Computer-aided investigation of interaction mediated by an AR-enabled wearable interface

Dierker A. Computer-aided investigation of interaction mediated by an AR-enabled wearable interface. Bielefeld: Universitätsbibliothek Bielefeld; 2012.This thesis provides an approach on facilitating the analysis of nonverbal behaviour during human-human interaction. Thereby, much of the work that researchers do starting with experiment control, data acquisition, tagging and finally the analysis of the data is alleviated. For this, software and hardware techniques are used as sensor technology, machine learning, object tracking, data processing, visualisation and Augmented Reality. These are combined into an Augmented-Reality-enabled Interception Interface (ARbInI), a modular wearable interface for two users. The interface mediates the users’ interaction thereby intercepting and influencing it. The ARbInI interface consists of two identical setups of sensors and displays, which are mutually coupled. Combining cameras and microphones with sensors, the system offers to record rich multimodal interaction cues in an efficient way. The recorded data can be analysed online and offline for interaction features (e. g. head gestures in head movements, objects in joint attention, speech times) using integrated machine-learning approaches. The classified features can be tagged in the data. For a detailed analysis, the recorded multimodal data is transferred automatically into file bundles loadable in a standard annotation tool where the data can be further tagged by hand. For statistic analyses of the complete multimodal corpus, a toolbox for use in a standard statistics program allows to directly import the corpus and to automate the analysis of multimodal and complex relationships between arbitrary data types. When using the optional multimodal Augmented Reality techniques integrated into ARbInI, the camera records exactly what the participant can see and nothing more or less. The following additional advantages can be used during the experiment: (a) the experiment can be controlled by using the auditory or visual displays thereby ensuring controlled experimental conditions, (b) the experiment can be disturbed, thus offering to investigate how problems in interaction are discovered and solved, and (c) the experiment can be enhanced by interactively comprising the behaviour of the user thereby offering to investigate how users cope with novel interaction channels. This thesis introduces criteria for the design of scenarios in which interaction analysis can benefit from the experimentation interface and presents a set of scenarios. These scenarios are applied in several empirical studies thereby collecting multimodal corpora that particularly include head gestures. The capabilities of computer-aided interaction analysis for the investigation of speech, visual attention and head movements are illustrated on this empirical data. The effects of the head-mounted display (HMD) are evaluated thoroughly in two studies. The results show that the HMD users need more head movements to achieve the same shift of gaze direction and perform less head gestures with slower velocity and fewer repetitions compared to non-HMD users. From this, a reduced willingness to perform head movements if not necessary can be concluded. Moreover, compensation strategies are established like leaning backwards to enlarge the field of view, and increasing the number of utterances or changing the reference to objects to compensate for the absence of mutual eye contact. Two studies investigate the interaction while actively inducing misunderstandings. The participants here use compensation strategies like multiple verification questions and arbitrary gaze movements. Additionally, an enhancement method that highlights the visual attention of the interaction partner is evaluated in a search task. The results show a significantly shorter reaction time and fewer errors

Deformable Beamsplitters: Enhancing Perception with Wide Field of View, Varifocal Augmented Reality Displays

An augmented reality head-mounted display with full environmental awareness could present data in new ways and provide a new type of experience, allowing seamless transitions between real life and virtual content. However, creating a light-weight, optical see-through display providing both focus support and wide field of view remains a challenge. This dissertation describes a new dynamic optical element, the deformable beamsplitter, and its applications for wide field of view, varifocal, augmented reality displays. Deformable beamsplitters combine a traditional deformable membrane mirror and a beamsplitter into a single element, allowing reflected light to be manipulated by the deforming membrane mirror, while transmitted light remains unchanged. This research enables both single element optical design and correct focus while maintaining a wide field of view, as demonstrated by the description and analysis of two prototype hardware display systems which incorporate deformable beamsplitters. As a user changes the depth of their gaze when looking through these displays, the focus of virtual content can quickly be altered to match the real world by simply modulating air pressure in a chamber behind the deformable beamsplitter; thus ameliorating vergence–accommodation conflict. Two user studies verify the display prototypes’ capabilities and show the potential of the display in enhancing human performance at quickly perceiving visual stimuli. This work shows that near-eye displays built with deformable beamsplitters allow for simple optical designs that enable wide field of view and comfortable viewing experiences with the potential to enhance user perception.Doctor of Philosoph

Handheld Guides in Inspection Tasks : Augmented Reality versus Picture

Inspection tasks focus on observation of the environment and are required in many industrial domains. Inspectors usually execute these tasks by using a guide such as a paper manual, and directly observing the environment. The effort required to match the information in a guide with the information in an environment and the constant gaze shifts required between the two can severely lower the work efficiency of inspector in performing his/her tasks. Augmented reality (AR) allows the information in a guide to be overlaid directly on an environment. This can decrease the amount of effort required for information matching, thus increasing work efficiency. AR guides on head-mounted displays (HMDs) have been shown to increase efficiency. Handheld AR (HAR) is not as efficient as HMD-AR in terms of manipulability, but is more practical and features better information input and sharing capabilities. In this study, we compared two handheld guides: an AR interface that shows 3D registered annotations, that is, annotations having a fixed 3D position in the AR environment, and a non-AR picture interface that displays non-registered annotations on static images. We focused on inspection tasks that involve high information density and require the user to move, as well as to perform several viewpoint alignments. The results of our comparative evaluation showed that use of the AR interface resulted in lower task completion times, fewer errors, fewer gaze shifts, and a lower subjective workload. We are the first to present findings of a comparative study of an HAR and a picture interface when used in tasks that require the user to move and execute viewpoint alignments, focusing only on direct observation. Our findings can be useful for AR practitioners and psychology researchers

Realidade aumentada para produção assistida em ambiente industrial

Smart factories are becoming more and more common and Augmented Reality (AR) is a pillar of the transition to Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing. AR can improve many industrial processes such as training, maintenance, assembly, quality control, remote collaboration and others. AR has the potential to revolutionize the way information is accessed, used and exchanged, extending user’s perception and improving their performance. This work proposes a Pervasive AR tool, created in collaboration with industrial partners, to support the training of operators on industrial shop floors while performing production operations. A Human-Centered Design (HCD) methodology was used to identify operators’ difficulties, challenges, and define requirements. After initial meetings with stakeholders, an AR prototype was designed and developed to allow the configuration and visualization of AR content on the shop floor. Several meetings and user studies were conducted to evaluate the developed tools and improve their usability and features. Comparisons between the proposed Head Mounted Display (HMD) solution, the method currently being used in the shopfloor and alternative AR solutions (mobile based) were conducted. The results of user studies suggest that the proposed AR system can significantly improve the performance (up to 70% when compared with the method currently used in the shop floor) of novice operators.Fábricas inteligentes estão a tornar-se cada vez mais comuns e a Realidade Aumentada (Augmented Reality) é essencial para a transição para a Indústria 4.0 e para a produção inteligente. A AR pode ser usada para melhorar muitos processos industriais, tais como treino, assistência, montagem, controlo de qualidade, colaboração remota, entre outros. A AR tem potencial para revolucionar a maneira como a informação é acedida, usada e partilhada, expandindo a perceção do utilizador e melhorando a sua performance. Este trabalho propõe uma ferramenta de AR Pervasiva, criada em colaboração com parceiros da indústria, para ajudar no treino de operadores de chão de fábrica em tarefas de produção fabril. Para identificar as dificuldades, desafios e definir requisitos, foi seguida uma metodologia de Desenho Centrada no Utilizador (HCD). Depois de vários encontros com o público-alvo, um protótipo de AR foi desenhado e desenvolvido para permitir a configuração e visualização de conteúdo em AR na linha de montagem de uma fábrica. Diversas reuniões e testes com utilizadores foram realizados de modo a avaliar as ferramentas desenvolvidas e melhorar a usabilidade e as suas funcionalidades. Foram também realizadas comparações entre a solução de AR proposta, o método atualmente utilizado na linha de produção e uma solução alternativa de AR para dispositivos móveis. Os resultados dos testes de utilizador realizados sugerem que a solução proposta pode melhorar substancialmente a eficiência (até 70% quando comparado com método atualmente utilizado na linha de produção) de novos operadores.Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e Telemátic