1. Augmented Reality and…
…its impact on the field of technical communication
Presented by Stacey Stevens
Tech Comm Con, Tacoma WA
Oct. 15, 2016

2. About me
First learned about augmented reality in 2015 at the STC Summit
Became an OASIS Augmented Reality in Information Products (ARIP) technical committee member that same year
Joined the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Adoption (AREA) organization as a sponsor member, also in 2015
Technical communicator at Boeing for the past 16 years
I also enjoy singing, water aerobics, and watching movies!

3. What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes or overlays a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.
This a live, real scene the user is viewing with digital objects layered on top of it.
It’s one thing to tell you about augmented reality, but it’s another thing to show it.
This year, Hyundai introduced an augmented reality version of its owner’s manual.
Note: The link has been removed for this use. If you want to view the link on your own time, though, you can access it via YouTube at the following link:
Let’s take a look: Hyundai’s AR owner’s manual

4. What is virtual reality?
Virtual reality (VR) is an artificial world of images and sounds created by a computer that is affected by the actions of a person who is experiencing it.
This is a computer-generated scene that a person immerses themselves in.
So, this is a funny video I came across where “elders” (cough…people my age and older) were given a virtual reality headset and shown a virtual reality experience. I like this video because it shows virtual reality. Plus, it’s fun to watch the people experience it for the first time.
Note: The link has been removed for this use. If you want to view the link on your own time, though, you can access it via YouTube at the following link:
Let’s take a look: Elders react to virtual reality experience

5. Differences between AR and VR
Augmented Reality
Virtual Reality
Mix of digital and real worlds
User in touch with the real world
Delivered through mobile devices and headsets
Primarily used for business in manufacturing environments and other industries
Augmented Reality Markup Language (ARML)
Digital world only
User is isolated from the real world
Delivered through head-mounted displays or hand-held controllers
Primarily used for gaming, entertainment, and training simulations
Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

6. Let’s take a look: Japan Airlines holographic training demo
What is mixed reality?
Mixed reality (MR) is a digital experience driven by the real-world presence of intelligent virtual objects enabling people to interact with these objects within their real-world field of view.
This is up and coming and it is a mix of AR and VR.
In this video, Microsoft worked with Japan Airlines to create a mixed reality training demonstration using the Microsoft Hololens.
Note: The link has been removed for this use. If you want to view the link on your own time, though, you can access it via YouTube at the following link:
Let’s take a look: Japan Airlines holographic training demo

7. How is augmented reality being used in business?
The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global non-profit, member-based organization dedicated to widespread adoption of AR-enabled enterprise systems
Visit this site to see use cases for augmented reality, as well as the latest news and events happening in the industry
Go to the website and show the use cases and news articles
To see additional content, you can register on the site as a guest for free.
To see even more content, you can join AREA as a member. In this case, there is a cost to join.

8. Recognizing a need for standards
The History
The Need
A few technical communicators at Huawei Technologies were asked to write instructions for augmented reality projects. This was the first time they were asked to do this.
After extensive research, they realized they were forging new ground in this effort.
There were no guidelines for what they were trying to do.
They saw a need to develop standards.
Huawei Technologies is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider.
Drivers that led them to develop standards:
Save future technical communicators the pain they went through trying to figure out what to do and having no support to do it
Give future users a consistent experience
In 2015, they founded an international committee to develop technical communication standards called Augmented Reality in Information Products, or ARIP for short.
I’ve served on the committee for a year now and we are getting ready to release some rough draft guidelines (the precursor to the standards) and an AR term book by the end of this year or early next year. We have a big task ahead of us and a small committee to do the work. We could use help if this interests you and you would like to help out.
In 2015, the Augmented Reality in Information Products Committee began

9. OASIS is a global community of experts who drive the creation and adoption of open standards promoting interoperability, innovation, and freedom of choice.
OASIS = Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards
The founders of the ARIP committee picked OASIS because the OASIS technical process is globally accepted, robust, and allowed them to not only develop and influence the standards that affect technical communicators but also fast-track the approved standards through ISO and other standards bodies. Additionally, OASIS has a very strong international member base which was important for the ARIP committee. OASIS has worldwide credibility and its promotional outreach program gives the committee the visibility and credibility needed to be successful.

10. The goals of the committee
Develop content standards for augmented reality experiences
Develop content models that visually tie instructions to the physical world a user sees
Promote augmented reality content on a global basis
Use the OASIS open process to collaborate internationally
Maximize message credibility through a technology-neutral standards consortium
Actively solicit participation and collaborate with other augmented-reality-related organizations
IEEE AR Industry Connections group
AR for Enterprise Alliance (The AREA)

11. About OASIS Nonprofit consortium Founded 1993
Internationally recognized
Home of 70+ technical committees
ANSI-accredited

12. Some OASIS members
OASIS members include:

13. Who will this affect?
Technical writers
Information architects
Instructional designers
Illustrators
Usability & human factors professionals
Trainers
E-learning developers
Content developers
Anyone who communicates information, no matter the form.

14. How will this affect tech comm?
Instructions may take on different forms than we are used to creating
Subject matter experts may use AR headsets to record steps that we turn into formal instructions
User interface guidelines may need to change to accommodate new ways of interacting with a scene
Content may need to be delivered just in time, depending on the user’s view
Text will have to be layered effectively so that it is visible, yet doesn’t hide the live scene
Determinations will have to be made on what content to include and what to exclude (or offered in a different format)
After the committee has conducted interviews with people who have created AR projects, we are beginning to learn how this technology will affect what technical communicators do. Here are some of our early findings:
For example, you may have noticed when we watched the Microsoft/Japan Airlines video that there were very few words displayed. Does that mean writing didn’t occur? Well, no, not exactly. The instructions, in this case, were spoken. The speaker likely needed a script to follow to know what to say and when.
So, the order in which we get source material may change. Instead of us interviewing or gathering information to write content, the content may come to us from the SME in the form of a video recording. With the AR headsets, SMEs can record the scene. In this way, the SMEs create the first draft and we write formal instructions from there.
I attended Augmented World Expo earlier this year. This is where all the VR and AR vendors come to demonstrate their products. As I tried on various headsets, the way I moved from step-to-step really varied. Some had clickers on the side, some had mouse-like clickers, and others relied on head movement to move from step to step. As design standards emerge, we will have new user interface guidelines to follow.
For example, in the Hyundai video, the text overlays change depending on what you are looking at and where the smartphone is aimed. (e.g., dashboard buttons showed when looking at the dashboard vs. engine buttons showed when looking at the engine.)
This is going to be challenging as we move away from screens to headsets. We will have even less real estate than we do now with smartphones. In the Hyundai video, you may have noticed that the text overtakes the real scene often. Ideally, you want the real scene to take center stage and the instructions to support the user’s view and only show up when needed.
In general, how-to instructions are best suited for augmented reality scenes. Traditional forms of documentation will still be needed for other types of information (e.g., reference information).

15. If your employer is already an OASIS member
Create OASIS user account online
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Join Augmented Reality in Information Products technical committee
If your employer is not an OASIS member yet or you’re self-employed
Choose membership category
Submit membership agreement
How to get involved
No additional dues
You can help!
Self-employed/unemployed members, the cost is $325 a year.
If employee of employer who isn’t an OASIS member, the cost is $1315 per year.
Contact

16. Contact information
My contact information:
Stacey Stevens
LinkedIn:

17. Questions?