“World’s First” Augmented Reality Virtual Communion! (can vs. should)

Every once in a while I like to do a code commentary where I program something to illustrate a broader point about technology (like the Bible reader or TwitterVoice3D).

This is a demo of a relatively new and very cool technology called “augmented reality.” When I saw a demo for the first time, I imagined there would be some great applications like GE’s Smart Grid demo or this drum kit, but I also wondered when someone would use it for something that is at best silly and at worst inherently wrong.

So I decided to create the “world’s first” augmented reality virtual communion, which fits my criteria of being both downright silly as well as possibly heretical. Please don’t take this too seriously – it’s not meant to engage in complex questions about sacramentology or online church (none of which would actually suggest using this). It’s just a fun example of something that is a technologically can, but not a theological should.

Video Demo

(Built using FLARToolkit and Papervision3D. Sorry for the terrible audio and framerate.)

Try It Yourself

UPDATE: Flash has been largely removed from the web, so this won’t work anymore.

Here’s what you’ll need

1. Flash 10 and a webcam
2. Print off the symbols you want: planets, bread, wine
3. Point the symbols at the camera

Tips: watch out for screen glare, press SPACE for fullscreen, give it a few seconds to download (965K).

Commentary

The point of this is first to show off a fun, innovative technology that I’m sure we’ll all see much more of in the coming years, and second to remind us working in the tech world (especially coders like me who always want to use the latest stuff) that just because it’s cool, just because it’s new, just because we’ll be the first, just because we can, or just because it will get us lots of attention doesn’t mean we should.

All of which I just violated – see how silly I look?

At the same time, even if we decide not to make a technology normative, there may be extreme situations or edge cases where it is helpful. Acts spends several chapters discussing Paul’s voyage on a ship, and Paul, Peter, John regular discuss the role of letter writing in their ministries. At the same time and even as they use the technology of their era, they often talk about longing to be with one another physically. May we have wisdom to know and how to use our technology.