Forget augmented reality glasses—AR windows are here today

We hear a lot of talk about the possibility of augmented reality glasses in the future, but it turns out there's another way engage the technology that might be more social: through an interactive window.

That's the idea behind a new prototype device called DeepFrame from Denmark-based RealFiction. What you'll notice when looking at the demonstration videos (below) is that the images look correctly placed (positionally and in terms of scale) in the real world as opposed to appearing as mere translucent images displayed over a location.

DeepFrame seems like a fairly simple and obvious idea when you think about it, but with all the focus on mobile in the tech space, most companies have instead been looking to AR apps for smartphones and future wearable AR devices.

What DeepFrame eliminates is the need for any personal equipment at all, instead putting the AR heavy lifting in the hands of, for example, a retail location looking to present virtual objects to a group of consumers passing by. One demo video even shows a user being able to manipulate an AR object projection (a car) using nothing but hand gestures.

"This technology enables companies in nearly any industry to present new content and real-life experiences to their audiences," said Realfiction CEO Clas Dyrholm in a statement from the company. "And in the very near future, we also expect it to become a popular technology in consumer products."

The stationary device provides 4K resolution by using a 64-inch curved OLED screen. According to the company, the display (which presents large-scale 3D visuals that, based on the video demos, really do look like holograms) can be made in much larger or smaller form factors, depending on the need of the user. Currently, the device is being sold privately at an undisclosed price to businesses and isn't available for the general consumer audience.

"We believe that DeepFrame will be the new standard for mixed-reality displays -- hopefully used by many people in the experience industry," says co-founder Peter Simonsen. "Imagine an Apollo rocket launch in real size integrated as an image layer in the real world. Or a Dinosaur Park like Jurassic Park brought to life with this technology."