Sony reveals more information about the Wonderbook

Augmented reality for children - Sony Wonderbook

New Wonderbook information revealed

Sony has been hard at work incorporating augmented reality into its products. At this year’s E3, Sony unveiled its first major foray into augmented reality with the Wonderbook: Book of Spells product. The Wonderbook is based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter mythos and utilizes augmented reality to bring magic to life. Developers from Sony’s London Studios have revealed new information concerning the Wonderbook and the technology it will be using to capture the adoration of consumers.

Video shows off development of Wonderbook

The London Studio has released a behind-the-scenes video showcasing the work that has gone into the Wonderbook. The video reveals that Sony has been developing the concept and the augmented reality technology that will be used in the Wonderbook since the early days of the Playstation 3. In those days, Sony had investigated the viability of augmented reality through the introduction of the EyePet, a virtual reality companion that was met with success. The success of the EyePet showed Sony that augmented reality was feasible and developers have been tweaking the technology ever since.

Markers used to initiate augmented reality content

The Wonderbook relies on the use of markers that serve as triggers for augmented reality experiences. A camera uses these markers to govern the augmented reality content contained within the Wonderbook. Sony has developed an augmented reality system that is not entirely dependent on these markers, despite the fact they are a prominent feature of the Wonderbook. When the markers are obscured, the augmented reality experiences will not be interrupted, allowing users to continue enjoying content even when the Wonderbook is closed.

J.K. Rowling involved in project

Author J.K. Rowling is intimately involved in the project, as her work forms the basis of the Wonderbook. Rowling is keen to ensure that the magic shown off in the Wonderbook is accurate to the world she has created, a world that millions of people have fallen in love with over the past decade or so. Sony is eager to show off the possibilities of incorporating augmented reality into the world of gaming.

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