along).

Watching a game on your smartphone might even become as attractive as watching it on the TV. You can do it while at work or looking after kids, and catch up with the stats whenever you feel like it, as in this video featuring an augmented baseball game – go to 3 minutes if you want to jump directly to watch the prototype.
Event reporting & augmented reality

Augmented reality might also be relevant if at big political events such as the G20, where it could deliver information in real time, explaining the role of key figures as they appear.

The technology could also enrich a serious investigation by making information tangible. Recently, Sunlight Labs launched an augmented reality application showing you where the US government’s economic recovery funding went. Imagine driving through the UK, pointing your mobile somewhere, and get updates about where MPs’ expenses were spent. See what I mean? And as London mayor Boris Johnson is launching a website hosting extensive data about the city today the material is already there.

Furthermore, news organisations’ archives could be used to display information about the world around readers. The New York Times is looking into augmented reality to deliver its restaurant reviews, for example.

And local news organisations might be able to offer applications showing the biggest news stories of the past, allowing users to experience the past in a whole new way. atino)