Alternative realities : from augmented reality to mobile mixed reality

This thesis provides an overview of (mobile) augmented and mixed reality by clarifying the different concepts of reality, briefly covering the technology behind mobile augmented and mixed reality systems, conducting a concise survey of existing and emerging mobile augmented and mixed reality applications and devices. Based on the previous analysis and the survey, this work will next attempt to assess what mobile augmented and mixed reality could make possible, and what related applications and environments could offer to users, if tapped into their full potential. Additionally, this work briefly discusses what might be the cause for mobile augmented reality not yet being widely adopted to everyday use, even though many such applications already exist for the smartphone platform, and smartglass systems slowly becoming increasingly common. Other related topics and issues that are briefly covered include information security and privacy issues related to mobile augmented and mixed reality systems, the link between mobile mixed reality and ubiquitous computing, previously conducted user studies, as well as user needs and user experience issues. The overall purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate what is already possible to implement on the mobile platform (including both hand-held devices and head-mounted configurations) by using augmented and mixed reality interfaces, and to consider how mobile mixed reality systems could be improved, based on existing products, studies and lessons learned from the survey conducted in this thesis

Towards Automating the Construction of Augmented Reality Interfaces for Information Systems

Information systems typically provide a graphical user interface running on the desktop, web clients or mobile devices. However, we are witnessing a steady increase in the capabilities of mobile phones and tablets, and the proposal of sophisticated head-mounted devices. All these devices enable the construction of augmented reality (AR) applications, where virtual objects are overlayed over real ones using the device camera. AR-based user interfaces can be beneficial for many applications in domotics, smart factories, emergency management, or transportation, to name a few. However, they are difficult to build as they require specialized knowledge. To alleviate this problem, we propose a model-driven engineering approach to automate the construction of AR-based user interfaces for information systems accessible via REST APIs. The feasibility of the proposal is demonstrated on a prototype implementation atop iOS/ARKit, and a case study of an inventory information system

A Fuzzy Logic based system for Mixed Reality assistance of remote workforce

The recent years have witnessed an increase in the use of augmented and virtual reality systems, changing the way we interact with our environments. Such systems are commonly associated with advertising, entertainment, medicine, training and education. However, with the increasing acceptance and availability of mobile and wearable devices (e.g. head-mounted displays (HMD)), the use of these technologies is moving towards professional and industrial environments, where they would be able to support employees in their daily tasks, increasing customer satisfaction and reducing business costs. This paper presents an innovative Mixed Reality (MR) system to assist field workforce in remote locations. As part of the overall implementation, the MR system uses fuzzy logic mechanisms to improve accuracy in user tracking and object monitoring, allowing the correct representation of users and objects in the Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), and improving the experience for users

Visualyzart Project – The role in education

The VisualYzARt project intends to develop research on mobile platforms, web and social scenarios in order to bring augmented reality and natural interaction for the general public, aiming to study and validate the adequacy of YVision platform in various fields of activity such as digital arts, design, education, culture and leisure. The VisualYzARt project members analysed the components available in YVision platform and are defining new ones that allow the creation of applications to a chosen activity, effectively adding a new language to the domain YVision. In this paper we will present the role of the InstitutoPolitécnico de Santarém which falls into the field of education.VisualYzART is funded by QREN – Sistema de Incentivos à Investigação e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (SI I&DT), Project n. º 23201 - VisualYzARt (from January 2013 to December 2014). Partners: YDreams Portugal; Instituto Politécnico de Santarém - Gabinete de e-Learning; Universidade de Coimbra - Centro de Informática e Sistemas; Instituto Politécnico de Leiria - Centro de Investigação em Informática e Comunicações; Universidade Católica do Porto - Centro de Investigação em Ciência e Tecnologia das Artes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio