The Dutch Architecture Institute (NAi) launched their Urban Augmented Reality platform called UAR (pronounced “you are”). UAR is a state of the art application of Augmented Reality - not only providing information on the buildings you’re standing in front of, but also shows you in 3D how it will be, how it was or how it could have been - if the alternative design would have been chosen. A truly immersive experience. A great example to show what AR is all about!

First in Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the first city in the world that is available in UAR. Open the UAR layer in Layar and experience what an alternative design for the Euromast would have looked like - in its real environment. Or get a sneak preview of the new Rotterdam central railway station. Rotterdam is the first city, to be followed later this year by Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. The rest of the Netherlands will follow in 2011.

More information can be found on the website of the NAi: http://www.nai.nl/uar

This latest video shows scenarios of how Layar is used in everyday life: to find a place to eat, to get to know the city through history, to play games and to see which bands are playing around you. This video also premiers Floaticons, the cool 3D objects which we all can use to express ourselves in this new world of Augmented Reality.

Feel free to use this video. Here is the downloadable version for offline viewing (its around 300 mb, use ‘right click’ - ‘save as …’).