Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Head Mounted Display (HMD) or Head Worn Display (HWD) technology represents low-cost, wide Field of Regard (FOR), deployable systems when compared to traditional simulation facilities. However, given current technological limitations, HWD flight simulator implementations provide a limited effective Field of View (eFOV) far narrower than the normal human 200[degrees] horizontal and 135[degrees] vertical FOV. Developing a HWD with such a wide FOV is expensive but can increase the aviator's visual stimulus, perception, sense of presence and overall training effectiveness. This research and experimentation test this proposition by manipulating the eFOV of experienced pilots in a flight simulator while measuring their reflexive motor response and task performance. Reflexive motor responses are categorized as information, importance and effort behaviors. Performance metrics taken include runway alignment error (RAE) and vertical track error (VTE). Results indicated a significant and systematic change in visual scan pattern, head movement and flight control performance as the eFOV was sequentially decreased. As FOV decreased, the average visual scan pattern changed to focus less on out-the-window (OTW) and more on the instruments inside the cockpit. The head range of movement significantly increased below 80[degrees] horizontal x 54[degrees] vertical eFOV as well as significantly decreasing runway alignment and vertical track performance, which occurred below 120[degrees] horizontal x 81[degrees] vertical eFOV.

This thesis aims to contribute to the field of interaction design practice by exploring how posters might offer playful interaction through augmented reality (AR). The project uses an experimental design process involving prototyping, user testing, and analysis to investigate playful interaction together with pop art posters and AR as a technology. This project respects posters as an artistic medium in traditional static form but also further explores the notion of the poster. The aim of this project is to explore how to offer playful interactions with pop art posters through AR to offer a new innovative, engaging, and immersive experience for users in public spaces. The results highlight the importance of appropriate context to engage users through playful interactions and exploring this new virtual space using AR, which contributes to playful interaction through depth, movement, exploration, and unexpected outcomes. To conclude, this thesis project generates a foundation of knowledge for the field of interaction design practice about how posters can offer playful interactions with AR that future designers can act on.

Descriptive mixed-methods were employed to investigate the experiences and perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Thai students in higher education in integrating Augmented Reality technology (AR) in their reading classroom. Participants were queried on their habitual use of computers and the Internet, their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of AR, their experiences in using AR, and their reflective reports of self-efficacy in using AR in creating English vocabulary flashcards as supplemental learning resources. A questionnaire on their use of computers and the Internet was employed with 48 EFL, English-major undergraduates. Subsequently, the participants underwent the Classroom Activity Treatment which comprised 1) the Teacher Showcase, 2) the AR Computer Tutorial, and 3) the Student Showcase, respectively. Classroom observation notes were taken during the three phases. Besides, at the end of each of these three phases, a questionnaire on the acceptance and self-efficacy of AR was administered. Subsequently, 24 students participated in semi-structured interviews to elicit further insights into their perceptions of the effectiveness of AR in EFL instruction and learning. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (Vankatesh & Bala, 2008) was employed for theoretical perspective on the data. Findings revealed most participants had no prior knowledge or understanding about AR before the study. Participants reported AR as advantageous for stimulating student engagement and motivation, and for enhancing memory and memorization. AR was reported to promote learning and practicing digital literacy skills. Participants reported relatively high levels of self-efficacy in using AR, which were primarily driven by their self-satisfaction, creativity and enthusiasm, peer and teacher assistance, as well as technological training and infrastructure. Participants also reported that they would continue using AR in the future when necessary resources, time, and access were secured, for the purposes of professional productivity and development. Analysis suggested that English education curricula be improved and re-designed to integrate the implementation of AR technology to tailor the learning experiences to the students’ needs and learning styles. Professional development and training should also be provided for teachers and students to educate them in using AR in language education teaching and learning.

Augmented Reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD) provides users with an immersive virtual experience in the real world. The portability of this technology affords various information display options for construction workers that are not possible otherwise. The information delivered via an interactive user interface provides an innovative method to display complex building instructions, which is more intuitive and accessible compared with traditional paper documentations. However, there are still challenges hindering the practical usage of this technology at the construction jobsite. As a technical restriction, current AR HMD products have a limited field of view (FOV) compared to the human vision range. It leads to an uncertainty of how the obstructed view of display will affect construction workers' perception of hazards in their surrounding area. Similarly, the information displayed to workers requires rigorous testing and evaluation to make sure that it does not lead to information overload. Therefore, it is essential to comprehensively evaluate the impacts of using AR HMD from both perspectives of task performance and cognitive performance. This dissertation aims to bridge the gap in understanding the cognitive impacts of using AR HMD in construction assembly tasks. Specifically, it focuses on answering the following two questions: (1) How are task performance and cognitive skills affected by AR displays under complex working conditions? (2) How are moment-to-moment changes of mental workload captured and evaluated during construction assembly tasks? To answer these questions, this dissertation proposed two experiments. The first study tests two AR displays (conformal and tag-along) and paper instruction under complex working conditions, involving different framing scales and interference settings. Subjective responses are collected and analyzed to evaluate overall mental workload and situation awareness. The second study focuses on exploring an electroencephalogram (EEG) based approach for moment-to-moment capture and evaluation of mental workload. It uncovers the cognitive change on the time domain and provides room for further quantitative analyzing on mental workload. Especially, two frameworks of mental workload prediction are proposed by using (1) Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and (2) one-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D CNN)-LSTM for forecasting EEG signal and, classifying task conditions and mental workload levels respectively. The approaches are tested to be effective and reliable for predicting and recognizing subjects' mental workload during assembly. In brief, this research contributes to the existing knowledge with an assessment of AR HMD use in construction assembly, including task performance evaluation and both subjective and physiological measurements for cognitive skills. / Doctor of Philosophy / Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology that bridges the gap between virtual creatures and physical world with an immersive display experience. Today, head-mounted display (HMD) is well developed to meet the demands for portable AR devices. It provides interactive and intuitive display of 2D graphical information to make it easier to understand for users. Therefore, AR display has been studied in the past few years for a more simplified and productive construction assembly process. However, given the premise that construction is a high-risk industry, introducing such display technology to the jobsite needs to be carefully tested. One obstacle in current AR HMD products is the restriction of field of view (FOV), which may block users' view in presenting large-scale 3D objects. In construction assembly, workers need to deal with tasks in different scopes, such as wood framing for a residential house. Consequently, it is necessary to study how such technical challenge will impact workers' performance under different task conditions. Another concern comes from the mental perspective. Although AR display may bring convenience in acquiring effective information, it is difficult to measure if this generates excessive mental burden to users. Especially for construction workers, whether the overlaid display will cause distraction and information overload is crucial for protecting workers from hazards. To address the problems, this dissertation explores the gap in previous literature, where mental workload is not well studied for using AR HMD in construction assembly. Two experiments are conducted to comprehensively evaluate the impacts of AR displays on both assembly performance and users' mental status. The outcomes bring implications to theoretical and practical aspects. First, it compares two AR displays (2D tag-along image and 3D conformal model) with traditional paper documentation for assembly performance (efficiency and accuracy) and users' cognitive skills (mental workload and situation awareness). The findings revealed the impact of FOV restriction and provided a strategic solution to selecting display method for different task conditions. Second, it proposes a physiological approach to calculate mental workload from analyzing the features from brain waves. It uncovered the latent mental changes during the assembly. Furthermore, two deep learning approaches are applied to predict and classify mental workload. The prediction model depicted the trend of mental workload in eighteen seconds based on an eighty-four-second training set, while the classifier recognized two task conditions with different mental workload levels with an accuracy of 93.6%. The results have promising potential for future research in detecting and preventing abnormality in workers' mental status. In addition, it is generalizable to apply in other construction tasks and AR applications.

Yes / This paper proposes a stable and accurate object registration pipeline for markerless augmented reality applications. We present two novel algorithms for object recognition and matching to improve the registration accuracy from model to scene transformation via point cloud fusion. Whilst the first algorithm effectively deals with simple scenes with few object occlusions, the second algorithm handles cluttered scenes with partial occlusions for robust real-time object recognition and matching. The computational framework includes a locally supported Gaussian weight function to enable repeatable detection of 3D descriptors. We apply a bilateral filtering and outlier removal to preserve edges of point cloud and remove some interference points in order to increase matching accuracy. Extensive experiments have been carried to compare the proposed algorithms with four most used methods. Results show improved performance of the algorithms in terms of computational speed, camera tracking and object matching errors in semi-cluttered and partial-occluded scenes. / Shanxi Natural Science and Technology Foundation of China, grant number 2016JZ026 and grant number 2016KW-043).

Yes / Mixed reality (MR) is a powerful interactive technology for new types of user experience. We present a semantic‐based interactive MR framework that is beyond current geometry‐based approaches, offering a step change in generating high‐level context‐aware interactions. Our key insight is that by building semantic understanding in MR, we can develop a system that not only greatly enhances user experience through object‐specific behaviours, but also it paves the way for solving complex interaction design challenges. In this paper, our proposed framework generates semantic properties of the real‐world environment through a dense scene reconstruction and deep image understanding scheme. We demonstrate our approach by developing a material‐aware prototype system for context‐aware physical interactions between the real and virtual objects. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation results show that the framework delivers accurate and consistent semantic information in an interactive MR environment, providing effective real‐time semantic‐level interactions.

No / The rise of mainstream virtual learning environments has facilitated the operation of information spaces to support display, simulation, and interactive modelling. As well as disseminating information and knowledge, they can also be used to accumulate learning as each user is also a potential contributor. This paper examines the use of information environments to support mobile learning and dynamic decision making and the extent to which physical or social space can support the application. Such applications are not limited to the traditional data analysis and modelling functions but can be extended to include storytelling, theatre, and other aspects of the arts and the entertainment industry.

With the advances of industry 4.0, augmented reality (AR) devices are being deployed across the manufacturing sector to enhance worker perception and efficiency. AR is often used to deliver spatially relevant work instructions on mobile devices for maintenance procedures on the factory floor. In these situations, workers use their mobile devices to view instructions in the form of 3D animations and annotations that directly overlay the equipment being maintained. Workers then follow the AR instructions and must ultimately rely on their own judgement and knowledge of the procedure as they progress from step to step. An AR assistant that could validate each stage of the procedure in real time and provide the worker with feedback on any observed errors would ensure that each maintenance procedure is completed successfully. This work presents a mobile, quality inspection system for AR maintenance procedures that is capable of assessing the maintenance task in real time. The system is designed for deployment on handheld mobile devices and can thus manage the challenges inherent to performing quality inspection with a non-fixed vision system. This work enumerates four essential qualities of mobile quality inspection tools and outlines some of the challenges encountered during the development of such a system. In the end, testing established that the system could provide adequate assistance for capturing inspection images, accurately process the captured images using machine vision, and generate detailed feedback from the quality inspection in a timely manner.

Abstract Datum: 2023-01-12 Nivå: Kandidatuppsats i Företagsekonomi, 15 högskolepoäng Institution: Akademin för Ekonomi, Samhälle och Teknik, Mälardalens Universitet. Författare: Sonja Blomstermo, Wilma Boberg, Lisa Henriksson  Titel: Hur kan Möbelföretag Arbeta för att Utvecklas med Digitaliseringen? Handledare: Sara Melén Hånell Nyckelord: Detaljhandeln, möbelbranschen, digitalisering, e-handel, showrooms, Augmented Reality (AR), köpintentioner.  Teoretisk Utgångspunkt: The Theory of Planned Behaviour, köpintentioner.  Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka effekten av digitaliseringen av möbelföretag kopplat till e-handel, AR och showrooms. Studien ämnar att bidra med en ökad kunskap kring hur företag inom möbelbranschen kan arbeta för att anpassa sig till digitaliseringen och uppnå fördelar med hjälp av e-handel, showrooms och AR. Metod: En kvalitativ metod har tillämpats till studien som uppsatsen behandlar. För att göra djupgående analyser av hur två svenska små- och medelstora företag (SME:s) i möbelbranschen har anpassat sig till digitalisering har en kvalitativ fallstudie utförts. Vidare har intervjuer samt observationer inkluderats för att djupare undersöka hur företag inom möbelbranschen kan arbeta med e-handel med tilläggen showrooms och AR för att uppnå fördelar. Empirisk Grund: En observation av ett showroom tillhörande ett möbelföretag, tre observationer av AR-funktionen som ett möbelföretag tillämpat, två intervjuer med anställda på ett möbelföretag, elva intervjuer med konsumenter och sekundärdata.   Slutsats: Denna uppsats har påvisat att showrooms och Augmented Reality som komplement till e-handel inom möbelbranschen kan leda till köpintentioner. Slutsatsen dras att företag i möbelbranschen som enbart bedriver försäljning från e-handel skulle kunna uppnå ytterligare fördelar genom att kombinera AR och showrooms. / Abstract Date: 2023-01-12 Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, 15 credits Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Sonja Blomstermo, Wilma Boberg, Lisa Henriksson Title: How can Furniture Companies Work to Develop with Digitalization?  Supervisor: Sara Melén Hånell Keywords: Retail, the furniture industry, digitalization, e-commerce, showrooms, Augmented Reality (AR), purchase intentions. Theoretical Starting Point: The Theory of Planned Behaviour, purchase intentions. Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to examine the effect of digitalization on furniture companies from the application of e-commerce, AR and showrooms. The essay intends to contribute with an increased knowledge about how companies in the furniture industry can work to adjust to the digitalization and achieve benefits with the help of e-commerce, showrooms and AR.  Method: A qualitative approach has been applied to the study of this essay. In order to conduct in-depth analyses of how two Swedish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME:s), in the furniture industry have adapted to digitalization, a qualitative case-study research design has been applied. Interviews and observations have also been included to further investigate how companies in the furniture industry can work with e-commerce together with showrooms and AR to obtain advantages.  Empirical Foundation: One observation of a furniture company’s showroom, three observations of a furniture company’s AR feature, two interviews with employees at a furniture company, eleven interviews with consumers as well as secondary data.  Conclusion: This essay has proven that showrooms and Augmented Reality as a complement to e-commerce in the furniture industry can lead to purchase intentions. Companies in the furniture business that solely conducts sales from e-commerce could obtain additional advantages from a combination of AR and showrooms.

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