Augmented reality

About: Augmented reality is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 36039 publications have been published within this topic receiving 479617 citations. The topic is also known as: AR.

Methods and systems for enabling creation of augmented reality content

Abstract: Methods and systems for enabling creation of augmented reality content on a user device including a digital imaging part, a display, a user input part and an augmented reality client, wherein said augmented reality client is configured to provide an augmented reality view on the display of the user device using an live image data stream from the digital imaging part are disclosed. User input is received from the user input part to augment a target object that is at least partially seen on the display while in the augmented reality view. A graphical user interface is rendered to the display part of the user device, said graphical user interface enabling a user to author augmented reality content for the two-dimensional image.

Evaluating the effectiveness of spatial augmented reality in smart manufacturing: a solution for manual working stations

Abstract: Augmented reality (AR) is a key technology for the development of smart manufacturing. One of the main advantages of AR is that it can help workers to accomplish several tasks, making it possible the shift from mass production to mass customization. However, it is still not clear how these promises can be fulfilled in an industrial scenario. In particular, the question about which display solutions fit better the industrial constraints remains open. Based on the literature overview, laboratory experiments, and feedbacks from industrial companies, we supported the use of spatial augmented reality (SAR), designing a prototype intended to be used for manual working stations of the future smart factories. This work presents the evaluation of the effectiveness of conveying technical instructions with this SAR prototype as compared to paper manual. We run a within-subjects experiment with 16 participants to measure user task performance (completion times and error rates) and to collect subjective evaluation. We projected technical information on a motorbike engine during a seven-task maintenance procedure. Our results proved that SAR technology improves the operators’ performance with respect to a paper manual and that users well accept it. We found that SAR is more effective for difficult tasks than for simple ones and that the main advantage of SAR is related more to the reduction of error rates than to completion times. These results confirm the goodness of our design choices; then our prototype can be a valid candidate solution for a smart manufacturing application.

A bimodal soft electronic skin for tactile and touchless interaction in real time.

Abstract: The emergence of smart electronics, human friendly robotics and supplemented or virtual reality demands electronic skins with both tactile and touchless perceptions for the manipulation of real and virtual objects. Here, we realize bifunctional electronic skins equipped with a compliant magnetic microelectromechanical system able to transduce both tactile-via mechanical pressure-and touchless-via magnetic fields-stimulations simultaneously. The magnetic microelectromechanical system separates electric signals from tactile and touchless interactions into two different regions, allowing the electronic skins to unambiguously distinguish the two modes in real time. Besides, its inherent magnetic specificity overcomes the interference from non-relevant objects and enables signal-programmable interactions. Ultimately, the magnetic microelectromechanical system enables complex interplay with physical objects enhanced with virtual content data in augmented reality, robotics, and medical applications.

Calibration-free augmented reality

Abstract: Camera calibration and the acquisition of Euclidean 3D measurements have so far been considered necessary requirements for overlaying three-dimensional graphical objects with live video. We describe a new approach to video-based augmented reality that avoids both requirements: it does not use any metric information about the calibration parameters of the camera or the 3D locations and dimensions of the environment's objects. The only requirement is the ability to track across frames at least four fiducial points that are specified by the user during system initialization and whose world coordinates are unknown. Our approach is based on the following observation: given a set of four or more noncoplanar 3D points, the projection of all points in the set can be computed as a linear combination of the projections of just four of the points. We exploit this observation by: tracking regions and color fiducial points at frame rate; and representing virtual objects in a non-Euclidean, affine frame of reference that allows their projection to be computed as a linear combination of the projection of the fiducial points. Experimental results on two augmented reality systems, one monitor-based and one head-mounted, demonstrate that the approach is readily implementable, imposes minimal computational and hardware requirements, and generates real-time and accurate video overlays even when the camera parameters vary dynamically.

Apply an Augmented Reality in a Mobile Guidance to Increase Sense of Place for Heritage Places.

Abstract: Based on the sense of place theory and the design principles of guidance and interpretation, this study developed an augmented reality mobile guidance system that used a historical geo-context-embedded visiting strategy. This tool for heritage guidance and educational activities enhanced visitor sense of place. This study consisted of 3 visitor groups (i.e., AR-guidance, audio-guidance, and no-guidance) composed of 87 university students. A quasi-experimental design was adopted to evaluate whether augmented reality guidance more effectively promoted sense of place and learning performance than the other groups. The results indicated that visitors who used AR guidance showed significant learning and sense of place effects. Interviews were also employed to determine the possible factors that contribute to the formation of sense of place. Finally, a majority of the visitors who participated in the study demonstrated positive attitudes toward the use of the AR-guidance system.