Augmented Reality Systems Background and Current Research of AR Systems Dana Schlesinger 2006

Augmented Reality (AR) - Definition “Combine Real and Computer Generated Information, Interact in Real Time and align virtual objects” (Azuma, 1997) “The World becomes the Interface” (Hollerer, 2004)

History of AR systems ● Early 60's: 3D see-through head-worn display (HMD), signs presented on the lab walls (Sutherland, '68). ● 70-80's: AR research at just a few institutions: US Air Force, NASA, MIT, N. Carolina University etc. ● Early 90's: AR research at Boeing: instructions for aircraft assembly to construction workers.

History – The emergent of Mobile Systems The Emergent of Mobile Augmented Reality Systems (MARS): ● Early 90's: GPS-based outdoor system, presenting navigational assistance to the visually impaired (Loomis). ● '96: Columbia Touring Machine,outdoors guided campus tour. ● Since mid-90's: AR experience a renaissance: ubiquitous computing, tangible UI, wearable computing.

ERGIS 2.0 Enriched Reality Geographic Information System

Features: ● Wearable system ● Location-based information system (LBS) ● 6DOF (six degrees of freeddom): x,y,z,yaw,pitch,roll ● Indoors and Outdoors system ● Connection to location-based information (such as froogle, google earth etc..) ● Client-Server connection ● Multiple users

AR Research Many of the AR publications are "application papers" ● Assembly and Construction (e.g. Feiner et al.,1999) ● Maintenance and Inspection (e.g. Zhang et al. 2001) ● Navigation and Path Finding (e.g. Loomis et al. 1993) ● Tourism (e.g. Cheverst et al. 2000)

AR Research cont.. ● Architecture and Archaeology (e.g. Vlahakis et al. 2002) ● Entertainment (e.g. Thomas et al. 2000) ● Medicine (e.g. Hasvold, 2002) ● Military Training and Combat (e.g. Tappert et al. 2001) ● Personal Information Management (e.g Feiner, 2002)

Challenges "..In spite of the great potential of Mobile AR,.. progress in the field was so far almost exclusively been demonstrated in a growing number of prototypes.." (Hollerer, 2004)

Challenges Improving the AR Display System

Challenges Position Tracking: ● Sensor fusion (electronic compass, gyroscope, tilt sensor) ● Camera support ● Closed-loop tracking vs. Open-loop tracking ● GPS : from simple GPS to Differential GPS, and Real Time Kinematic GPS ● WiFi location calculation

Additional Challenges ● Human Interface ● Wearable backpack ● Low power support ● Physical objects with Location-based metadata ● Lighting and brightness of the outside, different weather conditions etc..

Thank You