Siemens Business Services (SBS) has announced co-development of augmented reality (AR) applications with appliance company Miele and Austrian petroleum company OMV to assist installers with connecting gas lines and fixing leaks.

What's soccer got to do with it? To advertise this new expertise, SBS has developed an AR-based game that allows players equipped with a Siemens cameraphone to aim for the back of the net against a digital goalkeeper. The game, called Kick Real, enables the user to track their own foot in a shot against the virtual goalie.

Augumented reality is likely to see near-term applications in repair and installation services, such as the appliance installation example here, other types of diagnostics, and perhaps even areas such as telemedicine.