Augmented Reality - Windows Phone Mango

In my last post I pointed out one of the many resources to use to create a layered Augmented Reality (AR),  Layar.  Another is the latest windows phone version, 7.5 also known as Mango.

In Mango, Windows included their version of AR software directly in the software.  This means that you can now have access to the Bing Vision functionality.  No download or extra API required.

The functionality is very close to Layar in idea and concept.  You can use both location and positioning to determine what and where to put objects on the user screen.  For those that are curious on how to do that from start to finish, I came across two videos by Sangar Annadorai, a Microsoft Developer.  The first, Windows Phone Mango AR Part 1, goes in depth to the tools that you will use to create the application.  GPS, Sensors, Camera, and XNA, are the major parts to it.  He goes in-depth to the logic and ideas behind how each works.  In his second video, Windows Phone mango Augmented Reality Tutorial, Sangar goes in-depth to the code itself needed to make it all happen.

With the functionality built into it, Windows might finally have a leg up on the competition.  I urge you to give it a try and judge if they succeeded.