Man takes virtual augmented reality girlfriend for a walk in the park

The proliferation of relatively cheap motion sensors in recent years, combined with development tools such as Microsoft’s Kinect SDK, means that augmented reality (AR) hacks are really starting to take off. As if to showcase just what’s possible with current consumer AR tech, a Japanese YouTube user has produced a video of a virtual date with computerized J-pop star Hatsune Miku.

Using Asus’s Xtion Pro sensor, “alsionesvx” takes Miku to a park, demonstrating her position in the real world by having her stand behind a tree. He even interacts with her, moving her tie and hitting her on the top of the head, with pre-programmed results. It’s only towards the end of the video that the less wholesome potential of this technology comes into focus — future users might not be so restrained, particularly without a YouTube audience.