Disney 'interactive' coloring books in the works

 

 

Disney Research has developed a way to make coloring books exciting again—by applying augmented reality to make the images three dimensional, almost as if you can interact with them.

 

The augmented reality coloring book app works by using real-time texture synthesis and deformable surface tracking. While the child is coloring in the picture, the app detects and tracks what’s happening and you can view the corresponding 3D image on the app filling in.

 

“[G]iven the proliferation and popularity of digital devices, real-world activities like coloring can seem unexciting, and children become less engaged in them,” the study said. “Augmented reality holds unique potential to impact this situation by providing a bridge between real-world activities and digital enhancements.”

 

Disney concluded that the app resulted in a strong connection between children and the character they were coloring in and also motivated people to draw more. The researchers also believe that the technology could possibly be used in other fields of visual computing.

 

The study was presented at this year’s IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality. — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News