Collaborative Augmented Reality

Over the past number of years augmented reality (AR) has become an increasingly pervasive as a consumer level technology. The principal drivers of its recent development has been the evolution of mobile and handheld devices, in conjunction with algorithms and techniques from fields such as 3D computer vision. Various commercial platforms and SDKs are now available that allow developers to quickly develop mobile AR apps requiring minimal understanding of the underlying technology. Much of the focus to date, both in the research and commercial environment, has been on single user AR applications. Just as collaborative mobile applications have a demonstrated role in the increasing popularity of mobile devices, and we believe collaborative AR systems present a compelling use-case for AR technology. The aim of this thesis is the development a mobile collaborative augmented reality framework. We identify the elements required in the design and implementation stages of collaborative AR applications. Our solution enables developers to easily create multi-user mobile AR applications in which the users can cooperatively interact with the real environment in real time. It increases the sense of collaborative spatial interaction without requiring complex infrastructure. Assuming the given low level communication and AR libraries have modular structures, the proposed approach is also modular and flexible enough to adapt to their requirements without requiring any major changes

Collaborative Augmented Reality

Over the past number of years augmented reality (AR) has become an increasingly pervasive as a consumer level technology. The principal drivers of its recent development has been the evolution of mobile and handheld devices, in conjunction with algorithms and techniques from fields such as 3D computer vision. Various commercial platforms and SDKs are now available that allow developers to quickly develop mobile AR apps requiring minimal understanding of the underlying technology. Much of the focus to date, both in the research and commercial environment, has been on single user AR applications. Just as collaborative mobile applications have a demonstrated role in the increasing popularity of mobile devices, and we believe collaborative AR systems present a compelling use-case for AR technology. The aim of this thesis is the development a mobile collaborative augmented reality framework. We identify the elements required in the design and implementation stages of collaborative AR applications. Our solution enables developers to easily create multi-user mobile AR applications in which the users can cooperatively interact with the real environment in real time. It increases the sense of collaborative spatial interaction without requiring complex infrastructure. Assuming the given low level communication and AR libraries have modular structures, the proposed approach is also modular and flexible enough to adapt to their requirements without requiring any major changes

Web-based indoor positioning system using QR-codes as markers

Location tracking has been quite an important tool in our daily life. The outdoor location tracking can easily be supported by GPS. However, the technology of tracking smart device users indoor position is not at the same maturity level as outdoor tracking. AR technology could enable the tracking on users indoor location by scanning the AR marker with their smart devices. However, due to several limitations (capacity, error tolerance, etc.) AR markers are not widely adopted. Therefore, not serving as a good candidate to be a tracking marker. This paper carries out a research question whether QR code can replace the AR marker as the tracking marker to detect smart devices’ user indoor position. The paper has discussed the research question by researching the background of the QR code and AR technology. According to the research, QR code should be a suitable choice to implement as a tracking marker. Comparing to the AR marker, QR code has a better capacity, higher error tolerance, and widely adopted. Moreover, a web application has also been implemented as an experiment to support the research question. It utilized QR code as a tracking marker for AR technology which built a 3D model on the QR code. Hence, the position of the user can be estimated from the 3D model. This paper discusses the experiment result by comparing a pre-fixed target user’s position and real experiment position with three different QR code samples. The limitation of the experiment and improvement ideas have also been discussed in this paper. According to the experiment, the research question has being answered that a combination of QR code and AR technology could deliver a satisfying indoor location result in a smart device user

Exploration and Implementation of Augmented Reality for External Beam Radiotherapy

We have explored applications of Augmented Reality (AR) for external beam radiotherapy to assist with treatment planning, patient education, and treatment delivery. We created an AR development framework for applications in radiotherapy (RADiotherapy Augmented Reality, RAD-AR) for AR ready consumer electronics such as tablet computers and head mounted devices (HMD). We implemented in RAD-AR three tools to assist radiotherapy practitioners with: treatment plans evaluation, patient pre-treatment information/education, and treatment delivery. We estimated accuracy and precision of the patient setup tool and the underlying self-tracking technology, and fidelity of AR content geometric representation, on the Apple iPad tablet computer and the Microsoft HoloLens HMD. Results showed that the technology could already be applied for detection of large treatment setup errors, and could become applicable to other aspects of treatment delivery subject to technological improvements that can be expected in the near future. We performed user feedback studies of the patient education and the plan evaluation tools. Results indicated an overall positive user evaluation of AR technology compared to conventional tools for the radiotherapy elements implemented. We conclude that AR will become a useful tool in radiotherapy bringing real benefits for both clinicians and patients, contributing to successful treatment outcomes

Investigating Real-time Touchless Hand Interaction and Machine Learning Agents in Immersive Learning Environments

The recent surge in the adoption of new technologies and innovations in connectivity, interaction technology, and artificial realities can fundamentally change the digital world. eXtended Reality (XR), with its potential to bridge the virtual and real environments, creates new possibilities to develop more engaging and productive learning experiences. Evidence is emerging that thissophisticated technology offers new ways to improve the learning process for better student interaction and engagement. Recently, immersive technology has garnered much attention as an interactive technology that facilitates direct interaction with virtual objects in the real world. Furthermore, these virtual objects can be surrogates for real-world teaching resources, allowing for virtual labs. Thus XR could enable learning experiences that would not bepossible in impoverished educational systems worldwide. Interestingly, concepts such as virtual hand interaction and techniques such as machine learning are still not widely investigated in immersive learning. Hand interaction technologies in virtual environments can support the kinesthetic learning pedagogical approach, and the need for its touchless interaction nature hasincreased exceptionally in the post-COVID world. By implementing and evaluating real-time hand interaction technology for kinesthetic learning and machine learning agents for self-guided learning, this research has addressed these underutilized technologies to demonstrate the efficiency of immersive learning. This thesis has explored different hand-tracking APIs and devices to integrate real-time hand interaction techniques. These hand interaction techniques and integrated machine learning agents using reinforcement learning are evaluated with different display devices to test compatibility. The proposed approach aims to provide self-guided, more productive, and interactive learning experiences. Further, this research has investigated ethics, privacy, and security issues in XR and covered the future of immersive learning in the Metaverse.<br/

Investigating Real-time Touchless Hand Interaction and Machine Learning Agents in Immersive Learning Environments

The recent surge in the adoption of new technologies and innovations in connectivity, interaction technology, and artificial realities can fundamentally change the digital world. eXtended Reality (XR), with its potential to bridge the virtual and real environments, creates new possibilities to develop more engaging and productive learning experiences. Evidence is emerging that thissophisticated technology offers new ways to improve the learning process for better student interaction and engagement. Recently, immersive technology has garnered much attention as an interactive technology that facilitates direct interaction with virtual objects in the real world. Furthermore, these virtual objects can be surrogates for real-world teaching resources, allowing for virtual labs. Thus XR could enable learning experiences that would not bepossible in impoverished educational systems worldwide. Interestingly, concepts such as virtual hand interaction and techniques such as machine learning are still not widely investigated in immersive learning. Hand interaction technologies in virtual environments can support the kinesthetic learning pedagogical approach, and the need for its touchless interaction nature hasincreased exceptionally in the post-COVID world. By implementing and evaluating real-time hand interaction technology for kinesthetic learning and machine learning agents for self-guided learning, this research has addressed these underutilized technologies to demonstrate the efficiency of immersive learning. This thesis has explored different hand-tracking APIs and devices to integrate real-time hand interaction techniques. These hand interaction techniques and integrated machine learning agents using reinforcement learning are evaluated with different display devices to test compatibility. The proposed approach aims to provide self-guided, more productive, and interactive learning experiences. Further, this research has investigated ethics, privacy, and security issues in XR and covered the future of immersive learning in the Metaverse.<br/

Conception and development of a mobile mixed reality medium for environment-related storytelling – a novel approach to virtual heritage

Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Entwicklung eines neuartigen Virtual Heritage Mediums das User mit Hilfe von interaktiven Mixed-Reality Umgebungen und raumbezogenem Erzählen nicht nur räumlich mitten in eine Geschichte hineinversetzt, sondern auch aktiv in diese einbezieht. Dies wird erreicht, indem das Videobild eines getrackten Smartphones mit perspektivisch stimmigen Echtzeit-3D Inhalten überlagert wird. Der User kann diese Mixed-Reality Umgebung erkunden, die Handlungen von 3D Charakteren beobachten sowie mit ihnen und virtuellen Artefakten interagieren. Dieses Medium bietet folglich die Möglichkeit mediale Geschichten in echten Räumen zu erzählen sowie ein immersives und user-involvierendes Medienerlebnis. Diese Arbeit wird den Einsatz dieses Mediums speziell für Kulturvermittlungszwecke fokussieren. Diese Arbeit wird zunächst die technischen Anforderungen und Umsetzungsmöglichkeiten dieses Vorhabens mittels Unity für iPhone&#8201;/&#8201;iOS 7 untersuchen. Die Belegung der Ergebnisse erfolgt durch die anschließende Realisierung eines Prototypen.The goal of this thesis is to develop a novel type of virtual heritage medium that utilises the combined immersive and engaging potentials of interactive mixed reality environments and spatial narratives. Concretely, this is achieved through depth-sensitive compositing of real-time 3D content into the live-video of a tracked smartphone. The user can explore this mixed reality environment, watch the actions of staged 3D characters as well as interact with them and virtual artifacts. This medium would therefore provide possibilities for telling stories in direct context with existing environments along with an immersive and engaging media experience. This work will mainly focus on how this medium can be used as an edutainment medium in sites of cultural heritage. This thesis will focus on establishing the technical requirements and realisation possibilities for implementation in Unity on iPhone 5&#8201;/&#8201;iOS 7. Subsequently, a prototype is implemented in order to prove the research results

A Survey of Augmented Reality

© 2015 M. Billinghurst, A. Clark, and G. Lee. This survey summarizes almost 50 years of research and development in the field of Augmented Reality (AR). From early research in the 1960's until widespread availability by the 2010's there has been steady progress towards the goal of being able to seamlessly combine real and virtual worlds. We provide an overview of the common definitions of AR, and show how AR fits into taxonomies of other related technologies. A history of important milestones in Augmented Reality is followed by sections on the key enabling technologies of tracking, display and input devices. We also review design guidelines and provide some examples of successful AR applications. Finally, we conclude with a summary of directions for future work and a review of some of the areas that are currently being researched