Augmented Planet announces the results of the 2009 Readers Choice Awards

LONDON, England. December 17, 2009 - Augmented Planet today announced the winners of the 2009 Readers Choice Awards. This is the first year of the awards which have been designed for real users to vote on exemplary augmented reality solutions across both mobile and the web.

Lester Madden, the founder of Augmented Planet says; "Since creating Augmented Planet we have seen a lot of augmented reality innovation. Six months ago the emphasis was on web based applications, however we have seen a significant increase in the number of augmented reality applications available for mobile devices, particularly applications that are location aware. This shift has been made possible by new sensor technology such as the introduction of the digital compass in the latest mobile phones." 

Users were invited to vote for their favorite augmented reality applications of 2009. Results have shown that 58% of users who answered the survey have tried an online web based augmented reality demo using their web browser and webcam. Our survey results also show that most users have experienced augmented reality through a mobile device such as the Apple iPhone or Android with 94% of all respondents having used a location aware augmented reality browser for local search or viewing nearby points of interest. Augmented reality usage on mobile devices is not limited to just location aware browsers with 63% of respondents having used other augmented reality applications such as car locators or nearest tube (subway) Finders.

At Augmented Planet we anticipate user interest to continue to grow, and 2010 to be the year of the augmented reality browser. Companies who want to promote their businesses using location as the key will be interested in targeting consumers by added augmented reality into their applications. In 2009 we saw some excellent examples of how augmented reality can be used as a marketing tool to promote Hollywood blockbusters such as District 9 and Avatar. We predict that 2010 will bring us even more examples of how augmented reality can be used as a marketing tool.

The winners of the 2009 Augmented Planet Readers Choice awards are:

Best augmented reality mobile browser

Mobilizy (http://www.mobilizy.com/) and the Wikitude World Browser, available for the Android and iPhone

"The Wikitude team is proud and very happy to be the winner in the browser category. It shows the broad acceptance of our community to whom we say thank you for supporting our application. 2009 was an exciting year for AR and we are working on our new version Wikitude 4 to be a highlight in 2010."

Best augmented reality mobile application 

Acrossair (http://www.acrossair.com) and their public transportation location applications (NY Subway, Nearest Tube, Barcelona Metro, Chicago Transit, SF Transit, Madrid Metro, Washington Metro, Paris Metro, Tokyo Subway), for the iPhone.

“At acrossair we are very proud of our augmented reality applications and always try to keep the user experience at the centre of any technology we build. Winning this award means a great deal to us and we will continue to try to release the best augmented reality applications out there.”

Best web based augmented reality demo

Total Immersion (http://www.t-immersion.com) and the “We Are AutoBots” demo created for the Transformers movie (http://www.weareautobots.com/uk/index.php)

"We are delighted to have won this award.  It is testament to the positive impact our campaigns are having on consumers. AR is really coming of age and we have seen a huge growth in demand over the past year, with one project being rolled out every two days.  

"Consumers are bombarded by all types of media nowadays, but AR clearly stands out from the rest.  Part of its power is down to the fact that it breaks down barriers and encourages consumers to engage with the brand.  It is taking things to a whole new level and creating new and enjoyable experiences for consumers, which can only get bigger and better as the technology evolves."

More Information

More information about the 2009 Augmented Planet Readers Choice Awards can be found at: http://www.augmentedplanet.com/readers-choice-awards/

About Augmented Planet

Launched in 2009, www.augmentedplanet.com is the leading blog dedicated to augmented reality. With over 15 years experience in the mobile industry working with OEMs, Operators and ISVs building go to market programs, marketing campaigns and event management.

Media contact:

Nitin Samani
Media Relations and Assistant Editor Augmented Planet
Email: [email protected]

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