LOS ANGELES—ARPorn.com has joined forces with BaDoinkVR to release an augmented reality demo featuring a real 3D person, not a computer-generated likeness.
Augmented reality pioneers ARPorn.com, have teamed up with virtual reality porn studio BaDoinkVR to create an AR demo clip featuring porn star Susy Gala that showcases some of the capabilities of the technology to date.
“We see augmented reality as a real game changer for the adult entertainment industry,” Scott Camball of ARPorn.com said. “I’m not just talking about typical pornography either, but AR stripteases, or AR cam shows, as well. They bring the image of real performers into viewers’ homes for the ultimate in interactivity. That will pave the way for AI hologram relationships. We are all very excited!”
Augmented reality (AR) uses technology to overlay visuals, sounds, haptic sensations, and even smells on the real world around the viewer, providing an enhanced or “augmented” experience. Up until now, AR has been used for tasks such as layering 3D computer generated graphics over reality, or simpler tasks such as displaying text notifications into our peripheral vision.
Augmented reality promises to offer amazing breakthroughs in many industries, and none more so than the pornography industry, which is ready to use the technology and deliver immersive experiences that are straight out of a science fiction movie.
AR glasses such as the Microsoft Hololens, or smart devices like phones and tablets can be used to view most current augmented reality creations. In the case of Smart devices (phones or tablets), anything that has a forward-facing camera can be used, including mobile VR headsets like Google Cardboard or Samsung GearVR so long as the front cover can be removed to expose the camera.
The AR demo works through use of ARjs and WebGL Polyfill stereo rendering. The image from the Smartphones camera is fed through and used as the scene background in mono. The AR marker (printout) is used to track and determine Susy Gala’s location within the background image. A stereo left-right video file is rendered onto the marker and Chrome Key removes the green screen from the video. The result is a 3D object contained in a 2D scene. Viewers can then move around and view Susy Gala dancing from multiple viewpoints. The current AR demo video is 3D but is being rendered into a flat video file and therefore lacks depth. ARPorn.com is currently working on an additional demo clip using volumetric video to create depth. The new demo clip will also not require a placemat, instead using any flat surface as the AR tracking marker.
AR technology was featured in the immensely popular Smartphone game Pokémon: Go, which overlaid computer-generated visuals onto reality with great success. This latest AR demo release from ARPorn.com features a real person, recorded against a green screen and adapted into augmented reality. Using ARPorn.com’s technology and BaDoinkVR’s footage, viewers can now have porn star Susy Gala dancing and teasing in their living room, bedroom, on the coffee table, or anywhere else the viewer chooses. Featuring the image of a real person, and not something computer generated is new, and a big step towards blending the real and the virtual.
The best example to get an idea of this technology’s potential is the AI augmented reality girlfriend named JOI featured in the movie Blade Runner 2049. Of course, Susy Gala dancing in AR is a far cry from a full-fledged AR girlfriend, but the demo hints at the immense potential of augmented reality.
AR technology’s influence will span almost every industry, from health care to automotive and architecture, but the only industry ARPorn.com cares about is adult entertainment.
When asked about augmented reality’s influence on VR porn, Scott said that he feels that there will be room for both technologies, with a large amount of overlap taking place. “The way we see it is that the two technologies will blend together, depending on the use or medium. This means that, in the near future, there will not be AR or VR specific headsets/glasses widely available. Instead, the units will be able to support both technologies.”
The field or augmented reality technology is beginning to rapidly gain momentum. Thanks to dedicated industry pioneers like ARPorn.com and innovative adult entertainment companies like BaDoinkVR, it’s only a matter of time before AR adult entertainment achieves levels of realism and immersion only thought possible in science fiction literature or movies.
To sample the ARPorn.com demo video, viewers will need a Android Smartphone, a mobile VR headset such as Cardboard or GearVR (with the GearVR servic
