We just published an article on Media Duemila describing the Leaf++ system we will publish with FakePress at IESA 2011 in Istanbul.
Leaf++ is an augmented reality application that lets you get information about the natural environment around you.
It uses computer vision techniques to try and identify the leaves which you frame in your smartphone’s screen. As soon as the leaf is recognized information starts to popup on the screen, with no additional interaction needed: the name of the plant, its geographical origin, the fruits, woods, products it produces, etc.
From the article:
“The technological ecosystem in which we live allows us to reappropriate wisdom and knowledge of the natural world by creating fruition models for information that make this kowledge accessible in natural, usable ways”.
And:
“The ecologist dimension of Leaf++ suggests an innovative approach to the definition of new forms of citizenship in which technologies contribute to enabling a new concept of ‘citizen’ that is more aware, active and informed on the environment and the society he/she lives in, being able to collect information and transform them into knowledge, usable to lead sustainable, tolerant, environment-friendly lifestyles.”
Leaf++ is a joint effort of the whole FakePress team, and it was inspired by Luca Simeone and engineered by Salvatore Iaconesi.