Video: Is that an Alien bursting out of your chest or just augmented reality?

If you’re like me and can recite the entire script of James Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi classic, Aliens, by heart then you’re sure to enjoy Chestburster, a new augmented reality app that will superimpose a xenomorph bursting out of your chest. What was initially created by a couple of fans as something cool to wear to the premier of Prometheus, the latest film in the Alien franchise, has now become the latest hit in augmented reality.

The app works by detecting a tracking image (pictured on the right) printed on a t-shirt, the app is able to calculate the boundaries of the tracking image and the angle at which the app is viewing it. Once it’s successfully determined the viewing angle, the app superimposes a 3d animation of an alien bursting out of the tracking image rendered at the appropriate angle, thus augmenting reality — in this case, with a blood thirsty alien. As the app user moves their iOS or Android device the app detects the change in viewing angle toward the tracking image and re-renders the 3d animation giving the illusion that the alien exists physically, in the real-world.

While Chestburster is the latest app to employ the burgeoning technology, other recent AR applications, such as Google’s Project Glass, are aimed more at productivity than good old fashioned chest-bursting fun.

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Chestburster is currently available for Android and iOS, but before you and your friends can enjoy this horrible fate you’ll have to either purchase a t-shirt or download the tracking image and print it on a t-shirt yourself.

Keep in mind though, if you’re busy superimposing an alien bursting out of your pal’s chest, how will you know if it actually happens? Then it’s game over man, game over!

If you were to make an augmented reality app what would it do?

[via DVICE]

[It even works when you use the app in conjunction with the tracking image on this article! - Ed.]