Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Augmented reality is a fairly young research field, still in an infancy stage at Stellenbosch University. Since this is one of the first augmented reality projects, one goal is to present a theoretical study of augmented reality. This study is given in the literature study, along with a review of the available development solutions. While there are various tools available with which one can create markerbased augmented reality applications, these tools are not meant for testing new techniques and algorithms in an augmented or mixed reality. The remaining goals of this project is to create a platform for the rapid design of augmented reality applications, and to expand the capabilities of this platform beyond marker-based augmented reality. In this project we present the design and implementation of a pragmatic mixed-reality framework capable of a wider variety of applications. A design is shown where marker tracking can be used alongside other computer vision techniques to design new applications. The framework utilises stereo cameras to find the position of real world objects, and a 3D display to make the mixed reality environment as immersive as possible. Proof of concept test applications built with the framework are presented. Colour based techniques are used to find a user’s hand and create a virtual representation of it. This allows the user to interact with a virtual object in an augmented reality scene by ‘touching’ it with her hand. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Toegevoegde realiteit is ’n jong navorsingsveld by Universiteit Stellenbosch. Aangesien hierdie een van die eerste projekte is wat fokus op toegevoegde realiteit, is ’n teoretiese studie van toegevoegde realiteit as ’n doel gestel. Dit word verskaf in die literatuurstudie, tesame met ’n oorsig oor bestaande oplossings vir die ontwikkeling van toegevoegde realiteit sagteware. Bestaande oplossings is gefokus op die ontwikkeling van merker-gebaseerde toegevoegde realiteit, maar los min ruimte vir die toets van nuwe tegnieke toepasbaar op die veld. Dit lei tot die oorblywende doelwitte van die projek: om ’n platform te ontwerp vir die ontwikkeling van merker-gebaseerde toegevoegde realiteit programme, asook om die platform uit te brei. Ons lewer ’n pragmatiese ontwikkelingsraamwerk wat dit moontlik maak om ’n verskeidenheid nuwe toegevoegde realiteit programme te ontwikkel. Die raamwerk is ontwerp sodat die ontwikkelaar merkers saam met ander rekenaarvisie tegnieke kan gebruik om sagteware te skep. Stereo kameras word gebruik om die posisie van werklike voorwerpe te vind. Die raamwerk maak ook gebruik van ’n 3D skerm om virtuele objekte te vertoon. Toetsprogramme gebou as ’n bewys van die konsep, word vertoon en bespreek. ’n Kleur-gebaseerde tegniek word gebruik om ’n gebruiker se hand te vind, en ’n virtuele voorstelling van die hand word geskep. Die gebruiker kan virtuele voorwerpe laat reageer deur dit met haar hand aan te raak.

This study investigated the effects of Augmented Reality (AR) on learning, cognitive load and spatial abilities. More specifically, it measured learning gains, perceived cognitive load, and the role spatial abilities play with students engaged in an astronomy lesson about lunar phases. Research participants were 182 students from a public university in southeastern United States, and were recruited from psychology research pool. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: (a) Augmented Reality and Text Astronomy Treatment (ARTAT); and (b) Images and Text Astronomy Treatment (ITAT). Upon entering the experimental classroom, participants were given (a) Paper Folding Test to measure their spatial abilities; (b) the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (LPCI) pre-test; (c) lesson on Lunar Phases; (d) NASA-TLX to measure participants’ cognitive load; and (e) LPCI post-test. Statistical analysis found (a) no statistical difference for learning gains between the ARTAT and ITAT groups; (b) statistically significant difference for cognitive load; and (c) no significant difference for spatial abilities scores.

Buildings and public infrastructures are crucial to our societies in that they provide habitations, workplaces, commodities and services indispensible to our daily life. As vital parts of facility management, operations and maintenance (O&M) ensure a facility to continuously function as intended, which take up the longest time in a facility’s life cycle and demand great expense. Therefore, computers and information technology have been actively adopted to automate traditional maintenance methods and processes, making O&M faster and more reliable. Augmented reality (AR) offers a new approach towards human-computer interaction through directly displaying information related to real objects that people are currently perceiving. People’s sensory perceptions are enhanced (augmented) with information of interest naturally without deliberately turning to computers. Hence, AR has been proved to be able to further improve O&M task performance. The research motif of this thesis is user evaluations of AR applications in the context of facility maintenance. The studies look into invisible target designation tasks assisted by developed AR tools in both indoor and outdoor scenarios. The focus is to examine user task performance, which is influenced by both AR system performance and human perceptive, cognitive and motoric factors. Target designation tasks for facility maintenance entail a visualization-interaction dilemma. Two AR systems built upon consumer-level hand-held devices using an off-the-shelf AR software development toolkit are evaluated indoors with two disparate solutions to the dilemma – remote laser pointing and the third person perspective (TPP). In the study with remote laser pointing, the parallax effect associated with AR “X-ray vision” visualization is also an emphasis. A third hand-held AR system developed in this thesis overlays infrared information on façade video, which is evaluated outdoors. Since in an outdoor environment marker-based tracking is less desirable, an infrared/visible image registration method is developed and adopted by the system to align infrared information correctly with the façade in the video. This system relies on the TPP to overcome the aforementioned dilemma.

This thesis explores the creation and setup of a prototype that allows users of the device to interact within an indoor real world environment and a virtual environment simultaneously using high-tech common technology. The prototype is comprised of a small mobile device such as a cellular mobile phone, Raspberry Pi computer, a battery powered handheld Pico projector, and software developed for the Android OS. The software can easily be ported to other mobile and non-mobile operating systems. The mobile device must contain accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope embedded sensors as well as 802.11 wireless network chip. The prototype software implements an indoor positioning system to track the current location and orientation of the prototype device in real time. It also displays a virtual world projection upon the surfaces of the real world in relation to the prototype’s physical location and orientation. Three different orientation estimation methods were tested and compared in this thesis. Accelerometer and magnetometer based method, gyroscope based method, and a combined method using a technique called sensor fusion were implemented. A multilateration approach was used for location estimation. Location estimates were calculated from the measured received signal strength of multiple 802.11 wireless network access points. The location of all wireless access points were known and fixed. Received signal strength data was converted to meters using a log distance propagation model, and tests were conducted to compare actual distance with converted distance. Tests were also conducted to compare multilateration estimates from unfiltered or raw RSS and filtered RSS data using a Kalman filter.

Augmented reality (AR) allows the enrichment of the physical world by adding virtual computer-generated digital information in real time to it (Furht, 2014). This provides marketers with previously unimagined options for reaching out and engaging with customers. Having the power to put the (virtual) products in the hand of customers, creates interesting opportunities for the users to engage with a brand, service or product (Yaoyuneyong et al., 2016). Although the AR market is expected to grow exponentially by the year 2020 (Digi-Capital, 2016) and several companies already tried to expand their business with the technology, little is known about whether AR is able to enrich the customers’ shopping behaviour and thus yield favourable outcomes such as increased product knowledge, positive attitudes and higher purchase intentions. This thesis quantitatively addresses the research gap with an experimental method to determine the causal effect of the IKEA AR application on these customer dimensions in comparison to a product experience on the website. Generation Y has been chosen as an appropriate sample to experimentally discover effects on shopping behaviour. Finally, the shopping-oriented AR application is perceived as highly enjoyable and useful, and further evoked higher purchase intentions than its website counterpart. Moreover, the attitude towards the product was not found to be a main driver, but the engaging experience and the conveyed unique product knowledge itself.

The technology of “augmented reality” has existed in an experimental stage since the early 1990s, but it is not until around year 2010 that commercial use in the form of both hardware and software became available, for example, when Pokémon GO and Google Glass were announced. The aim of this thesis is to develop a mobile application that utilizes the technique of augmented reality to gain an insight into the technique’s potential, as well as the various tools available in this type of development. The project resulted in an augmented reality application, written in the program language Kotlin for the mobile operating system Android. The main use of the application includes group activities such as tourism, as the main functionality is to visualize other users' location via the mobile camera using the tools ARCore and Azure’s database Cosmos DB. Even though the technology is relatively new, the work has progressed without major difficulties, and even with basic programming knowledge it is possible to do software development in this area.

Vivenciamos um processo de virtualização do espaço e de sua transformação em fluxos de informação. As cidades contemporâneas estão repletas de ondas eletromagnéticas que atravessam os ambientes, formando uma trama invisível aos olhos. Os universos urbano e informacional, formados por esta \"trama\", estão cada vez mais indissociáveis, criando uma espacialidade híbrida. A infiltração de tecnologias que ampliam nossas capacidades comunicativas, cognitivas e interativas ocorre de forma tão intrínseca que não nos damos conta desta infiltração. Nesse contexto, surgiu a Realidade Aumentada (RA), cujo objetivo é a imersão do usuário num ambiente real, enriquecido com elementos virtuais. O surgimento dos dispositivos móveis contribuiu para a busca da ubiquidade computacional, permitindo a manutenção de um estado de comunicação e conexão permanentes, enquanto o indivíduo desloca-se para suas atividades. A popularização destes dispositivos torna a RA mais próxima do usuário comum, possibilitando sua aplicação em situações cotidianas - e em sua própria relação com a cidade, o recorte proposto por este estudo. Sob o enfoque da vivência do espaço urbano brasileiro a partir de sistemas móveis de RA, buscou-se levantar, triar e analisar um conjunto representativo de aplicativos que possuem tais recursos, verificando sua forma de interatividade e construindo um panorama de como a RA para dispositivos móveis é proporcionada no Brasil, suas contribuições para as relações da população com a cidade e para o campo do design, apontando potencialidades. Esta análise permitirá aos profissionais a ampliação de seus repertórios, incentivando o surgimento de novas possibilidades de uso. / We have been experiencing a virtualization process when it comes to spaces and information flow. Contemporary cities are filled with electromagnetic waves that cross different environments and create a web that is invisible to the eye. The urban and informational universes formed by these webs are becoming increasingly inseparable, creating a sort of hybrid spatiality. The infiltration of technologies that are able to expand our capabilities regarding communication, cognition and interaction occurs in such an intrinsic way that we don\'t even notice it. It was amidst this context that Augmented Reality (AR) came to light. Its objective is the immersion of the user in a real environment, enriched with virtual elements. The appearance of mobile devices contributed for the search of computational ubiquity, allowing the conservation of a state of permanent communication and connection while people move into their activities. The popularization of such devices makes AR closer to the ordinary users, enabling it to be applied in everyday situations and also influence their relationship with the city, which is the focus proposed by this study. Focusing on Brazilian urban space experience through mobile systems of AR, it was sought to raise, trial and analyze a representative set of apps that possess such resources, verifying its interactivity and building an outlook on how mobile devices AR is provided in Brazil, its contributions to the relationship between citizens and city, and lastly, to the Design field - pointing out potentials. This analysis will allow professionals to widen their repertoire, encouraging the appearance of new usage possibilities.

Soluções computacionais desenvolvidas para dispositivos móveis são cada vez mais comuns. A popularização de aplicativos móveis possibilitou o desenvolvimento de soluções para diversas áreas de grande potencial, como a área da saúde, entre ela a Terapia Ocupacional. Entre essas soluções, trabalhos apresentaram diversos métodos computacionais para o apoio a Terapia do Espelho. A terapia do espelho é um método que consiste na execução de exercícios com um membro saudável refletido em um espelho de modo que a visualização auxilie na redução da dor e na reabilitação do membro afetado. Essa terapia tem apresentado resultados, entre outros, na reabilitação para indivíduos que reportam dor do membro fantasma ou em recuperação pós-Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC). A literatura apresenta soluções computacionais para, entre outros, permitir a visualização do membro saudável a partir de tecnologias de realidade aumentada e de dispositivos vestíveis. Essas soluções muitas vezes são de difícil acesso e economicamente inviáveis. Um trabalho anterior, realizado em colaboração com equipe multidisciplinar, resultou na definição de um modelo de acompanhamento remoto que emprega dispositivos móveis para permitir o monitoramento de pacientes em tratamento por meio da terapia do espelho. Uma das limitações encontradas naquele trabalho foi o fato do terapeuta não conseguir acompanhar de maneira automática se o paciente está executando a terapia de maneira correta. Explorando essas contribuições e limitações, este trabalho teve como objetivo propor um modelo que permita o acompanhamento remoto da terapia do espelho com apoio de recursos de realidade aumentada. Como apoio computacional ao modelo, foi desenvolvida a aplicação para smartphones TEIRA (Terapia do Espelho Interativa com Realidade Aumentada) que, utilizada em conjunto com a tecnologia Google Cardboard, permite a execução da terapia do espelho com realidade aumentada. Além disso, com a integração do sistema TEIRA com o sistema de planejamento de intervenções ESPIM (Experience Sampling and Programmed Intervention Method), foi possível proporcionar um método de acompanhamento remoto com coleta de dados e vídeo. Consulta a especialistas indica que a solução apresenta benefícios potenciais para o monitoramento do paciente durante o acompanhamento remoto, que ajudem o paciente a executar a terapia de maneira correta. / Computational solutions developed for mobile devices are increasingly common. The popularization of mobile applications enabled the development of solutions for several areas of great potential, such as the health area, including Occupational Therapy. Among these solutions, papers presented several computational methods to support Mirror Therapy. Mirror therapy is a method that involves performing exercises with a healthy limb reflected in a mirror so that visualization helps in reducing pain and in rehabilitating the affected limb. This therapy has shown results, among others, in rehabilitation for individuals who report phantom limb pain or in post-stroke recovery. The literature presents computational solutions to, among others, allow visualization of the healthy limb from technologies of augmented reality and wearable devices. These solutions are often difficult to access and economically unfeasible. Previous work, conducted in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, resulted in the definition of a remote monitoring model that uses mobile devices to allow the monitoring of patients being treated by means of mirror therapy. One of the limitations found in this work was that the therapist was unable to automatically follow up if the patient was performing the therapy correctly. Exploring these contributions and limitations, this work aimed to propose a model that allows remote monitoring of mirror therapy with the support of augmented reality resources. As a computational support to the model, the application was developed for TEIRA (Interactive Mirror Therapy with Augmented Reality) which, used in conjunction with the Google Cardboard technology, allows the execution of mirror therapy with reality increased. In addition, with the integration of the TEIRA system with the ESPIM (Experience Sampling and Programmed Intervention Method) intervention system, it was possible to provide a remote monitoring method with data and video collection. Expert consultation indicates that the solution has potential benefits for patient monitoring during remote monitoring, which will help the patient perform the therapy correctly.

Context: In recent years, everyone is completely relying on using computers and smartphones in our daily activities. Augmented Reality will superimpose virtual and computer-generated information on top of the real world. Volvo Construction Equipment (VCE) team is planning to use Augmented Reality applications on a real construction site to track the details of the vehicles without going to the laboratory. An Augmented reality application is developed for Microsoft HoloLensand Mobile device and the user experience is evaluated. This research has been conducted at PDRL-BTH, in collaboration with VCE. Objectives: In this research, the key attributes are collected, which should be displayed in both the devices and compare the user experience using the user satisfaction score. Furthermore, this research involves exploring and evaluating the difference in the user experience between both the devices. Methods: In this study first an interview is carried out with the design engineers of the VCE team. Some open-ended questions were asked to the VCE team. The information required from the VCE team is collected and documented and further an experiment on the user experience has been conducted to calculate the User Satisfaction Score between the Microsoft HoloLens and Mobile device. After the experiment, the significant difference has been measured using statistical techniques among the two devices. To measure the size of the difference Cohen’s D effect size is used. Results: The significant difference between the User Satisfaction Score of the two devices has been done using T-test. The results state that the significant value is less than 0.05 and hence the null hypothesis is rejected. The measurable difference states that Microsoft HoloLens has a better user interface than the Mobile device with respect to the user satisfaction Score. Conclusions: After obtaining the results and analyzing the data, we conclude that there is a significant difference in the user experience of Microsoft HoloLens when compared to Mobile device. We also conclude that Microsoft HoloLens has better user experience when compared to the Mobile device.

In this study, the researchers illuminated the positive advantages of incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology into the daily practices of service engineers working in an advanced manufacturing environment. AR technology improved the user’s communication with colleagues and content experts through real-time video conferencing and brought valuable information directly to the user on a mobile platform. This effective communication had the potential to reduce the time it takes to complete a work task, even when the user is in a remote location. However, it could not be assumed that people would be willing to use this new technology just because it was available. In order to promote the positive advantages of incorporating AR technology into the daily practices of service engineers, more research was needed to assess the user’s perceived value of AR technology and their willingness to accept AR technology into their daily tasks. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate the advantages of using augmented reality technology to improve communication and access to information as well as to assess the acceptance and use of this technology based on the behavioral intentions of a trained engineer. Using that information and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology including its extensions (UTAUT and UTAUT2) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003; Venkatesh, 2012) this research determined if AR technology is viable for larger scale adoption.