F&N Big Fun Fest 2011

Tourists and shoppers who came as spectators turned into performers and all had a great time dancing at the busy intersection of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur as hundreds of motorists whizzed past the area. Despite the Sunday afternoon drizzle, tourists and even some local teenagers were thrilled with the use of multi-media technology "augmented reality" to enhance the feeling of participation in the F&N Big Fun Fest 2011 preview. The Big Fun Fest is back for the second year running and this time with the aim of introducing the biggest dance flash mob in Malaysia with the use of augmented reality.

F&N is blurring the line between the virtual and real worlds, with the integration of realtime interactive graphics into a live video stream. In doing so, passive shoppers passing by the busier parts of Kuala Lumpur get roped in as active performers. It enables the people to interact with characters in their own environment. F&N Malaysia brand marketing assistant general manager Jenny Wong said the screen was placed strategically at the intersection and this allowed passers-by to experience and interact with augmented reality dancers in a specially choreographed dance. It will be performed by a flashmob on July 23 at the same intersection.

Wong explained that augmented reality referred to a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment that contained elements augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as graphics. "As a result, the technology enhances one's current perception of reality. In contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one," she said. "We want everyone in the Bukit Bintang area walking past the screen to learn the moves and join us in creating the biggest flashmob the city has ever seen," she added. (NB: the flashmob performance on July 23 has been postponed to a date to be announced later) ( The Star)