I think these playsets could be quite entertaining to little children in the future. Children would enjoy seeing themselves playing in the AR environment. However, as these playsets are, they seem like a novelty. I would like to see an interface which allows the user to easily edit these sets on the fly. That way, children can play around with many different actions and environments. This change can make this idea longer lasting and more enjoyable.
To make this functionality more feasible, better virtual controls would help greatly. In particular, some way to manipulate the environment and change the model’s pose without any detailed coding. This would go a far way to making these playsets fun and interactive. Children love toys which they can pick up and play around with. A static playset would not be nearly as interesting.
Additionally, to really let these playsets shine, we would need AR glasses. Right now, the least cumbersome way to experience AR well, is with a smartphone. The whole time the user wants to see the AR environment they must hold up the phone and point the camera in the correct direction. AR glasses would make the experience easier and more enjoyable.
I think adults can also find many uses for these playsets as well. One possible playset I think would be nice is a wedding scene. Instead of just pictures and videos, you could also have a 3D recreation of the event. These playsets feel very real and would certainly help remember the event. Looking at videos and pictures of my own parents’ wedding is a wonderful experience. Being able to actually see a 3D recreation of the event would be even better. I could see younger versions of all my relatives that I never got to see. I can only imagine how my parents would feel getting to see a 3D recreation of their own wedding.
I found seeing a miniature version of myself in AR to be quite charming. It feels similar to seeing yourself in a video. On the other hand, the life-size version is a bit weird. It’s like having a doppelganger. You can tell it is you, but it is also clearly something different. Seeing another you in the space next to you is somewhat disconcerting. However, I’m sure there will be some who like or prefer the larger size. There is certainly a place for either version.
These playsets look very interesting and I think has a lot of potential for the future. I would most like to see the tabletop versions the most. Right now, however, they are hampered by the hardware. That is, to utilize augmented reality right now, one needs to use and constantly hold up a camera while using it. For these playsets to shine we need some sort of AR glasses and better virtual controls.