Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that has grown in popularity within recent years. Not only is it widely used as a gaming entertainment but now the use of the technology is increasing in other areas. VR within school is still a relatively new phenomenon. This report examines the advantages and disadvantages of VR in education and in what contexts it is appropriate to implement. To answer the report’s questions, semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers and initiators who work with VR in Swedish schools. All respondents are working on different projects in varying age groups, this report focuses on elementary school and high school. The results show that all teachers and initiators that were interviewed are positive about the use of VR in education. The advantages are many. VR provides educational support for students with learning difficulties and disabilities; the improved memory experience is also mentioned which confirms the results of previous studies. The respondents also believe that VR is suitable for all types of lessons.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(エネルギー科学) / 甲第24115号 / エネ博第448号 / 新制||エネ||84(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院エネルギー科学研究科エネルギー社会・環境科学専攻 / (主査)教授 下田 宏, 教授 宇根﨑 博信, 教授 黒崎 健 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Energy Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

AR-spelet Pokémon Go har spridits i världen runt om och även gjort en stor succé sen det först lanserades sommaren 2016. Målet med spelet var att få användarna att vilja utforska världen mer, förbättra den sociala interaktionen och öka den fysiska aktiviteten. Detta leder till syftet för denna studie att studera användarnas attityder kring sociala interaktionen och fysiska aktiviteten med AR-spelet Pokémon Go. Syftet är att få en bättre förståelse kring attityderna. Denna studie utfördes med mixed methods. En kvantitativ enkätundersökning genomfördes för att först ge en överblick över användningen för Pokémon Go; totalt 62 respondenter svarade. 6 kvalitativa intervjuer med 6 utvalda respondenter från enkätundersökningen var en komplettering till den kvantitativa metoden för att få en bättre förståelse. Resultatet från det empiriska materialet i jämförelse med den tidigare forskningen visade att användarna hade en positiv syn på AR och Pokémon Go, dock fanns det användare som var skeptiska då spelet och AR enligt dem kunde kännas krävande och innebära fara. Attityden kring den sociala interaktionen och AR var både positiv och negativ då användarna ansåg att AR kan ge stöd för den sociala interaktionen, men att ett möte med främlingar kan vara riskfyllt. Resultatet visar även att majoriteten av användarna känner att AR och fysisk aktivitet är en positiv koppling då det kan vara en motivation till att vara mer fysiskt aktiv. / The AR-game Pokémon Go has spread worldwide and has also made a huge success since it first launched in the summer 2016. The goals of the game were to make the users wanting to explore the world more, improve the social interaction among them and increase the physical activity. This leads to the aim of this paper to study the users’ attitudes towards the social interaction and physical activity with the AR-game Pokémon Go. The purpose is to get a better understanding of the attitudes. This paper was conducted by using mixed method. A quantitative survey was first conducted to get an overview of the usage of Pokémon Go; 62 respondents responded it. The 6 qualitative interviews with 6 selected respondents were a supplement to the survey to get a better understanding of the attitudes. The results of the empirical material in comparison to previous research showed that the users mostly have a positive attitude towards AR and Pokémon Go, but there were users who were skeptical because according to them the game and AR could be demanding and could mean danger. The attitude towards social interaction and AR were both positive and negative because the users find that AR can support the social interaction, but a meeting with strangers can be unsafe. The results shows that the majority of the users feels that AR and physical activity is positive connection as it can be a motivation for being more physically active.

Creating physical simulations between virtual and real objects in Augmented Reality (AR) is essential for the user experience. Otherwise the user might lose sense of depth, distance and size. One of these simulations is occlusion, meaning that virtual content should be partially or fully occluded if real world objects is in the line-of-sight between the user and the content. The challenge for simulating occlusion is to construct the geometric model of the current AR environment. Earlier studies within the field have all tried to create realistic pixel-perfect occlusion and most of them have either required depth-sensing hardware or a static predefined environment. This study proposes and evaluates an alternative model-based approach to the problem. It uses geospatial data to construct the geometric model of all the buildings in the current environment, making virtual content occluded by all real buildings in the current environment. This approach made the developed function compatible with non depth-sensing devices and in a dynamic outdoor urban environment. To evaluate the solution it was implemented in a sensor-based AR application visualizing a future building in Stockholm. The effect of the developed function was that the future virtual building was occluded as expected. However, it was not pixel-perfect, meaning that the simulated occlusion was not realistic, but results from the conducted user study said that it fulfilled its goal. A majority of the participants thought that their AR experience got better with the solution activated and that their depth perception improved. However, any definite conclusions could not be drawn due to issues with the sensor-based tracking. The result from this study is interesting for the mobile AR field since the great majority of smartphones are not equipped with depth sensors. Using geospatial data for simulating occlusions, or other physical interactions between virtual and real objects, could then be an efficient enough solution until depth-sensing AR devices are more widely used. / För att uppnå en god användarupplevelse i Augmented Reality (AR) så är det viktigt att simulera fysiska interaktioner mellan de virtuella och reella objekten. Om man inte gör det kan användare uppfatta saker som djup, avstånd och storlek felaktigt. En av dessa simulationer är ocklusion som innebär att det virtuella innehållet ska vara delvis eller helt ockluderat om ett reellt objekt finns i siktlinjen mellan användaren och innehållet. För att simulera detta är utmaningen att rekonstruera den geometriska modellen av den nuvarande miljön.Tidigare studier inom fältet har försökt att uppnå en perfekt simulation av ocklusion, men majoriteten av dem har då krävt antingen djupavkännande hårdvara eller en statisk fördefinierad miljö. Denna studie föreslår och utvärderar en alternativ modellbaserad lösning på problemet. Lösningen använder geospatial data för att rekonstruera den geometriska modellen av alla byggnader i den nuvarande omgivningen, vilket resulterar i att det virtuella innehållet blir ockluderat av alla reella byggnader i den nuvarande miljön. Den utvecklade funktionen blev i och med det kompatibel på icke djupavkännande enheter och fungerande i en dynamisk urban miljö. För attutvärdera denna funktion så var den implementerad i en sensorbaserad AR applikation som visualiserade en framtida byggnad i Stockholm. Resultatet visade att den utvecklade funktionen ockluderade den virtuella byggnaden som förväntat. Dock gjorde den ej det helt realistiskt, men resultatet från den utförda användarstudien visade att den uppnådde sitt mål. Majoriteten av deltagarna ansåg att deras AR upplevelse blev bättre med den utvecklade funktionen aktiverad och ett deras uppfattning av djup förbättrades. Dock kan inga definitiva slutsatser dras eftersom AR applikationen hade problem med den sensorbaserade spårningen. Resultaten är intressant för det mobila AR fältet eftersom majoriteten av alla smartphones ej har stöd för djupavkänning. Att använda geospatial data för att simulera ocklusion, eller någon annan fysisk interaktion mellan virtuella och reella objekt, kan då vara en tillräckligt effektiv lösning tills djupavkännande AR enheter används mer.

The main drawback of Alternate Reality Gaming, compared to other genres, is that it lacks reusability; typically it cannot be played freely by anyone, anytime, anywhere. However, with the help of modern technology, especially in the mobile devices section, this can be overcome, at least to a certain extent. Therefore, we propose a conceptual framework built upon these challenges raised by other ARGs, a framework meant for game designers and developers that wish to create reusable ARGs, to add reusability to their own ARGs or even turn their digital games into a mixed experience. We designed it by reviewing relevant literature of past ARGs that had a reusable or a digital component, from which we have drawn conclusions and mixed them with our own ideas. Then we tested it iteratively by developing two prototypes and evaluating them through user feedback.

Central venous catheterization (CVC) is performed frequently in clinical practices in Operation Rooms(OR) and Emergency Rooms(ER). CVC is performed for different reasons such as supply nutrition or medicine. For CVC ultrasound (US), diagnostic device is preferable among other medical imaging technologies. Central Venous Catheterization (CVC) under the 2D US guidance requires skills for catheter placement to avoid damaging non-targeted blood vessels. Therefore, there is a great need for improvements in the CVC field where mechanical complication has a risk of occurring during the procedure, for example misplacement of the needle. This master thesis project was performed at Kyushu University department of mechanical engineering and collaboration with Maidashi Kyushu University Hospital department of Advanced Medicine and Innovative Technology in Japan. This thesis is aimed to develop a new simple and cheap guidance system for CVC placement. The system performed on a Tablet PC and will be using already existing Ultrasound machines in Hospitals and Augmented Reality(AR). The project developed a simple AR-System for CVC placement with use of the ArUco library. The new developed system takes information from Ultrasound images and constructs a 3D-model of a vein and artery. Then the 3D-model is augmented on the patient through the tablet PC by using the ArUco library. The construction and augmentation is all performed on the tablet PC and has a small computation to complete the necessary procedures for the 3D-blood vessels. The AR-system has a simple control where the interface of the system is a simple push and action system. When a good visualization of the blood vessels and Doppler effect is shown on the ultrasound machine, the surgeon presses the screen and the image is saved. After about five images are acquired, the system builds the 3D-model and augments it on the patient using a marker. For the development of this system it implemented the waterfall method where each step was tested and checked, before moving to the next step. A full functional system was developed and tested. From the tests performed it is shown that there were limitations due to segmentation and depth perception. But the system has possibilities as an aid for CVC placement.

Spatial Augment Reality (SAR) has presented itself to be an interesting tool for not only interesting ways to visualize information but to develop creative works in performance arts. The main challenge is to determine accurate geometry of a projection space and determine an efficient and effective way to project digital media and information to create an augmented space. In our previous implementation of SAR, we developed a projector-camera calibration approach using infrared markers. However, the projection suffers severe distortion due to the lack of depth information in the projection space. For this research, we propose to develop a RGBD sensor - projector system to replace our current projector-camera SAR system. Proper calibration between the camera or sensor and projector links vision to projection, answering the question of which point in camera space maps to what point in the space of projection. Calibration will resolve the problem of capturing the geometry of the space and allow us to accurately augment the surfaces of volumetric objects and features. In this work three calibration methods are examined for performance and accuracy. Two of these methods are existing adaptations of 2D camera - projector calibrations (calibration using arbitrary planes and ray-plane intersection) with our third proposed novel technique which utilizes point cloud information from the RGBD sensor directly. Through analysis and evaluation using re-projection error, results are presented, identifying the proposed method as practical and robust. / Electrical and Computer Engineering

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To address some of the challenges associated with aging bridge infrastructure, this dissertation explores the development and evaluation of a novel tool for bridge inspections leveraging Augmented Reality (AR) and computer vision (CV) technologies to facilitate measurements. Named the Wearable Inspection Report Management System (WIRMS), the system supports various data entry methods and an adaptable automation workflow for defect measurements, showcasing AR's potential to improve bridge inspection efficiency and accuracy. Within this context, the work's main research goal is to understand the difference in performance between traditional field data collection methods (i.e. pen and paper) and automated methods like spoken data entry and CV-based structural defect measurements. In case of CV assistance, emphasis was placed on human-computer interaction (HCI) to understand whether partial, collaborative automation could address some of the limitations of fully automated inspection methods. The project began with comprehensive data collection through interviews, surveys, and observations at bridge sites, which informed the creation of a Virtual Reality (VR) prototype. An initial user study tested the feasibility of using voice commands for data entry in the AR environment but found it impractical. A second user study focused on optimizing interaction methods for virtual concrete crack measurements by testing different degrees of automated CV assistance. As part of this effort, major technical contributions were made to back-end technologies and CV algorithms to improve human-machine collaboration and ensure the accuracy of measurements. Results were mixed, with larger degrees of automation resulting in significant reductions in inspection time and perceived workload, but also significant increases in the amount of measurement error. The latter result is strongly associated with a lack of field robustness of CV methods, which can under-perform if conditions are not ideal. In general, hybrid techniques which allow the user to correct CV results were seen as the most favorable. Field validations with bridge inspectors showed promising potential for practical field implementation, though further refinement is needed for broader deployment. Overall, the research establishes a viable path for making AR a central component to future inspection practices, including digital data collection, automation, data analytics, and other technologies currently in development. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation investigates the development of an innovative tool designed to transform bridge inspections using Augmented Reality (AR) technology, incorporating advanced computer vision (CV) techniques to assist with measurements. The project began with thorough data collection, including interviews and observational studies at bridge sites, which directly influenced the tool's design. A prototype was initially created in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment to refine the functionalities needed for AR application. The resulting AR system supports various interactive methods for documenting and measuring bridge defects, showcasing how AR can streamline and enhance traditional bridge inspection processes. However, challenges remain, particularly in accurately measuring certain types of defects, indicating that some traditional tools are still necessary. Despite these challenges, early tests with bridge inspectors have been promising, suggesting that AR could significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of bridge inspections. The research demonstrates a clear path forward for further development, with the potential to revolutionize how bridge inspections are conducted.

In the coming years, augmented reality, mobile computing, and related technologies have the potential to completely redefine how we interact with and use computers. No longer will we be bound to desktops and laptops, nor will we be bound to monitors, two-dimensional (2D) screens, and graphical user interface (GUI) backgrounds. Instead we will employ wearable systems to move about and augmented reality displays to overlay 2D and three-dimensional (3D) graphics onto the real world. When the computer graphics and user interface communities evolved from text-based user interfaces to 2D GUIs, many in the field noted the need for “new analyses and metrics“ [Shneiderman et al., 1995]; the same is equally true today as we shift from 2D GUI-based user interfaces and environments, to 3D, stereoscopic virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments. As we rush to advance the state of technology of AR and its capabilities, we need to advance the processes by which these environments are designed, built, and evaluated. Along these lines, this dissertation provides insight into the processes and products of AR usability evaluation. Despite the fact that this technology fundamentally changes the way we visualize, use, and interact with information, very little HCI work in general, and user-centered design and evaluation in particular, have been done to date specifically in AR [Swan & Gabbard, 2005]. While traditional HCI methods can be successfully applied in AR to determine what information should be presented to the user [Gabbard, 2002], these approaches do not tell us, and what, to date, has not been researched, is how information should be presented to the user. A difficulty in producing effective AR user interfaces (UIs) in outdoor AR settings lies in the wide range of environmental conditions that may be present, and specifically large-scale fluctuations in natural lighting and wide variations in likely backgrounds or objects in the scene. In many cases, a carefully designed AR user interface may be easily legible under some lighting and background conditions, and minutes later be totally illegible in others. Since lighting and background conditions may vary from minute to minute in dynamic AR usage contexts, there is a need for basic research to understand the relationship between real-world backgrounds and objects and associated augmenting text drawing styles. This research identifies characteristics of AR text drawing styles that affect legibility on common real-world backgrounds. We present the concept of active text drawing styles that adapt in real-time to changes in the real-world backgrounds. We also present lessons learned on applying traditional usability engineering techniques to outdoor AR application development and propose a modified usability engineering process to support user interface design of novel technologies such as AR. Results of this research provide the following scientific contributions to the field of AR: Empirical evidence regarding effectiveness of various text drawing styles in affording legibility to outdoor AR users. Empirical evidence that real-world backgrounds have an effect on the legibility of text drawing styles. Guidelines to aid AR user interface designers in choosing among various text drawing styles and characteristics of drawing styles produced by the pilot and user-based studies described in this dissertation. Candidate drawing style algorithms to support an active, real-time, AR display system, where sensors interpret real-world backgrounds to determine appropriate values for display drawing style characteristics. Lessons learned on applying traditional usability engineering processes to outdoor AR. A modified usability engineering process to assist developers in identifying effective UI designs vis-à-vis user-based studies. / Ph. D.