Augmented Reality Game for the Ears: "The Other" for Bose Frames

Augmented reality does not necessarily have to be visual. Digital sounds, noises and voices can also overlay and enrich the real environment. This is precisely the idea that audio specialist Bose took on and launched the audio AR glasses Frames on the market in May. The first software for the device is now available, e.g. the AR game "The Other".

The film "The Other" is about an authoritarian surveillance state. The ar game "The Other" deals with exactly the same thing. In the course of a cultural revolution, violent gangs roam the streets to catch "different" and "non-conformist" people and, if necessary, use violence to bring them into line with the party line.

As an AR player, you slip into the role of an "other" who, instructed by a people smuggler via radio, is to be brought to safety past the henchmen.

The Bose Frames have three mini loudspeakers for spatial audio built into each temple, as well as sensors that detect head rotation and the direction of gaze. With the help of this data and GPS, the glasses can locate where the player is approximately standing and in which direction they are walking. The game uses a 3D soundscape and the smuggler's instructions to guide the user past numerous virtual dangers through a simulated city. Meanwhile, the smartphone can stay in your pocket: The game only uses audio.

Audio as the next big interface

The Other was created by Numinous the makers of the indie art game That Dragon, Cancer and the VR experience Untethered. The Other is in the Google Play Store and is just one of around 30 apps that have currently been released for the Bose Frames or are still in development.

It was made possible by financial support from Bose. The company is investing 50 million US dollars in developer projects to create content for the audio AR platform. Further games and apps are to be released in the coming months. Bose mentions on the official side Examples for the areas of navigation, entertainment and sport.

"This technology is another facet of the immersive computing revolution. [...] We've seen great advances in interfaces in the smartphone, VR and AR space, but audio as an interface and input option is still underdeveloped," says Numinous Games in an interview with Venturebeat.

The Bose Frames is available in a square and rounded version. available at Amazon and cost 230 euros. The audio AR glasses can also be used as a replacement for headphones and support voice control via AI assistant thanks to an integrated microphone.

If you follow the positive trend in podcasts at the moment, this development makes perfect sense.

Source: Mixed