New Technology Brings Dinosaurs to Life in Book from arsEdition

Who says a book about dinosaurs has to keep these long-extinct monsters between the two covers? Certainly not German book publisher arsEdition, which has released Dinosaurier: Erwecke sie zum Leben (Dinosaurs Alive), a children's book with a big difference: it uses a technology called augmented reality to change the entire reading experience.

With augmented reality, readers can turn reading into a truly interactive experience using a webcam and software that comes with a book. Once you have downloaded the software, you can use your webcam to "read" the pages from the book and turn the illustrations into 3D images, complete with sound, which you can control on the computer.

The book, which has been published in cooperation with Carlton Books in the U.K., has been timed to tie in with the summer double issue of National Geographic World, which includes a special insert using the same technology that has a direct tie-in with the arsEdition book.

"It's exciting to be releasing a book using this new technology, not just for us but for our readers," says Michael Schweins, Managing Director arsEdition. "Younger readers especially are computer-savvy and the interactive aspect really draws them in."