Innovating with Augmented Reality

Applications in Education and Industry

P Kaliraj, Devi Thirupathi, P Kaliraj, Devi Thirupathi

• Publisher: Auerbach Publications
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000504248
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Informatica
• Subtopic: Realtà virtuale

Augmented Reality (AR) has many advantages that include increased engagement and interaction as well as enhanced innovation and responsiveness. AR technology has applications in almost all domains such as medical training, retail, repair and maintenance of complex equipment, interior design in architecture and construction, business logistics, tourism, and classroom education. Innovating with Augmented Reality: Applications in Education and Industry explains the concepts behind AR, explores some of its application areas, and gives an in-depth look at how this technology aligns with Education 4.0.

Due to the rapid advancements in technology, future education systems must prepare students to work with the latest technologies by enabling them to learn virtually in augmented ways in varied platforms. By providing an illusion of physical objects, which takes the students to a new world of imagination, AR and Virtual Reality (VR) create virtual and interactive environments for better learning and understanding. AR applications in education are covered in four chapters of this book, including a chapter on how gamification can be made use of in the teaching and learning process.

The book also covers other application areas of AR and VR. One such application area is the food and beverage industry with case studies on virtual 3D food, employee training, product–customer interaction, restaurant entertainment, restaurant tours, and product packaging. The application of AR in the healthcare sector, medical education, and related devices and software are examined in the book's final chapter. The book also provides an overview of the game development software, Unity, a real-time development platform for 2D and 3D AR and VR, as well as the software tools and techniques used in developing AR-based apps.

Chapter 1 Augmented Reality

M. Lissa¹ and V. Bhuvaneswari²

¹Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Computer Applications, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India

²Associate Professor, Department of Computer Applications, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India

Contents

1. 1.1 Introduction to Augmented Reality
2. 1.1.1 Definition and Augmented Reality Characteristics
3. 1.1.2 Difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
4. 1.1.3 Current Industry Landscape
5. 1.1.3.1 AR Today
6. 1.2 How Augmented Reality Works with Technology
7. 1.2.1 Augmented Reality Functionality
8. 1.2.1.1 Features of AR Technological Components
9. 1.2.1.2 The Methods to View Object with AR Feature Detection
10. 1.2.2 Feature Extraction Technologies Used in AR (Augmented Reality)
11. 1.3 Hardare Components to Power Augmented Reality
12. 1.3.1 The Hardware Needed to View AR Content
13. 1.3.2 Hardware Requirements
14. 1.3.3 Augmented Reality Devices
15. 1.3.3.1 Software Requirements
16. 1.3.3.2 AR Assets and ARCore Features
17. 1.3.4 Real-World Uses of Augmented Reality
18. 1.3.5 The Advantages of Various AR UI (User Interface) Types
19. 1.4 Augmented Reality Business Applications
20. 1.4.1 AR Today: Smart Phone vs. Standalone
21. 1.4.2 AR for Weather Prediction
22. 1.4.3 AR for Market Prediction
23. 1.4.3.1 AR for Business Models
24. 1.4.3.2 Market Analysis of the AR Market (Market Size Forecast)
25. 1.4.4 AR for Smart Cities
26. 1.5 Tools Available for Augmented Reality and Recognition
27. 1.5.1 Software Tools: AR with Tools like Google Poly and Unity
28. 1.5.1.1 AR Technological Software Approaches
29. 1.5.2 Types of Recognition
30. 1.5.2.1 Native Software Solutions – ARKit and ARCore (Recognizing the Ground Plane)
31. 1.5.2.2 Vuforia Animation Markers
32. 1.5.2.3 Recognition of Codes with Subsequent Placement – Zappar
33. 1.5.2.4 Location-Based Tracking – Wikitude
34. 1.6 Conclusion
35. References

DOI: 10.1201/9781003175896-1

Objective

The main objective of this chapter is to focus on giving immense knowledge about emerged technology Augmented Reality, and it is essential to have a base knowledge about the technology before plunging into the field of experiencing. The chapter has five sections to give exclusive understanding and exposure to the world of Augmented Reality. It provides a 360-degree view of the world of AR and explains with real-time examples the variety of aspects that can be developed through Augmented Reality technology. It will provide a solid theoretical grip on the AR and a brief overview of the world of AR for underlying developments. The chapter also provides a holistic approach and concise overview of the realm of AR and how the world is being adopted by it day in and day out. AR cannot be categorized as a simple technology, but rather a combination of set of technological innovations.

1.1 Introduction to Augmented Reality

The chapter introduces Augmented Reality for the students and the people who are looking forward to learning more about emerging technologies this covers the core concepts which involve basics, features, advantages, tools, and technologies of Augmented Reality with real-time applications. The basic history and the term Augmented Reality is commonly abbreviated as AR, which emerged in the year 1992 by two airplane engineers of Boeing Thoman and David. The first experiment and goal are to create a display that can transform the physical world that is replacing the real world with digital reality. It needs more complex programmatical codes and big suspended machines, and mechanical arms to display (Craig, 2013).

Today there is no longer a need for heavy machines instead of the independent hardware referred to as standalone headsets or head-mounted display. In short, it is called an HMD this is also an AR content delivery system first introduced by the Microsoft Hololens, it is a wireless and rechargeable battery present within a frame. On the other side, the smartphone development industry contributed to AR’s growth because the components used for AR are the same for mobile devices. Also, AR is created using face and rear camera on smartphones by holding it up the screen can display digital objects and information integrated within the real world. Now the smartphone itself can act as a portal to a new world’s experience and knowledge.

AR begins with the most powerful and broadly applicable matters, as was the Internet itself. It is self – an evident and eventual conclusion reached when anyone, achieving upon a basic level of comprehension, spends a few moments considering the limitless potential that augmented reality promises. Spatial and interactive were AR builds on what has come before and takes connectedness to new places and it is a medium that allows you to interact with digital data visually and spatially that is utterly seamless with your environment and everyday life.

1.1.1 Definition and Augmented Reality Characteristics

The technology involved in Augmented Reality can project 3D models directly or insert, fuse, and overlay digital and virtual information in the real-world environment. AR can be leveraged to recognize things and see things and get instantaneous information via a Smartphone. In AR, the images generated by the computer are superimposed on the physical world which changes the perception of reality. AR projects a real-world environment by adding sounds, videos, or graphics to it that helps to experience an automated tour with audio Augmented Reality (Bederson, 1995).

The characteristics that define Augmented Reality are related to interactive concepts which include combining the real and virtual world, the virtual environment created with the AR experience is interactive. The real images and virtual images are combined and can be seen at the same time. 3D objects appear in a fixed space where it is spatially registered AR, it also makes simple interaction.

Focuses on the main three characteristics

1. Integration with a real-world environment
2. Real-time integration
3. Alignment in the 3D model to embed in the focused area

1.1.2 Difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is defined as the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment, it makes the users immerse into the environment and interact with the 3D worlds. Virtual Reality simulates the various senses like vision, touch, hearings, a smell which transforms to experience the artificial world. It creates an artificial environment to experience the 3D world on the other phase augmented reality helps to simulate the artificial objects in the real environment. A brief comparison of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality is explained as shown in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality	Virtual Reality
The digital elements can be added to the actual environment by using Augmented Reality (AR) (Hubspot, 2018)	The user can interact with the virtual world which does not exist and get an immersive experience with the use of Virtual Reality (VR) (Hubspot, 2018)
Augmented Reality is a live direct or indirect view of a physical world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated or extracted real-world sensory (Geospatial, 2018)	The real world fits with virtual objects with Virtual Reality used in headsets, sometimes in combination with physical space (Geospatial, 2018)
AR supplements the world with digital objects of any sort, Airplane pilot helmets that display data within the pilot's view as they fly are AR headsets (Geospatial, 2018)	Multi projected environments to generate realistic images, VR devices are Facebook's Oculus, Samsung's gear or Google Cardboard are all VR devices (Geospatial, 2018)

1.1.3 Current Industry Landscape

AR technologies produce a digital immersive user experience across various industry verticals like Gaming, Entertainment, Media, Aerospace, Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, Retail, and others. The key market players are Alphabet (Google Inc.), DAQRI, Facebook, HTC, Magic Leap, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Osterhout Design Group, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, Sony, Wikitude (Prnewswire, 2020). As per the statistics (Tech Jury, 2019) of finance, online reviews for the busines...