Augmented Reality Star Tracking and Primary Target

Happymagenta has announced the release of Spyglass 2.2, a major update to their popular digital compass and HUD display for iPhone 3GS devices. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone's unique capabilities, Spyglass is a fun-to-use multi-function augmented reality tool and heads-up display with a live compass, GPS and other information overlaid right over the live feed from the built-in camera, (or even an auto-rotated map), turning any iPhone into a sophisticated location-aware viewfinder.

Featuring an easy-to-use interface, Spyglass includes a milspec compass, tracker and finder for GPS locations, constant bearings, Sun, Moon and stars, inclinometer, sextant, rangefinder, angular calculator, camera (with 5x zoom), maps and lots of other useful features. It is useful for all types of outdoor activities from marking and then finding your car, camp or hotel to many needs during hunting, fishing, hiking, scouting, seafaring, sports and touring.

Just like in airplanes, sci-fi movies or military-styled night vision binoculars, Spyglass works in any orientation encompassing a three-dimensional space. While viewing through the iPhone's built-in camera, tilt or rotate the device to see incredibly detailed, live information in any direction. All Spyglass features, such as digital zoom, color filters, HUD colors and imperial or metric units are easily configurable.


Feature Highlights:
* Heads-up display style (like in planes or sci-fi movies)
* Compass (milspec, working with any orientation)
* Multiple locations and bearings tracker (AR)
* Sun and Moon positions tracker (AR)
* Polaris and any known star positions tracker (AR)
* Presets for each of 90 brightest stars
* Add custom locations, bearings and stars
* Rhumb line (nautical) navigation
* Sextant (AR), inclinometer and angular calculator
* Stadiametric optical rangefinder (300-1500ft or 100-500m)
* Measure vertical, horizontal, spherical angles
* Measure distance to or size of objects
* GPS (coordinates, altitude, speed, course)
* Maps with autorotation
* Basic motion dampening
* Digital zoom camera (up to 5x)
* Take photos into the album
* Milspec, imperial or metric units ( MGRS WGS84)
* Compass mode (camera off)
* Variety of HUD colors and color filters
* Highly configurable

"Star positions are very convenient to be mapped into the plane of augmented reality," said Pavel Ahafonau, founder and CEO of Happymagenta. "Thus displaying star positions with augmented reality is a feature that asked us itself to be implemented."

Version 2.2 adds Polaris and any known star positions tracker, presets and graphics for 90 brightest stars, ability to set any bearing, location or star as a primary target and many other improvements.

Stars are shown as graphical markers that correspond to star spectral classes. Sun and Moon positions along with positions of other celestial bodies are calculated with the arc second precision taking into account the Terrestrial Dynamical Time (TDT), precession, nutation, aberration, air mass and refraction along with major perturbation terms and gravitational deflection of light corrections.


Spyglass allows simultaneous tracking of multiple targets thus it is very useful to assign particular bearings, locations or stars as primary targets. Primary target uses a different hint mark - a triangle arrow that is displayed at the corresponding place of the inner edge of the compass azimuth circle thus making it easier to distinguish it from others. With it's bearing hints compass in Spyglass will remind cool mini-maps to all computer game fans.

Pricing and Availability:
Spyglass 2.2 is only $1.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Navigation category. Review copies are available upon request.


Read More