Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is the integration of digital information with the user's environment in real time. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a totally artificial environment, augmented reality uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it.

How does AR work?

If you're out and about in the real world with your laptop, netbook, or cellphone, it's easy enough to get information: just bring up Google and type in some words. In the brave new world of augmented reality, it's even easier: you get the extra information automatically. That means your portable computing device needs some automatic way of finding out where you are or what you're looking at—a problem known as tracking.

The simplest form of tracking is for the device to use GPS (or some other satellite navigation system) to figure out your position automatically, which is fine if you want broad, background information about a place you're visiting (a local street map, a list of nearby coffee bars, directions to the nearest hotel, or whatever). It's relatively easy to use tracking information from Wi-Fi hotspots as well. But what if you're somewhere like an art gallery or museum and what you actually want is information about each picture or exhibit automatically coming up on your cellphone as you walk through the building? GPS isn't (yet) precise enough for an application like that, so what could we do instead? Broadly speaking, there are two different solutions known as marker-based and markerless tracking.

• Markerless tracking: You could point your phone at each picture or exhibit and have some kind of pattern recognition or feature-detection system try to identify it. That's how our own perceptual systems work, after all: our eyes see things and our brains figure out what we're looking at, then "call up" background information. Our brains are amazingly good at this and make it seem very easy, but it's a much harder problem for a computer to tackle, not least because the best computer vision systems are only a fraction as good as our own.
• Marker-based tracking: A simpler option would be for the gallery or museum to print small, two-dimensional barcodes (also called data-matrix codes) next to each item on display. Then you'd simply point your phone's camera at one of them, your phone would turn the barcode into a web address, and its browser would call up an appropriate web page with further information. AR systems can be designed to read all kinds of other markers (or fiducial markers) as these "added reference points" are called.

Marker-based tracking is currently proving to be the more popular option, largely because it's so simple to implement. But in the longer term fully automatic, markerless tracking seems certain to win out because that's how our own visual systems work—and it's what most users prefer. After all, we recognize our friends automaticallywithout them having to walk around with barcodes printed on their foreheads.

The 5 Types of Augmented Reality

1. Projection based AR

As the name clearly says this type of AR projects digital images on physical objects in the physical space. It can be interactive and project a digital keyboard on your desk, or a dialer on your hand. It might be non-interactive and it can be used to create projection of objects that you can position and see in depth – for example, it might show you if your future fridge will fit into that space you have near the oven by projecting the fridge in front of you.

2. Recognition based AR

Whenever you scan a QR code, or scan an image and it comes to live (just like in iGreet cards) you are actually using a recognition based AR. This how iGreet works – the AR app detects and recognizes something called AR marker. Once it recognizes the marker, it replaces it with a corresponding object. Another type of recognition based AR tech is the one that translates words seen through the camera. This type of AR also seems to be the most widely used one – along with the next one.

3. Location based AR

Location based AR is taking advantage of the smart devices’ location detection features. If you’re a traveler and you want to discover new great places, this method will use your location by reading your smart device’s GPS, compass and accelerometer and give you relevant information about what you’re looking for on your screen.

4. Outlining AR

The line here is a bit blurry – outlining AR uses object recognition to work, and might look a bit like a projection based AR. For example, whenever you’re parking your modern car in the dark, outlining AR recognizes the boundaries of the road and outlines them for you. This method can also be used in architecture and engineering to outline buildings and their supporting pillars.

5. Superimposition based AR

Superimposition based AR also uses object recognition in order to replace an entire object or a part of it with an augmented view. For example, if you’ve ever played FPS games, you know how your soldier may have advanced military equipment showing infrared view, night vision, radioactive view, etc. – this is all superimposition based AR. Also, in medicine, a doctor can use this technology to superimpose an X-ray view of a patient’s broken arm bone on a real image to provide a clear understanding of what the bone’s damage actually is.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Augmented Reality:

Advantages of Augmented Reality

• Augmented Reality is set to revolutionize the mobile user experience as did gesture and touch (multi-modal interaction) in mobile phones. This will redefine the mobile user experience for the next generation making mobile search invisible and reduce search effort for users.
• Augmented Reality, like multi-modal interaction (gestural interfaces) has a long history of usability research, analysis and experimentation and therefore has a solid history as an interface technique.
• Augmented Reality improves mobile usability by acting as the interface itself, requiring little interaction (this Interaction Design technique is known as Direct Manipulation). Imagine turning on your phone or pressing a button where the space, people, objects around you are “sensed” by your mobile device- giving you location based or context sensitive information on the fly.

Disadvantages of Augmented Reality

• Current performance levels (speed) on today’s [2009] iPhone or similar touch devices like the Google G1 will take a few generations to make Augmented Reality feasible as a general interface technique accessible to the general public.
• Content may obscure or narrow a users interests or tastes. For example, knowing where McDonald’s or Starbucks is in Paris or Rome might not interest users as much as “off the beaten track information” that you might seek out in travel experiences.
• Privacy control will become a bigger issue than with today’s information saturation levels. Walking up to a stranger or a group of people might reveal status, thoughts (Tweets), or other information that usually comes with an introduction, might cause unwarranted breaches of privacy.

Applications of Augmented Reality

• Handheld AR Equipment: The long list of AR software development kits for Android smartphones and Apple's ARKit for its mobile devices give developers the tools they need to add AR elements to their apps.Want to view how a retailer's virtual furniture looks in your room before you buy? There'll soon be an AR app for that. Want to clean off your dining room table and populate it with your favorite action-adventure game locales and characters? You can.The number of AR apps for the iPhone and Android devices has expanded dramatically, and they aren't limited to games. Retailers are showing tremendous interest in AR possibilities.

• AR Headsets: You may have heard of Microsoft's HoloLens by now or Facebook's Oculus VR headset. These high-end headsets were eagerly awaited by all, but only a lucky few could afford them. It wasn't long before headsets were offered at a consumer price—the Meta 2 head-mounted display headset is a third the price of the HoloLens. Like most AR headsets, it operates while tethered to a PC—but it won't be long before untethered headsets are available. Budget-priced headsets are available for use with smartphones and tablets. The future may see smart glasses be all the rage or smart contact lens.

• AR Applications: Early PC, smartphone and tablet applications for augmented reality focused on games, but the uses of AR are much broader. The military uses augmented reality to assist men and women as they make repairs in the field. Medical personnel use AR to prepare for surgeries. The possible commercial and educational applications are unlimited.

• Military AR Uses: The Heads-Up Display (HUD) is the typical example of augmented reality when it comes to military applications of the technology. A transparent display is positioned directly in the fighter pilot's view. Data typically displayed to the pilot includes altitude, airspeed and the horizon line in addition to other critical data. The term "heads-up" name applies because the pilot doesn't have to look down at the aircraft's instrumentation to get the data he needs.The Head-Mounted Display (HMD) is used by ground troops. Critical data such as enemy location can be presented to the soldier within their line of sight. This technology is also used for simulations for training purposes.

• Medical AR Uses: Medical students use AR technology to practice surgery in a controlled environment. Visualizations aid in explaining complex medical conditions to patients. Augmented reality can reduce the risk of an operation by giving the surgeon improved sensory perception. This technology can be combined with MRI or X-ray systems and bring everything into a single view for the surgeon.Neurosurgery is at the forefront when it comes to surgical applications of augmented reality. The ability to image the brain in 3D on top of the patient's actual anatomy is powerful for the surgeon. Since the brain is somewhat fixed compared to other parts of the body, the registration of exact coordinates can be achieved. Concern still exists surrounding the movement of tissue during surgery. This can affect the exact positioning required for augmented reality to work.

• AR Apps for Navigation: Navigation applications are possibly the most natural fit of augmented reality with our everyday lives. Enhanced GPS systems use augmented reality to make it easier to get from point A to point B. Using the smartphone's camera in combination with the GPS, users see the selected route over the live view of what is in front of the car. Sightseeing in Augmented Reality.There are a number of applications for augmented reality in the sightseeing and tourism industries. The ability to augment a live view of displays in a museum with facts and figures is a natural use of the technology. Out in the real world, sightseeing has been enhanced using augmented reality. Using a smartphone equipped with a camera, tourists can walk through historic sites and see facts and figures presented as an overlay on their live screen. These applications use GPS and image recognition technology to look up data from an online database. In addition to information about a historic site, applications exist that look back in history and show how the location looked 10, 50 or even 100 years ago.

• Maintenance and Repair: Using a head-worn display, a mechanic making repairs to an engine can see superimposed imagery and information in his actual line of sight. The procedure might be presented in a box in the corner, and an image of the necessary tool can illustrate the exact motion the mechanic needs to perform. The augmented reality system can label all the important parts. Complex procedural repairs can be broken down into a series of simple steps. Simulations can be used to train technicians, which can significantly reduce training expenses.

• AR Gaming Takes Off: With recent advances in computing power and technology, gaming applications in augmented reality are on the upswing. Head-worn systems are affordable now and computing power is more portable than ever. Before you can say "Pokemon Go," you can jump into an AR game that works with your mobile device, superimposing mythical creatures over your everyday landscape.Popular Android and iOS AR apps include Ingress, SpecTrek, Temple Treasure Hunt, Ghost Snap AR, Zombies, Run! and AR Invaders.Advertising and PromotionThe Layar Reality Browser is an application for iPhone and Android designed to show the world around you by displaying real time digital information in conjunction with the real world. It uses the camera on your mobile device to augment your reality. Using the GPS location feature in your mobile device, the Layar application retrieves data based on where you are and displays this data to you on your mobile screen. Details about popular places, structures and movies are covered by Layar. Street views show the names of the restaurants and businesses superimposed over their storefronts.