The intelligence of environments 167
perception rather than being self-contained in a virtual environment or assigned
to supposedly well-defined sub-domains. The environmental variables that are
supposed to be tracked by the players are elements of the gaming environment,
while several non-game environmental variables remain relevant. In a virtual reality game, in a simulator environment or in SL, that environment will be closed,
so that the domain of the information involved would be (largely) coextensive
with the virtual world. Not even isomorphism with natural informational relations would be required in principle, although any decrease in isomorphism would
make that environment look and feel increasingly bizarre. In contrast to virtual
reality or simulator environments, a Mixed Reality Game environment is open by
definition. The virtual elements of the game are supposed to be informationally
isomorphic in terms of the gaming tasks, which have clearly identifiable type counterparts in the real world in general while being realised in a concrete environment
that cannot possibly be controlled by the gaming operations. The game itself is
not supposed to furnish information on real-world variables beyond identification
of players and locations and the mapping of space-related tasks onto the environment as it is encountered by the players. It is the players themselves who have to
accomplish ad hoc mappings between the gaming tasks at hand and the perceivable structure of the environment and the interactive requirements it imposes upon
them, and who may succeed or fail at accomplishing these mappings.
Augmented Reality
In the reference that has remained canonical for decades, Ronald Azuma (1997,
356) defines Augmented Reality (AR) as follows:
AR [is] any system that has the following three characteristics:
(1) Combines real and virtual
(2) Is interactive in real time
(3) Is registered in three dimensions.
In elaboration of this first definition, Azuma et al. (2001, 34) states that an “AR
system supplements the real world with (computer-generated) objects that appear
to coexist in the same space as the real world [so as to combine] real and virtual
objects in a real environment [. . .] interactively and in real time”. By these means,
orientation or interaction within the environment shall be facilitated. Hence,
its primary purpose lies in the support of human cognitive tasks (“Intelligence
Amplification”, FAR-a-2015), and to supply information in such a way as to make
it clearly recognisable without becoming obtrusive or confusing (LFE-b-2015).
Established AR services include navigation, virtual guided tours and mobile gaming (see the preceding MMMOG example and the earlier navigation example on
p. 139–40 in Chapter 8). Visual support of endoscopic surgery and mechanical
engineering routines are cited as other promising fields for AR applications, and
automotive services, such as driver assistance, are highlighted as the potential
main field of application (FAR-a-2015, IAS-a-2015, LFE-b-2015).
perception rather than being self-contained in a virtual environment or assigned
to supposedly well-defined sub-domains. The environmental variables that are
supposed to be tracked by the players are elements of the gaming environment,
while several non-game environmental variables remain relevant. In a virtual reality game, in a simulator environment or in SL, that environment will be closed,
so that the domain of the information involved would be (largely) coextensive
with the virtual world. Not even isomorphism with natural informational relations would be required in principle, although any decrease in isomorphism would
make that environment look and feel increasingly bizarre. In contrast to virtual
reality or simulator environments, a Mixed Reality Game environment is open by
definition. The virtual elements of the game are supposed to be informationally
isomorphic in terms of the gaming tasks, which have clearly identifiable type counterparts in the real world in general while being realised in a concrete environment
that cannot possibly be controlled by the gaming operations. The game itself is
not supposed to furnish information on real-world variables beyond identification
of players and locations and the mapping of space-related tasks onto the environment as it is encountered by the players. It is the players themselves who have to
accomplish ad hoc mappings between the gaming tasks at hand and the perceivable structure of the environment and the interactive requirements it imposes upon
them, and who may succeed or fail at accomplishing these mappings.
Augmented Reality
In the reference that has remained canonical for decades, Ronald Azuma (1997,
356) defines Augmented Reality (AR) as follows:
AR [is] any system that has the following three characteristics:
(1) Combines real and virtual
(2) Is interactive in real time
(3) Is registered in three dimensions.
In elaboration of this first definition, Azuma et al. (2001, 34) states that an “AR
system supplements the real world with (computer-generated) objects that appear
to coexist in the same space as the real world [so as to combine] real and virtual
objects in a real environment [. . .] interactively and in real time”. By these means,
orientation or interaction within the environment shall be facilitated. Hence,
its primary purpose lies in the support of human cognitive tasks (“Intelligence
Amplification”, FAR-a-2015), and to supply information in such a way as to make
it clearly recognisable without becoming obtrusive or confusing (LFE-b-2015).
Established AR services include navigation, virtual guided tours and mobile gaming (see the preceding MMMOG example and the earlier navigation example on
p. 139–40 in Chapter 8). Visual support of endoscopic surgery and mechanical
engineering routines are cited as other promising fields for AR applications, and
automotive services, such as driver assistance, are highlighted as the potential
main field of application (FAR-a-2015, IAS-a-2015, LFE-b-2015).