15 research outputs found
Augmented Reality in Astrophysics
Augmented Reality consists of merging live images with virtual layers of
information. The rapid growth in the popularity of smartphones and tablets over
recent years has provided a large base of potential users of Augmented Reality
technology, and virtual layers of information can now be attached to a wide
variety of physical objects. In this article, we explore the potential of
Augmented Reality for astrophysical research with two distinct experiments: (1)
Augmented Posters and (2) Augmented Articles. We demonstrate that the emerging
technology of Augmented Reality can already be used and implemented without
expert knowledge using currently available apps. Our experiments highlight the
potential of Augmented Reality to improve the communication of scientific
results in the field of astrophysics. We also present feedback gathered from
the Australian astrophysics community that reveals evidence of some interest in
this technology by astronomers who experimented with Augmented Posters. In
addition, we discuss possible future trends for Augmented Reality applications
in astrophysics, and explore the current limitations associated with the
technology. This Augmented Article, the first of its kind, is designed to allow
the reader to directly experiment with this technology.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap&SS. The final
publication will be available at link.springer.co
Compensation-Based vs. Convergent Deployment Automation for Services Operated in the Cloud
Size Matters! How Thumbnail Number, Size, and Motion Influence Mobile Video Retrieval
Abstract. Various interfaces for video browsing and retrieval have been proposed that provide improved usability, better retrieval performance, and richer user experience compared to simple result lists that are just sorted by relevance. These browsing interfaces take advantage of the rather large screen estate on desktop and laptop PCs to visualize advanced configurations of thumbnails summarizing the video content. Naturally, the usefulness of such screen-intensive visual browsers can be called into question when applied on small mobile handheld devices, such as smart phones. In this paper, we address the usefulness of thumbnail images for mobile video retrieval interfaces. In particular, we investigate how thumbnail number, size, and motion influence the performance of humans in common recognition tasks. Contrary to widespread believe that screens of handheld devices are unsuited for visualizing multiple (small) thumbnails simultaneously, our study shows that users are quite able to handle and assess multiple small thumbnails at the same time, especially when they show moving images. Our results give suggestions for appropriate video retrieval interface designs on handheld devices