WIRED’s blog asks us to “forget Second Life” and turn the real world virtual. That’s just the idea!

They post this interesting goggle-based augmented reality device with 6 modes of psychedellic visual effects (made even more so by the sound effects in this video).

The artists are named as Alexei Shulgin and Arstarkh Chernyshev and the system is called “SUPER-I” which is called “A real virtuality system”. In the mode of earlier Virtual Reality systems it features a publicly viewable screen for the un-goggled. Very cool and if it can “turn the reality around us into ASCII” then it could convert other artists’ views or digital effects as well.

One can imagine cartridges that process different artist realities enhancing the product. As always, send me any more information / links you may have about it!

This is not only musically interesting it also looks great. Developed by the Music Technology Group at Universitat Pompeu Fabra located in Barcelona. The multiuser table is being used by Bjork on her 2007 tour. The analogue synth style sounds generated definitely recall the Kraftwerk era and the new possibilities that were - and are now - about to unfold. It also breaks new ground with objects as instruments much in the same way the Theremin did nearly 100 years ago.

Site: http://mtg.upf.edu/reactable/

In the future, people will jump up and down and punch invisible purple spheres. This video shows a variety of applications, mostly artistic. The urban scenes are fantastic. The future will also have some pretty cool sound effects. Apparently, artists will be able to create entirely new species of animals to populate the augmented spaces. If anyone knows the source let me know. Dates from late 2006.