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Design

The Opposite of Augmented Reality

Software that removes objects from video in real time.

Here it is, the nemesis of augmented reality. Instead of projecting objects that aren’t there into the real world, this application removes them. It’s a research project from Jan Herling and Wolfgang Broll of Ilmenau University of Technology in Germany. They’re currently showcasing the piece at the International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR) in Seoul, and the implications are both frightening — state controlled media, or any media, manipulating live footage — and exciting. Imagine a pair of glasses that featured an advanced version of the software with the capabilities of both this and augmented reality; you could turn any room into a version of the holodeck. So, is it time to write reality a “Dear John…” letter?

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