Coventry University has teamed up with augmented reality leaders Aurasma to add a futuristic twist to its latest media campaign.

The University will become the first higher education institution in the world to incorporate Aurasma augmented reality technology into its promotional material with the launch of its new poster campaign this week.

Users will be able to point their smartphone or tablet at Coventry University logos and posters around the UK and the image on the screen will come to life with interactive information, animated overlays and videos about the University.

Aurasma is the world's first visual browser and uses images to trigger searches instead of keywords. It actually recognises objects or images in the real world, and then blends them seamlessly with interactive multimedia content such as videos, 3D animation and audio - an amazing technical achievement.

The Aurasma app is available to download free for iPhone4 and iPad2 from the App Store and from Android Marketplace for high-end Android devices.

Users simply need to download the app and point their smart device at the Aurasma-enabled poster to bring it to digital life instantly.

Over one million users have downloaded the Aurasma app and over 150 companies are using the technology in campaigns or have embedded Aurasma into their own applications.

Coventry University's partnership with Aurasma, however, will see the technology used by a higher education institution for the first time.

Prospective students will be able to find out more about what Coventry University has to offer simply by pointing their smart device at posters and banners located around the Midlands, Milton Keynes, Northampton and the London Underground - the locations where the University's poster campaign will be running.

Coventry University's creative multimedia managers Tom Oliver and Jon Lewis designed the graphics and overlays for the campaign, which were then made live using Aurasma's simple and free developer tools.

Plans are already afoot to use the technology to offer virtual open days and to make the University's printed prospectus more dynamic with interactive content.

Tom Oliver said:

"We are constantly seeking out new technological advances in multimedia to develop new ways of connecting with our prospective students. Coventry University's early take-up of this new technology reflects the forward thinking and creative attitude of the University and the type of graduates that we aim to produce."

Jon Lewis added:

"This partnership with Aurasma is part of Coventry University's long term creative media strategy which aims to capitalise on developments in social media and app technology. We are also one of the first institutions in the world to adapt Adobe Digital Publishing Suite for iPad, and we look forward to creating exciting new ways for our prospective students to explore what the University has to offer."

Martina King, managing director at Aurasma, said:

"Aurasma is going to change the way we see and interact with the world and it has enormous implications for education. We are already seeing teachers across the UK use Aurasma's simple tools to create their own "auras" for use as teaching aids in the classroom. It's a completely new way for educators to engage students and we are delighted to see Coventry University at the forefront of this technology revolution."

Aurasma is part of Autonomy, the UK's largest software company, with over 20,000 global customers and offices worldwide.

For more information about Coventry University, please visit their website here: www.coventry.ac.uk