AR links printed paper to video on smartphones

By Jun Ikemura

Pointing a smartphone camera at a photo on the paper connects the phone to a video linked to the picture.

Japan Update has installed a new powerful information technology application called AR (Augmented Reality) that allows a reader to watch a video using a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet by pointing the device on a picture in the paper. The pictures and ads linked to the AR library are marked with a “Panda” symbol.

Using the feature is easy. Just download free applications called COCOAR and COCOAR2 into your mobile device, and scan pictures with the camera in your device. You are then able to watch movies related to articles or advertisements in the paper!

As we proceed implementing this new technology, not every story in the paper is yet linked to a video, but you can have plenty of fun with the application from Japan Update even now! For example, in this week’s issue, you can try the technology at some ads marked with “panda” icons. The Cape Maeda story in this issue is linked to a slide show.

COCOAR and COCOAR 2 applications are available for downloading, free of charge, from the App Store for Apple devices, and from Google Play Store for Android users. If the device already has a QR code reader installed, just scan the QR code  and jump to each application’s download page.

Paper publications are some of the oldest mass media in the world, but they’re still alive, and people love to read paper publications even when some new powerful media, like radio, TV and the Internet, have been created. The reason that paper publications have survived is that paper is a very portable media, and generally people find that printed words on paper are easier for eyes and brain than other media.

But the most important point of paper is that you may encounter stories or advertisements that you never thought of before. When you visit a bookstore, you might find and buy books that you didn’t think of buying before the visit, and that is a similar case with paper media.

The AR technology expands the paper’s usefulness very well, because when you find an interesting article or ad in the paper, you can just scan a picture, and get a video that gives you much more information than the still photo, for example the feel of the atmosphere or reality. Once you scan the information to your device, then you can watch the movie from just history button not need scan again.

There’s one more great point to be made for AR, and that is we at Japan Update offer this powerful system to you all. For example, you can set an AR marker on your business card, and when people who exchange business cards with you scan it and watch the video you have linked to the card, they will get a very strong impression and remember your movie

Linked photos are marked with one of two “Panda” symbols.

introduction for a long time. Post cards, invitation cards, Christmas cards, calendars, CD jackets, anything can be linked through AR and only your imagination is a limit.

It’s also nice to know you can set the AR link even after you have printed your material. Just send your hard materials and video to us, and we can link the movie to them. You don’t have to physically visit our office, just e-mail a pdf-file of the paper, on which you want to set the marker and a link to your video.

You can change the video anytime, too. Not only is it possible to set the AR marker to any kind of printed material but also most objects can be linked, too. Think about a home or wedding party? You can set the AR movie to the welcome board or greeting card after the party. Mail a postcard to your family in your hometown, and they can watch your movie from your post card, everyone would be happy to watch them.

COCOAR2 allows the picture printed on the paper to come alive while COCOAR allows a text or music or video pop-up from the AR marker. If interested in to use this service, just email us for prices and your ideas using AR at info@japanupdate.com

Try to scan these pictures after download the application (COCOAR2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20:29 28 Mar , 2024