3D drawing a reality-Second Surface augmented reality

The work on 3D drawing collaboration systems has been done from quite some years now but today it has been made even more possible and interesting to build an efficient system thanks to the rise of devices like tablets and smartphones. These devices are very much capable of delivering Augmented Reality content and take advantage of their cameras and motion sensors.
The project of MIT’s Tangible Media Group called T(ether) has been able to do that and took 3D drawing collaboration through augmented reality to a whole new level. Now a new iteration of that project called the Second Surface has been developed by Shunichi Kasahara with members from Sony Corp., MIT Media Lab, Valentin Heun, Austin S. Lee and Hiroshi Ishii (MIT Media Lab.

The Second Surface project is about creating an environment of creative collaboration between several users and to develop a system that can adapt to different environments. It can create a real-time interaction space and allow users with iPads to draw in that space. When first user draws anything through his or her iPad, the second one is able to see that in a 3D view and can take his iPad near to the text written by the first user and vice versa.
Second Surface recognizes a natural image as a target and allows users to draw on it. The drawings which include texts, photos, and other 3D objects are placed on relative objects. The system shares the location of the objects drawn by one user with others so they can see the drawing on their iPads as well while running the same app. This interaction of 3D drawing happens in real places such as on walls, trees, or anywhere in the air.

Second Surface is an Augmented reality project that I personally would like to use, even if it’s for entertainment purposes only. However it has got a huge potential and can be utilized for a number of applications if evolved a little more. Lets hope they release their iOS app for all of us to use on iPads and even Android tablets in the future.