Google Building Augemented Reality Search

We’ve never touched on Augmented Reality at TSi but news that Google is developing an app for its Android phones leads us to ask a serious question: should exhibitors take advantage of this new technology or is it a passing fad?

CNBC reported last week on Google’s search for an edge in mobile computing, including visual search. Here’s how the augmented reality search feature app would work according to them:

“Imagine you’re a tourist and you arrive at this place and you want to know more about it,” said Neven on a visit to the Santa Monica pier in Los Angeles the show off the technology. “All you will have to do is take a picture of the sign. We send the information up to the server and we recognize this as the Santa Monica pier. The idea is you see something that interests you, you whip out your camera phone, take a picture of the object of interest, and this will trigger a Google search.”

Get out your Google goggles

The number one opportunity for trade show marketers to leverage this type of application would be mapping.  Minimally, you publish content about your exhibit, bios of staff and schedules for demos or seminars and the augmented search feature helps clients and attendees find you more quickly.  But how far could you take it?

• Publish interactive/sample demos for attendees to preview as they approach your exhibit?
• Stream Twitter/Blog updates from an interactive blogging zone that is layered over the hospitality area of your space?
• Host live chats?

I see here that I’ve answered a question with several other questions so let me know your thoughts.  I’m eager to know whether you think this is a passing trend or if marketers should plan to invest more into the development of digital media at trade shows?

via http://www.steverubel.com/google-building-augmented-reality-to-android