zenka’s
Toilet Reader
75 AR/VR App Ideas
to Fuel the Revolution
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader:
75 Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
by zenka
Read and Pass Along
Published by zenka
www.zenka.org
[email protected]
#hellozenka
Thx to perspectx.com for the potty car.
First Edition of 99 Books Published July 4, 2015
Table of Contents
q Virtual Sword Throwing
11
w Presentation
11
e Open-Field Labyrinth
12
r Cloud Doodle
13
t Drive-in Movie
13
y Conference Center Booth Mapper
14
u Dinner with Dad
14
i It’s All for You Baby
15
o Extinct Animal Park
16
1) Berlin Wall
17
1! Fish Tank
17
1@ Juggle18
1# That’s My Bag
18
1$ Cup of Joe / Evening Cocktail
19
1% Pet Cemetery
20
1^ Lyrics20
1& That Was a Bionic Bug
21
1* Mirage22
1( Fix Me
22
2) Your Oscar Tickets
23
2! Design Transfer
24
2@ Throw Your Pizza in the Air
24
2# Stationary Bike
25
2$ Piano Helper
25
2% Virtual Burning Man
26
2^ Hands-free Cooking
26
2& Opera Translation
27
2* See Through Earth
27
2( I Am Following You
27
3) Windless Kite Flying
28
3! Breadcrumbs29
3@ Jogging Milestones
29
3# Real-world Timeline
30
3$ Easter Egg
30
3% Time Capsule
31
3^ Hollywood Stars
32
3& My Iguana Has a Mind of It’s Own
33
3* Tour Guide to Die For
34
3( My Third Eye
34
4) Romance Over Fries
35
4! My Pilot Eyes
35
4@ Don’t Be a Rocky Horror Virgin
36
4# Virtual Cop
36
4$ Public Refrigerator Poems
37
4% Slalom Ski
37
4^ Dry-run Haircut
38
4& Concert Buddy
38
4* Invisible Fridge Walls
39
4( I Wish it Would Rain
39
5) Privacy Please 40
5! Beyond Architects
40
5@ Practice Your Swing
41
5# School Lockers
42
5$ Pick a Seat
42
5% Harry Potter Newspaper for Schools 43
5^ Movie Subtitles
43
5& Be a Fire Fighting Hero
44
5* Where is My Package? 44
5( Ice Rink
45
6) Elvis Wedding Extravaganza
45
6! Dazed46
6@ Street Art Museum
46
6# Family Height Wall
47
6$ Take Me Back
47
6% Grocery Shopping from Bed
48
6^ Meet the Baby
49
6& Tattoo - Not
50
6* Meet Me for Tennis
50
6( What’s Inside the Box?
50
7! My Modigliani
52
7@ Hands-free Instructables
7# Missing Block
7$ Foreign Language 7% Owl Courier
53
53
54
55
Hello
Welcome to my tiny book of big app ideas. Feel free to
chomp on them a bit at a time.
Let’s hope this list ignites some great brainstorming
sessions, leads to inspiring apps and hastens a
AR/VR revolution that raises the hairs on our arms.
Drop me a line ([email protected]) and keep me posted
on your projects - I am eager to beta test them. Cheers
to failing, experimenting, succeeding and part two of the
AR/VR revolution.
www.zenka.org
#hellozenka
zenka
Zenka is a ceramic sculptor and futurist living in Los
Angeles. She does consulting work on business and
app development while not firing her kiln full of techinspired sculptures and street art. Her goal is to have her
artwork collected by the most successful tech companies
and technology enthusiasts in the world.
#hellozenka | zenka.org
q Virtual Sword Throwing
AR - Practice your circus act without killing your
boyfriend. Have them stand at the other end of the room
and throw virtual swords as close as you can without
pinching their clothing or having a serious (virtual)
accident.
File Under: Game, Funny
Possible Funding: ringling.com, cirquedusoleil.com,
carsonbarnescircus.com, circusworldbaraboo.org, circuscircus.com
Added 3/31/15
w Presentation
AR - You don’t have to practice your speech anymore in
front of the mirror - you can do it in front of a massive
(virtual) audience. Choose from desired scenes - small
classroom, big conference, medium stage, huge stadium
etc. You can even hit a button and have them all laugh or
applaud to make you feel good when you are done.
File Under: Funny, Useful, Easy to Program
Possible Funding: google.com, microsoft.com, apple.com
Added 4/15/15
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
e Open-Field Labyrinth
VR - In an open field, put on your headset and begin
to walk through a spectacular (virtual) labyrinth of
carved bushes. Do your best to find your way out of the
elaborate maze. With no gardeners needed to maintain
the topiary art, the sky is the limit in terms of decadent
greenery. Even before the spectacular visual reward at
the finale, small dead ends filled with incredible flowers
and animals appear along the way.
The maze could have built-in assistance if the user calls
for help and the ability to pause the experience and
return at a later time.
With avatars dive in with friends. The physical arena
is clear of obstacles so people can move without
obstruction.
The labyrinth could be set up temporarily for a party
or as a permanent tourist destination. The installation
can offer several different labyrinths of varying difficulty
for people to complete in the same location. Nighttime
labyrinths can be filled with stunning torches, scary
sounds and backlit fountains.
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#hellozenka | zenka.org
File Under: Outdoor, Entertainment, I Want to Go
Possible Funding: labyrinthlocator.com, magickingdom.com,
disneyland.com, epcot.com, universalstudios.com, seaworld.com,
sixflags.com
Added 4/1/15
r Cloud Doodle
AR - Look up at the clouds and doodle on top of them
with your finger. Snap a pic and send your creation to
instagram or enter your creative overlay into a virtual
“Cloud Doodle Museum”. People vote the best and one
winner a month gets a quirky physical prize sent to them
via snail mail. Prizes are humorous -- like a bag of cotton
balls signed with a sharpie by a famous actor or a piece of
original cloud artwork by an Etsy artist etc.
File Under: Easy to Program, Novel, Silly, Kids
Possible Funding: etsy.com, delta.com, virginamerica.com,
alaskaair.com, jetblue.com, frontier.com, aa.com
Added 3/29/15
t Drive-in Movie
AR - Head to the neighborhood parking lot, pay your
entrance fee and get handed two AR headsets. Pick a
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
movie and sit back and watch the drive in. People will
come by to offer you popcorn or you can order it via
your cell phone for car-side delivery. Every car can see a
different flick.
File Under: Physical/AR Entertainment, I Want To Go
Possible Funding: uditoa.org
Added 4/10/15
y Conference Center Booth Mapper
AR - Ever get lost in a convention center showroom
searching for a booth? Turn your AR app on and tell
the software what company you are looking for and the
app will place a huge green arrow over the booth so you
easily mosey over.
File Under: Business, Useful
Possible Funding: e3expo.com, comic-con.org, itexpo.tmcnet.com,
interop.com, cesweb.org
Added 4/4/15
u Dinner with Dad
AR/VR - Ability to have your parents wear AR glasses
and eat dinner with you. You would film yourself live
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eating dinner, and they would film themselves. You could
“meet” in your house (they would be cutouts at your
table) or in their house (you would be a cut out at their
table) or you could meet in a virtual, exotic location.
Everyone could select “where” they want to be and
each member can choose a different environment for
visualizing the dinner.
File Under: Must Have App, I Want This
Possible Funding: skype.com, facebook.com
Added 3/30/15
i It’s All for You Baby
AR - Head out to the hill above the city with your date
and put on your AR glasses. Watch an awesome fireworks
display, a rocket launch to the moon, a sunset full of
hot air balloons or a prop plane with a trailing sign that
reads “Marry Me” or “Happy Birthday/Anniversary”
etc. Cheaper than the real thing and a surprise just as
awesome.
File Under: Romance, Novel, Easy
Possible Funding: match.com, plentyoffish.com, okcupid.com,
eharmony.com, zoosk.com
Added 4/10/15
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o Extinct Animal Park
AR - Walk around a nature park (in real life) wearing
AR glasses with your family. Look around and you will
discover 3D extinct animals lurking around the trees and
brush. You can actually get close to the animals, walk
near them without fences and hit a button to get more
detailed information about each one.
On Tuesday come see animals that don’t exist. The
animals could have funny textures, more than their share
of legs or eyes etc. On Wednesday visit dragons of all
types.
Once the 3D animals are created and animated the park
can be “installed” in any city in the world. The park
would provide glasses for visitors.
File Under: Kids, Real World Meets the Virtual World, Theme Park
Possible Funding: nps.gov, nationalparks.org, epcot.com
amusementparkent.com, magickingdom.com, disneyland.com,
universalstudios.com, seaworld.com, sixflags.com
Added 3/31/15
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1) Berlin Wall
AR - Ability to allow people to graffiti on a virtual Berlin
Wall which would be placed in the same geographic
location as the original. People could see photographed
sections of the original wall but they would also have
the opportunity to paint and write on the virtual wall
using their hands or virtual spray cans. You can also view
the wall from the comfort of your couch. Watch as the
virtual layers of paint build up and get permaently and
perpetually covered over as the day pass.
File Under: Art, History
Possible Funding: berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de, history.com
Added 3/30/15
1! Fish Tank
AR - Look out the windows of a subway train or a city
bus and see an underwater world filled with exotic fish.
You could also show people the grand canyon or outer
space.
File Under: Mass Transit, Leisure
Possible Funding: mta.info, wired.com, ny.com, metro.net
Added 4/2/15
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
1@ Juggle
AR - Learn how to juggle without having to bend down
every five seconds to pick up your dropped balls! Start
with 2, then work up to more. App will give you a few
pointers and then of course lots of fireworks when you
do well.
File Under: Fun
Possible Funding: ringling.com, cirquedusoleil.com,
carsonbarnescircus.com, circusworldbaraboo.org, circuscircus.com
Added 4/2/15
1# That’s My Bag
AR - Have a simple chip that you put on your luggage
and when you are waiting at baggage claim you can see
which suitcase is yours from a distance. Relax on the
bench and look for the clearly marked bag with your
customized virtual animation hovering above it. Choose
the marker from a fun animated set of options which
includes Jack Black balancing on top of your bag in his
undies, an explosion of rainbow unicorns shooting up to
the sky and a Polynesian dancer welcoming you to your
destination.
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File Under: Useful
Possible Funding: louisvuitton, ralphlauren.com, alfreddunhill.com,
victorinox.com, samsonite.com, tumi.com, rimowa.com, delta.com,
virginamerica.com, alaskaair.com, jetblue.com, frontier.com, aa.com
Added: 3/30/15
1$ Cup of Joe / Evening Cocktail
VR - Relax with a famous beach scene, a lush country
backyard or a snow covered mountain as you take a few
moments to drink your coffee in the morning. Look far
in the distance as you sip your cup or stop to observe a
flower swaying in the wind as your mind wanders. Using
a 3D camera you can add your own vacation-house
view to bring an even more personal relaxation to your
morning.
Evening views might include a romantic side street in
Paris, a view from a penthouse deck in Manhattan or a
lawn with fireflies and crickets. Share the view with your
friend while talking on the phone.
The views loop continuously so leave it on as long as you
like.
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File Under: Surprisingly Powerful, Easy to Program
Possible Funding: diageo.com, pernod-ricard.com,
bacardi.com, unitedspirits.in, peets.com, timhortons.com, caribou
coffee, coffeebean.com, dunkindonutes.com, smirnoff.com,
johniewalker.com, starbucks.com
Added 3/31/15
1% Pet Cemetery
VR - Ability for people to virtually bury their pets in a
beautiful permanent environment which can be visited
by simply putting on VR glasses. The grounds are
spectacular and well groomed. Leave virtual flowers,
hang photos and visit at a moments notice.
File Under: Pets, Back Up Galore
Possible Funding: petco.com, petsmart.com, petsuppliesplus.com
Added 4/23/15
1^ Lyrics
AR - When you hear a song on the radio you can identify
who it is and can see the lyrics. Hello karaoke anytime,
anywhere.
File Under: Karaoke
Possible Funding: spotify.com, pandora.com, tidal.com, apple.com,
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#hellozenka | zenka.org
mflow.com, last.fm, deezer.com, radioplayer.com
Added 3/30/15
1& That Was a Bionic Bug
AR/VR - What if you had a app that you could use when
you were out with your kids and saw a small insect. Let
the kids identify the bug from the digital catalog and all
of a sudden a model of that type of bug will appear next
to you 4,000 times the normal size.
This allows you to walk around it to explore it’s crazy
hairy legs, see it’s five glassy eyes and marvel at the wings
which look like iridescent stained glass. Apps like this
which let you experience something you can’t do in
real life are what AR/VR is all about. Even the largest
museums don’t let you walk around a fly as tall as you
are!
File Under: Education, Gross
Possible Funding: si.edu, nhm.org, sdnhm.org,
nationalgeographic.com
Added 4/8/15
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1* Mirage
AR - Visit a special desert location just outside the city
for this incredible theme park. Walk along a path (or
ride a camel) and see mirages which artists from all
over the world have created. Castles and spectacles
galore. Mind blowing international architecture trends
mesh with fantastical creations. Easy to duplicate, easy
to transport to deserts around the world. Compliment
the installation with a great bar/watering hole for thirsty
desert explorers.
File Under: Theme Park
Possible Funding: mirage.com, burningman.com, magickingdom.
com, disneyland.com, epcot.com, universalstudios.com,
seaworld.com, sixflags.com
Added 4/2/15
1( Fix Me
AR - Obviously one of the all-time great things for AR is
to be able to know what lever to pull and what thing to
twist. Fixing things with AR overlay indications of what
to do is easier than following a manual! This is the app
that needs to be duplicated for every product (printers,
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bikes, Ikea assembly furniture, fans, projectors, vacuums
etc.) and every how-to situation under the sun (tie tying,
tire changing, cosmetic and face-painting make-up
application etc.)
File Under: Obvious
Possible Funding: hp.com, brother.com
Added 3/30/15
2) Your Oscar Tickets
VR - Get two tickets to the Oscars. You can sit alongside
your date dressed to the nines - surrounded by lots and
lots of stars. A live 360 camera will be placed in two
primo seats, so you (and others) can experience what it is
like to watch the Oscars from the audience! Look back two seats behind you sits Jennifer Lawrence and to your
left is Christian Bale! If one of the stars sitting next to you
wins, they might even try to kiss you before making their
way up to the stage.
File Under: Everyman, Entertainment
Possible Funders: oscar.go.com
Added 4/15/15
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
2! Design Transfer
AR - Artist sometimes project designs onto canvas to
give them a guide when working from a design. This app
aids this process without having to get a projector.
Artists also use a guide (a tiny paper with a square cut
out) to help them find the edges of a scene they are
painting and to help them better plan their compositions.
In this app, once you set the guide with your hands it
stays in place, leaving your hands free for painting and
holding your materials.
File Under: Useful, Arts
Possible Funding: saic.edu, risd.edu, guggenheim.org,
academyart.edu
Added 4/2/15
2@ Throw Your Pizza in the Air
VR - If you have ever ordered pizza online you have
probably used one of the online software tools that let
you see your toppings magically drop onto half or all of
your pizza as you choose your toppings. This is the same
idea but much more fun. Grab a dough type, throw your
pizza in the air a few times (like you have always wanted
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#hellozenka | zenka.org
to do). Then dig your hands into toppings and toss them
on to your pizza. Thirty minutes later, your pizza will
arrive at your door.
File Under: Pizza is Yummy, Easy to Fund
Possible Funding: dominos.com, pizzatoday.com, pizzahut.com,
papajohns.com, littlecaesars.com
Added 4/4/15
2# Stationary Bike
VR - Ride the bike in the gym or run on the treadmill but
have a relaxing environment surround you. You might
choose Venice Beach, the countryside in Tuscany, or even
the moon.
File Under: Sports, Easy
Possible Funding: equinox.com, lifetimefitness.com,
24hourfitness.com, curves.com, thesportsclubla.com, crunch.com
Added 4/10/15
2$ Piano Helper
AR - Have overlay help when you are trying to learn how
to play the piano (or any musical instrument).
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
File Under: Useful
Possible Funding: baldwinpiano.com, stuartandsons.com,
boesendorfer.com
Added 3/30/15
2% Virtual Burning Man
VR - Have a virtual location where people can go to
create, leave and observe VR and AR artwork. The
installation becomes a crossroads where people come to
show off cutting edge digital art and be inspired.
File Under: Art
Possible Funding: burningman.com, moma.com
Added 3/31/15
2^ Hands-free Cooking
AR - Follow a recipe and easily go to the next step while
your hands are dirty. Say “next” or simply use a hand
gesture. Upload a pic of the final product to your favorite
cooking app. Add a voice-to-text review which can be
edited before automatically being submitted online.
File Under: Easy to Program, Probably Already Out There, Practical
Possible Funding: Allrecipes.com, Foodnetwork.com,
Food.com, TheKitchn.com, Yummly.com, chow.com, Epicurious.com,
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#hellozenka | zenka.org
SimplyRecipes.com, Cookinglight.com, Bettycroker.com
Added 3/29/15
2& Opera Translation
AR - Be able to go to the opera and see the subtitles in
another language at the top of the stage in real time.
File Under: Useful
Possible Funding: noa.org, operaleague.org, un.org, arts.gov
Added 3/30/15
2* See Through Earth
VR - Ability to look down toward the ground and see
Google Street View of the other side of the world.
File Under: Novel, Fun
Possible Funding: google.com
Added 3/30/15
2( I Am Following You
AR - Ability to follow your friend’s car on a long road
trip or through rush hour traffic without stressing out.
Your friends activate a tracker with their cell phone and
when you look out into traffic you can see a arrow or
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
some other graphic over their car. No more road panic or
worrying about following right behind them.
File Under: Travel, Useful
Possible Funding: aaa.com, roadtripamerica.com, travelocity.com,
tripadvisor.com
Added 4/4/15
3) Windless Kite Flying
AR - Take your kid to fly an awesome kite on the lawn
of the Washington Monument in WDC even on a day
without wind. The kite can be designed beforehand and
decorated by your child. Once you arrive you can learn
to fly the kite using the dynamics of wind. Arrows to the
bottom of your screen will indicate direction and force
of the wind. If others are also flying virtual kites on the
sprawling lawn you will get to see those too.
File Under: Real Life Virtual Mix, WDC
Possible Funding: kite.org. awindofchange.com, mackite.com, si.edu
Added 4/4/15
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3! Breadcrumbs
AR - Leave virtual footprints behind when you take a
walk on a sandy beach or leave virtual bread crumbs
when hiking through the forest. It is an easy way to get
back home if you get lost.
File Under: Useful, Hope You Have Signal, Get a Legal Team
Possible Funding: travelandleisure.com, budgettravel.com,
nationalgeographic.com, cntraveler.com
Added 4/8/15
3@ Jogging Milestones
AR - Take the app with you on a run and it will show
you a red line across the pavement when you have hit a
quarter mile or display a tall tower in your path when
you reach a mile etc.
Of course, when you reach your goal it will have a
finish line ribbon for you to tear through. The best part
however, is the encouragement it gives you when you
reach certain milestones. Have your friends record
funny clips that get sent to you, or let the app show you
fireworks, famous actors giving you high fives etc.
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
If it helps you run faster run against fictitious (or famous)
runners, or ghoast run yourself on your last run.
File Under: Sports, Running
Possible Funding: nike.com, adidas.com, runnersworld.com,
asics.com, wilson.com
Added 4/17/15
3# Real-world Timeline
AR - Ability to learn about what happened in particular
places back in time. If you arrive to a spot which contains
a marker you will see an animation of a timeline and you
will be taken back to that time for a tiny 30-second clip
about what happened there. Feeling omniscient? Add or
view fictitious future predictions on the timeline as well.
File Under: Endless
Possible Funding: history.com, pbs.org
Added 3/30/15
3$ Easter Egg
AR - Want to leave a love note, an image, or a funny
message in a playful way? Hide virtual things around the
house. The person hiding the information can set the
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AR trigger in a variety of ways: a physical object, a GEO
target, or a printed QR that gets physically hidden. When
your friend finds it, the content gets unlocked.
File Under: Human Connection, Romance
Added 3/29/15
3% Time Capsule
AR - Variation on the Easter Egg theme, but it would be
road-trip memories that are buried on a map. You leave
images, text or videos throughout your vacation. Then, if
you travel there again your cell phone alerts you that you
have passed a “lock box”. Play your content and share
your lock boxes with a group of select friends. When
friends hit the same hot springs on the side of the road,
they play back the time capsule of you singing a crazy
song, telling a joke about what happened the day you
arrived, or they can view some snapshots of your hot
springs festivities.
This idea has ENDLESS variations. Have a famous rock
band leave songs and video clip packets as they cross
the country on a band tour. Politicians can leave tidbits
as they stump around the backroads of America. Street
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
artists could leave tales of their exploits next to their
installations.
The software can also be used as a framework for doing
scavenger hunts around a city where clues need to be
dropped at each location, etc.
File Under: Human Connection, Program Once - Re-brand Again
and again, Fun
Possible Funding: Rock Bands, Orbitz.com, Tripadvisor.com,
wikitravel.org, localeur.com
Added 3/29/15
3^ Hollywood Stars
AR - Have a short song, video clip, or 3D life size scan
overlaid on top of the sidewalk stars on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame for people who want to know the origin of
each person’s fame.
File Under: Fun
Possible Funding: walkoffame.com, hollywoodchamber.net,
seeing-stars.com, hwof.com, hollywoodwaxmuseum.com,
madametussauds.com
Added 3/30/15
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3& My Iguana Has a Mind of It’s Own
AR - Have a virtual iguana (or dragon) lounging around
your house or office. Set the general dimensions (or
use a camera and a house walk through to map the
environment) and then let the program do it’s magic.
The iguana will appear around your house as it enjoys
it’s day, flexes it’s incredible row of dragon spines, and
chews on plants for lunch. The 3D iguana has object
permanence. So if you go to another room and come
back he will still be there. But when you come back from
work you will have no idea where he has crawled off to.
This “mind of it’s own”, “element of surprise” quality of
this app is what makes interacting with it so fun and
endearing. You never know what the AI will do since
you are not controlling it. The code can be set to respond
to environmental cues - low frequency noises may
rustle the iguana. Sleep cycles or hiding patterns are also
programmed in. The app can be used to teach kids about
animal behavior. Lizards move and sleep differently than
a snake or a hamster or a parrot.
This app can be done with any animal - even with
animals that don’t exist yet. You can design your own
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
animal (much like setting up a character in an online
game) allowing you to choose characteristics like eyes,
skin, horns, fur etc.
File Under: Animals, Pets
Possible Funding: nationalgeographic.com, greenigsociety.org,
aspca.org
Added 4/1/15
3* Tour Guide to Die For
AR - Walk around a museum or art exhibit and be able to
have a professional guide or the artists themselves stand
before you (in life size 3D form) ready to give you an
insiders explanation of the show.
File Under: Art, Museums
Possible Funding: lacma.org, amnh.org, metmuseum.org, getty.edu
Added 4/4/15
3( My Third Eye
AR - So once everyone has AR glasses (or contacts
for that matter) you are going to want to modify your
physical style in new ways. For example, you might want
to add a third eye on your forehead, or you might want
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to add a tiger tail which moves based on your moods.
When people see you they see your accoutrements too.
Fifteen year olds with cell phones will love this.
File Under: Vanity, Fun, Silly
Possible Funding: seventeen.com
Added 4/8/15
4) Romance Over Fries
AR - Turn a crappy dinner at a fast food restaurant into
an elegant and romantic dining experience. Your date
will laugh his/her way into your heart as the app slowly
drops in stage elements such as candles, a violinist, a
table cloth, flowers, a bow tie etc.
File Under: Comical
Possible Funding: itsjustlunch.com, match.com, plentyoffish.com,
okcupid.com, eharmony.com, zoosk.com
Added 4/4/15
4! My Pilot Eyes
AR - Ability to look out the window of your plane on a
clear day and see text overlays telling you what cities,
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towns, lakes, monuments, national parks and rivers you
are flying over.
File Under: Travel
Possible Funding: delta.com, virginamerica.com, alaskaair.com,
jetblue.com, frontier.com, aa.com
Added 4/4/15
4@ Don’t Be a Rocky Horror Virgin
AR - Ability to get song and text cues for the Rocky
Horror Picture Show call backs so that nobody knows it is
your first time. After all if they find out you are a “virgin”
you have to go up to be humiliated en masse in front of
the crowd. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the longest
theatrical release film in history (running continuously
since 1975 in almost every large city in America).
File Under: Oh No With AR This Movie Will Run Even Longer
Possible Funding: crowd funding via kickstarter.com, indiegogo.com,
gofundme.com
Added 4/4/15
4# Virtual Cop
AR - When someone seems to be unable to drive sober
at your bar or party, run them through a dry run with a
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virtual 3D cop. The cop will ask the offender to walk the
line, touch their nose, then inevitably the virtual cop calls
them an Uber. The app is a fun way to tell people they are
not road worthy.
File Under: Bars
Possible Funding: madd.com, uber.com
Added 3/31/15
4$ Public Refrigerator Poems
AR - Get together in a public square and play massive,
public refrigerator poems with additional virtual players
from around world playing online. You can move words
such as “breath” or “king” into place, but if someone else
needs the word, you might see it moved to phrase nearby.
Sit back and watch the poems come together and come
apart endlessly.
File Under: Invisible Public Art
Possible Funding: poetryfoundation.org, poets.org
Added 4/8/15
4% Slalom Ski
AR - Want to practice your slalom ski techniques? No
problem, these polls are virtual and can be set up in a
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
snap. Don’t worry the app will let you know if you hit or
miss one.
File Under: Sports
Possible Funding: jacksonhole.com, alta.com, vail.com,
snowbird.com, nsaa.org
Added 4/10/15
4^ Dry-run Haircut
AR - Scroll through available styles or have your stylist
show you a few cuts s/he thinks would look great. Save
settings and preserve your potential and realized looks
for subsequent visits.
File Under: Useful, Needs Testing
Possible Funding: supercuts.com, salonspanetwork.org,
regiscorp.com
Added 4/10/15
4& Concert Buddy
AR - Activate you and your friend’s cell phones or AR
glasses and then when you go to a huge concert, beach or
amusement park you can simply look up to the sky and
see a marker where you friend is. Don’t worry if you
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need to go to the bathroom or get a beer - you will find
your way back to your crew in a snap.
File Under: Teenagers, Concerts
Possible Funding: ticketmaster.com
Added 4/17/15
4* Invisible Fridge Walls
AR - Have live cameras inside your fridge that you can
call up on your AR goggles or a cell phone. You can sit
on your couch and plan meals or know if the trip from
the couch is worth it (your brother might have already
drank the last Arizona Green Tea). If you are at the
grocery store you can check on the butter supply as well.
File Under: Useful
Possible Funding: sears.com, maytag.com, kenmore.com, ge.com,
kitchenaid.com, whirlpool.com
Added 4/15/15
4( I Wish it Would Rain
AR - Ever want to have a rainy day so you can feel cozy
inside with your cat lounging on your bed reading a
book? Some people say they need rain to be productive.
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This AR app greys down the windows in your house,
shows virtual rain, and plays a subtle rain sound track in
the background to enhance your mood on demand.
File Under: Might Be More Popular Than You Think
Possible Funding: andersenwindows.com, wired.com,
portlandoregon.gov, lacity.org
Added 4/17/15
5) Privacy Please
VR - Need to work privately on your computer
surrounded by your buddies, in an office which decided
to do away with cubicles? Pop on your VR headset and
switch your computer into stealth mode. Now you can
pull up as many screens as you need to in your virtual VR
space and no one will be able to look over your shoulder.
Run a VR game on your computer or other decoy if you
really need to subterfuge.
File Under: Privacy Central
Added 7/2/15
5! Beyond Architects
AR - Lots of demos show architects showing clients their
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house elevation models using AR. The architect can turn
a flat piece of paper and show off the 3D house model
from any angle. This type of thing should be standard
export options for 3D architectural design programs if it
isn’t already.
This display scenario can also be used for less exploited
but popular applications such as: showing off cake
decoration options, displaying floral arrangement types,
offering a variety of table setting looks, wedding tent
configurations etc.
File Under: Software Integration, Weddings
Possible Funding: 1800flowers.com, ftd.com, proflowers.com,
myarchicad.com, chiefarchitect.com, autodesk.com
Added 4/17/15
5@ Practice Your Swing
AR - Practice your golf, tennis, baseball, or racquetball
swing. Hit virtual balls that come to you and then watch
trailing graphics to show you your swing follow through.
You can replay to see what your body is doing in slow
motion.
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File Under: Sports
Possible Funding: usga.org, scga.org, latinagolfers.com, golf.com
Added 4/10/15
5# School Lockers
AR - School rules dictate that you can’t put stuff up on
the outside of your locker - until now. All the school
kids can download a single AR app and then they can
see what friends (and crushes) have up to decorate their
lockers. Add photos, backgrounds, stickers, videos and
more.
File Under: Teenagers, School
Possible Funding: seventeen.com
Added 4/15/15
5$ Pick a Seat
VR - Ever wonder what the view is like from a particular
seating chart for a movie, opera, theater or concert?
Tickets are expensive and it would be grand to be able to
slip on your VR glasses and look at what any particular
seat view looks like before clicking “buy”.
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File Under: Useful, Someone Told Me This Exists in Web Form
Possible Funding: ticketmaster.com, fandango.com, amctheatres.
com
Added 4/17/15
5% Harry Potter Newspaper for Schools
AR - Template for a school newspaper (a physical paper
one) which has embedded videos like the newspapers in
the Harry Potter movies. Free software which schools can
use.
File Under: Education, Useful
Possible Funding: jkrowling.com, nytimes.com, washingtonpost.com,
usatoday.com, schoolfoundations.org, character.org
Added 4/4/15
5^ Movie Subtitles
AR - Watch a live theatrical release movie with subtitles
in any language (provided the film company has created
subtitles for the language you want or the community has
offered to set up the translation).
File Under: This is Major, Useful
Possible Funding: paramount.com, thewaltdisneycompany.com,
universalstudios.com, foxmovies.com, mgm.com warnerbros.com,
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dreamworks.com, sonypictures.com, lionsgate.com, fandango.com,
amctheatres.com
Added 4/4/15
5& Be a Fire Fighting Hero
AR/VR - Run through a virtual house (using VR) or a
real location (using AR) with a group of friends and see if
your skill and speed can outsmart the flames.
File Under: Exercise, Like Paintball but Better
Possible Funding: iaff.org
Added 4/4/15
5* Where is My Package?
AR - Ability to have a map of the US decorating your
wall. The “in real life” paper map magically displays
live markers to indicate where your packages (the ones
you send or receive) are at any given moment. You can
see your Amazon package coming from NJ and your
birthday present for your niece making its way across
Montana.
File Under: Software Integration
Possible Funding: amazon.com, fedex.com, ups.com, usps.gov
Added 4/4/15
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5( Ice Rink
AR - Want to convert your crappy ice rink’s concrete
walls with something more epic? Simply wear your AR
glasses on the ice and the backdrop will convert into an
incredible forest of pine trees, an olympic stadium, or a
floating rink on the edge of the universe.
File Under: Sports, Fun
Possible Funding: neisma.com, starrinks.com, skatemirma.org
Added 4/15/15
6) Elvis Wedding Extravaganza
AR - Stand in a simple room with your groom, and an
Elvis priest decked out with TONS of sequins. Watch
your Graceland wedding extravaganza come to life - a
standing room only crowd hovering around, flowers
galore, great live band off to the right.
File Under: Vegas Baby
Possible Funding: graceland.com
Added 4/4/15
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6! Dazed
AR/VR - Want to daze out and read a book, watch a
movie on VR headsets or flat out sleep while riding the
subway or bus. Train the app by marking a geolocation
button and a few moments before you arrive to that
place, the app will make noise and create a visual hoopla
inside your VR goggles so you don’t miss your stop!
File Under: Useful, NYC
Possible Funding: mta.info, metro.net
Added 4/2/15
6@ Street Art Museum
AR - This app uses geolocators to allow artists to put
street art around the world. Only the street art doesn’t
get taken down and doesn’t bother any property owners.
Artists can post up wheat paste, stickers, sculptures, and
murals etc. Passersby can view the artwork over time.
Just like in real life, certain streets in certain cities will
become more famous as they virtually collect street art.
The app notifies you if something has been installed
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as you walk down the street, so you can turn on your
cellp phone and discover the block’s newest hidden gems.
File Under: Useful, Street Art
Possible Funding: positivestreetart.org, safestreetsarts.org, arts.gov,
internationalstreetart.org, streetartview.com, redbull.com, streetart.
withgoogle.com, google.com, streetartlocator.com
Added 4/2/15
6# Family Height Wall
AR - Want to mark your children’s height each year on
the back of a door but don’t own your home? Make one
virtually and take it with you when you move.
File Under: Kids
Added 3/31/15
6$ Take Me Back
AR - Take a super famous streets from around the world
and allow people to walk down it using AR glasses to see
what it was like a hundred years ago. All of the building
facades change to their former state and you can even see
an old horse and buggy cruising down the street.
Want to experience Haight Ashbury street in the height
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of the 1960’s? New Orleans during the first Martes Gras
in 1699? Wall Street in the 1920’s?
File Under: Learning, History
Possible Funding: history.com, warnerbros.com, pixar.com
Added 3/31/15
6% Grocery Shopping from Bed
VR - Ability to go grocery shopping on Amazon (etc.)
from the comfort of your own couch or bed. Walk
virtual aisles, select a product to read packing or examine
more closely. Throw things in the cart without straining
your back. Have them all delivered.
Maybe the store is designed with great lighting and the
music of your choice. Creative ideas could be generated
about how a virtual store could look. Maybe you fly
around on a broomstick which responds to your every
move or you might want to dart around the aisles in your
very own waverunner decked out in your virtual bikini.
You could even decide to go to a public version with
other people and their avatars or shop solo with your
“hair in curlers”. Maybe the store is only people
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shopping at that time but is reduced to a group of people
you know from Facebook etc.
Obviously you can pull in all of the great features of
shopping apps today. Saved items, recipe and menu
to list features, sale information etc. This idea could be
adapted to any shopping experience - music, kids toys,
etc.
File Under: Shopping
Possible Funding: Amazon.com
Added 4/1/15
6^ Meet the Baby
AR - Delight your friends with AR magic. If you are
pregnant, print a AR trigger and tape it on a T-shirt and
show your friends the 4D echo scan recording given to
you at the doctor’s office of your baby moving around.
Your buddies will think they getting to see the baby move
around in real time using “bionic” AR goggles.
File Under: Silly, Universal
Possible Funding: All obstetrician/gynecologist (more of a buyer
than a funder)
Added 3/30/15
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6& Tattoo - Not
AR - Look down at your arm, add a tattoo of your liking
from a big catalogue of animated and non animated
options and then snap a pic or a movie. Share it on social
media to shock your buddies - and your grandmother.
File Under: Silly
Added 3/31/15
6* Meet Me for Tennis
VR - Ability to play virtual tennis with your friend from
Luxemburg every Thursday afternoon. You would both
be playing with a virtual (or physical) racket that responds well to a physics driven ball. Choose a backdrop
and have fun catching up while you both break a sweat.
File Under: Sports, Remarkable
Possible Funding: forbes.com, ustafoundation.com, mcbtennis.org,
bryanbros.com
Added 4/9/15
6( What’s Inside the Box?
AR - Ability to see inside packed moving boxes or
merchandise shipping boxes without having to open
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them. You can place a unique QR code sticker on the
outside of the box which corresponds to several pictures
of the insides you take as you pack. Industrial application
would be based on 3D object models.
File Under: Useful
Possible Funding: atlasvanlines.com,unitedvanlines.com.
northamerican.com, allied.com, nationalvanlines.com
Added 3/30/15
7)
Filmed Here
AR - Place AR triggers in locations which have been
famous movie filming spots around town. If you have
the app installed you will be notified that you have
discovered a new “Filmed Here” location.
You can line yourself up to see the scene play out from
the position of the film camera while the clip plays out.
If you want to practice your acting, place yourself inside
the scene and sit across from your favorite actor. Record
the video “karaoke” as you ad lib the dialogue and upload
it for us to laugh about.
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
The app runs a trivia game along side the visualizations
to see how well you stack up to other film buffs.
File Under: Movie Geeks
Possible Funding: paramount.com,thewaltdisneycompany.com,
universalstudios.com, foxmovies.com, mgm.com warnerbros.com,
dreamworks.com, sonypictures.com, lionsgate.com
Added 3/30/15
7! My Modigliani
AR - Ability to place virtual artwork on the walls of your
house. When you and your friends have the AR glasses
on, you see the artwork on the walls. You can choose an
$82-million-dollar painting from the list of the 20 most
expensive paintings of all time or you can choose from
up-and-coming artists (content partner with existing
company such as.saatchiart.com or other art community.
Bonus: Different members of the household can choose
to see different artworks hanging in the same location.
File Under: Easy to Program
Possible Funding: saatchiart.com, MOMA.com
Added 3/29/15
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7@ Hands-free Instructables
AR - Make an instructables video using voice commands
to stop and start a hands free video recorder even when
your hands are covered in clay or paint. Retake/Delete
clips as needed before moving to the next step. The app
can then string the video together for you and take care
of uploading the end result to instructables.com or other
content provider.
File Under: Easy to Program, Practical
Possible Funding: diynetwork.com, ehow.com, uniqueprojects.com,
esy2diy.com, make-stuff.com, diylife.com, wikihow.com
Added 3/29/15
7# Missing Block
AR - Imagine being in a park, museum, or a theme park
and having a large 12 x 12 image chunk in your hands.
Walk around the environment and figure out where your
chunk of image lines up with the real world. If kids use
it in a museum, maybe they unlock other things as they
find matches. This is like a modern puzzle game.
File Under: Test to See if it is Fun, and for What Ages
Possible Funding: leapmotion.com, parks, museums, zoos
Added 3/30/15
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
7$ Foreign Language
AR - Collect your personal, need-to-know words, one
by one. If you have a visual memory, seeing the words
written will make it easier to remember them. Ask
for a translation of a word. Listen to and check your
pronunciation.
Before you go to bed ask to see your list. See your list on
a timeline if needed, and review the words from prior
days. A scientist named Woznick has been working on a
very predictable algorithm to determine when you need
to remind people. He says “Practice too soon and you
waste your time. Practice too late and you’ve forgotten
the material and have to relearn it.”
The software could eventually show words on top of
objects. It could be trained around your house, or you
could learn the words gradually by teaching the software.
One by one you would take pictures of the objects to set
up the triggers.
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
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Comments
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Let the brainstorming continue past midnight.
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What is so fascinating about augmented and virtual
reality?
]\ You can mix the virtual world with the physical world
]\ Your concepts don’t have to obey laws of physics
]\ You don’t have to be sitting in front of a computer
]\ Virtual things which are expensive IRL can be
virtually free
]\ The more you connect people to other people the
more powerful the software
]\ Controlling AR/VR can be done with voice or
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Zenka’s Toilet Reader: 75 AR/VR App Ideas to Fuel the Revolution
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