CyberCode

CyberCode is a visual tagging system designed for augmented reality (AR) applications, based on an image recognition technology that uses visual-markers. It was developed by Dr. Jun Rekimoto back in 1996. In addition to its ID number, the 3D position of a printed 2D code can be determined from images captured by low-cost sensors such as webcams.

To recognize a CyberCode, a captured image is binarized and candidate areas are picked up. If the black and white cell pattern in a given candidate area represents a correct bit pattern, the area is recognized as a correct CyberCode.

While recognizing 2D codes, the 3D position and orientation of the camera is estimated in relation to the distortion of the incoming visual code images. CG information is then overlaid on actual images based on such camera position estimation.

By applying this theory, compound of actual images and CG images with correlated position can be easily formulated, without the use of expensive 3D position sensor devices. All it requires is a low-cost camera and visual-markers.

Certain Sony products and services have implemented CyberCode after its development. For example, a CyberCode application was pre-installed in the camera-equipped Sony VAIO C1 in 1998. A kiosk terminal utilizing CyberCode is being installed in the Sony Building in Ginza since 2006. A PLAYSTATION 3 game title, "THE EYE OF JUDGMENT", which combines trading cards and CyberCode was released in 2007.

CyberCode itself is also being extended. Active CyberCode added more interactivity to a printed code. Fractal CyberCode made a recognition range much wider. We think that the CyberCode family is an affordable and flexible solution to construct a wide variety of AR applications.

http://www.sonycsl.co.jp/person/rekimoto/matrix/Matrix.html
The Eye of Judgment Official Site(US)
CyberCode Introduction Movie (81tech.tv @Japan)

# Major Patents Issued to Sony Corporation concerning AR can be found here.

CyberCode technology is also licensed to Koozyt, Inc., and is incorporated in their KART (Koozyt AT Technology). Various applications that use this technology are already available.

AR Layout Simulator [Beta ver.] (available only in Japanese) 
AR Layout Simulator is a web application that allows you to overlay real size Sony products (TV, VAIO etc) on printed CyberCode markers by using web cameras.  Users can experience room layouts prior to purchasing such products.

http://www.sony.jp/hitokoto/ar-simulation/

A-CLIP service (available only in Japanese)
A-CLIP is a new service that can be used to view streamed video content on smartphones. Customized markers printed on newspapers ads are detected by the smartphone camera.

KART Solution (Marker type) (available only in Japanese)
By using the ITpro EXPO AR application, users were able to access various content related to ITpro EXPO 2009, simply by pointing their smartphones to posters within the venue. The posters were printed with special markers that were able to be detected by the smartphone camera.