Denna studie utreder hur användarna kommer att acceptera och använda en Mobile augmented reality app i möbelbranschen utifrån modellen Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Därmed bidrar till den begränsade forskningen kring MAR inom Möbelbranschen. Undersökningen görs med IKEA Place app i ett kontrollerat fallstudie där användarna observeras och intervjuas. Forskningsstrategin har gått ut på att samla kvalitativa data för att få en förståelse för hur och varför, istället kvantitativa data som är standard inom studier med TAM. Studien har har resulterat i ett kunskapsbidrag i form av nytt empirisktmaterial inom området för forskningsvärlden. Samt förslag på förbättringar eller faktorer att ta hänsyn till vid implementering av MAR inom möbelbranschen för aktiva verksamheter. Det har även resulterat i en för sitt syfte, bredare förståelse för hur och varför användarna accepterar MAR vid handel av inredningsvaror. / This study investigates how users will accept and use a Mobile augmented reality app in the furniture industry based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) model. This contributes to the limited research on MAR in the furniture industry. The survey is done with the IKEA Place app in a controlled case study where users are observed and interviewed. The research strategy has been to gather qualitative data to gain an understanding of how and why, instead of quantitative data that is standard in studies with TAM. The study has resulted in a knowledge contribution in the form of new empirical material in the field of the research world. And suggestions for improvements or factors to take into consideration when implementing MAR in the furniture industry for active businesses. It has also resulted in one for its purpose, broader understanding of how and why users accept MAR in the trade of furnishing goods.

Background:  The prevalence of augmented reality (AR) is on an upward trend and is expected to accelerate in growth in the upcoming years. This poses a strategic opportunity for marketers as it paves the way for incorporating AR into their marketing activities. However, a challenge for companies who wish to incorporate AR into their marketing is the lack of internal capabilities concerning AR among marketers. Research has shown that AR marketing (ARM) has several advantages such as it improves customer engagement, customer-brand relationships, customer’s purchasing intentions, and customer’s attitudes towards brands. The key factor that drives these positive outcomes of ARM is the enhanced hedonic and utilitarian benefits it provides. However, there is currently a lack of understanding regarding what utilitarian and hedonic benefits customers expect to derive from ARM. understanding these expectations is essential as their fulfillment is a determinant of how meaningful and satisfactory the ARM experiences are perceived.  Purpose:  The purpose of this study is to bridge the current research gap by exploring customers' expectations regarding the hedonic and utilitarian benefits of ARM and how well they perceive that these expectations are met and subsequently what this means for the overall customer experience.  Method:  The study is based on an exploratory qualitative research design with an abductive approach. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with fifteen participants that were purposely sampled. This allowed us to get rich data and develop an in-depth understanding of customers’ expectations and experiences with ARM. The interviews were conducted in two rounds, the first round was to explore their expectations of ARM shopping applications while the second round was to explore their experiences. Between the two interviews, the participants used two ARM applications (IKEA Place & Wanna Kicks) and were asked to use them in their domestic setting. We analyzed the interview data using thematic analysis. By doing so we took a systematic approach to identify and compare similarities and dissimilarities in our data, leading to emerging themes. The results were compared to existing literature to identify new findings and develop conclusions.  Findings:  Our findings contribute to a deeper theoretical understanding of ARM by identifying and categorizing customers' hedonic and utilitarian expectations and shedding light on the specific AR attributes that contribute to these expectations. Furthermore, we also present novel insights into how ARM can provide meaningful customers experiences. Our findings have several theoretical and managerial implications offering valuable insights for the continuation of theoretical development and strategic marketing practices.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / A key component in tracking is identifying relevant data and combining the data in an effort to provide an accurate estimate of both the location and the orientation of an object marker as it moves through an environment. This thesis proposes an enhancement to an existing tracking system, the enhanced distributed tracking system (e-DTS), in the form of the e-DTS 2.0 and provides an empirical analysis of these enhancements. The thesis also provides suggestions on future enhancements and improvements. When a Camera identifies an object within its frame of view, it communicates with a JINI-based service in an effort to expose this information to any client who wishes to consume it. This aforementioned communication utilizes the JINI Multicast Lookup Protocol to provide the means for a dynamic discovery of any sensors as they are added or removed from the environment during the tracking process. The client can then retrieve this information from the service and perform a fusion technique in an effort to provide an estimation of the marker's current location with respect to a given coordinate system. The coordinate system handoff and transformation is a key component of the e-DTS 2.0 tracking process as it improves the agility of the system.

With the development of resilient computer vision algorithms, mobile augmented reality (MAR) technology is now accessible for most smartphone users. There are a lot of MAR applications available on the App Store and Google Play. However, most of the applications are games for indoor usage. Outdoor MAR commercial applications are rare. Evidently, outdoor MAR in tourism is a promising and challenging field. This study focuses on Djurgården, an island in Stockholm. The purpose is to develop a MAR prototype for some underexplored places on the island and see the benefits and challenges of AR as a method for helping tourists in sightseeing. A MAR application was developed to explore the research question surrounding its benefits and challenges. a user study was conducted to compare the MAR prototype with general usage of smartphone applications, where both quantitative and qualitative data was gathered. The results indicate that MAR has an advantage in providing more immersive, content travelling experience as well as reducing feelings of boredom. However, MAR also has challenges in avoiding collision with real objects and limiting possible risks. / Utvecklingen av robusta och effektiva algoritmer för datorseenede har lett till att de flesta med en smarttelefon idag har tillgång till Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) teknologi. Det finns många MAR applikationer tillgängliga på App Store och Google Play, däremot är de flesta anpassade för användning inomhus. Kommersiella MAR applikationer för utomhusbruk är ovanliga. Uppenbarligen är utomhusbaserade MAR applikationer inom turism ett lovande och utmanande fält. Den här studien fokuserar på ön Djurgården i Stockholm. Målet är att utveckla en MAR prototyp för några av öns mindre besökta platser och undersöka fördelar och utmaningar med AR som ett verktyg för att hjälpa turistande på ön. En MAR applikation för att undersöka detta utvecklades och en användarstudie genomfördes. Användarstudien jämförde MAR prototypen mot generella applikationer på smarttelefoner, där både kvantitativ och kvalitativ data insamlades. Resultaten visar att MAR har fördelar i att förmedla mer engagerande innehåll för reseupplevelser och i att reducera känslor av tristess och utmattning. Däremot finns det utmaningar inom MAR i att undvika kollisioner med verkliga objekt och att minimera skaderisker.

In modern day logistics, small and medium sized consumer goods are often manually handled and packaged in fulfillment centres and warehouses. When time efficiency is prioritised, there exists the risk to pick too big a package and thus waste space which can naturally lead to unwanted consequences such as unnecessary transports being booked and excess package material being used. This in turn leads to cost inefficiency and increased environmental impact. One novel way of tackling this issue is to use algorithms made to solve optimization problems such as theff3D bin packing problem to pre-calculate which package to use when assembling an order. However, as fill rates improve, it may become difficult for warehouse workers to fit all items into the selected package, especially when dealing with a larger number of items. To help with this, modern techniques such as spatial augmented reality can be used to visualize the packing process in real time, showing workers which item to place next, and where. Recent studies have shown improved packing speeds using this approach, however further improvements could potentially optimize the usability even further. In this study, a novel spatial AR application was used in conjunction with a depth camera to not only indicate where to place items, but to progress the instructions automatically only if they were placed correctly. The aid-tool was tested on 26 participants and showed significant improvements by a factor of 3.29 for a fill rate of 90%, slight but insignificant improvements by a factor of 1.18 for a fill rate of 85% and performed worse by a factor of 0.71 for a fill rate of 81% when compared against unassisted packing. The study concluded that the chosen spatial AR tool showed promise for fill rates of 90% and above, but the results should be treated with caution as the sample size and methodological flaws severely limited the scope of the findings. / Inom modern logistik skickas små och medelstora konsumtionsvaror ofta via manuella packflöden i terminaler och lager. När tidseffektivitet prioriteras så finns risken att ett för stort paket väljs vilket leder till tomt extautrymme och därmed oönskade konsekvenser såsom onödiga transporter och överflödigt packmaterial. Detta leder i sin tur till kostnadsineffektivitet och miljöpåverkan. Ett nytt sätt att hantera detta problem är att använda algoritmer som löser optimeringsproblem såsom 3D-lådpackningsproblemet för att på förhand räkna ut vilket paket som ska användas när en order packas. Dock kan det bli svårt för lagerarbetarna att passa in alla varor i det utvalda paketet när fyllnadsgraden blir högre, särskilt när antalet varor är högt. För att förenkla detta kan moderna tekniker så som spatial augmented reality användas för att visualisera packningsprocessen i realtid för packaren, och visa vilken vara som skall placeras härnäst, samt var. Nylig forskning har påvisat förbättrade packningstider med detta tillvägagångssätt, men vidare förbättringar skulle potentiellt kunna optimera användarvänligheten ytterligare. I denna studie utvecklades ett nytt spatialt AR-verktyg som användes i kombination med en djupkamera för att inte enbart visa var varor skulle placeras utan dessutom enbart stega framåt i instruktionerna då de placerats korrekt. Hjälpmedelsverktyget testades på 26 deltagare och visade en signifikant förbättring med en faktor av 3.29 för en 90%:ig fyllnadsgrad, en liten men insignifikant förbättring med faktor 1.18 för en fyllnadsgrad på 85% samt presterade sämre med en faktor 0.71 för en 81%:ig fyllnadsgrad i jämförelse med oassisterad packning. Studien kom fram till att det valda AR-hjälpmedlet visade lovande resultat för fyllnadsgrader inkl. och över 90%, men resultaten bör hanteras med försiktighet då en liten urvalsstorlek och metodologiska brister kraftigt begränsade resultatens styrka.

Building your own house may be the biggest decision and greatest investment of your life, which calls for an informed decision regarding the house design. However, two-dimensional drawings may lack external context and might, for untrained eyes, not communicate how the house will look on its intended site. With the use of augmented reality, the company Softhouse Neava AB has developed an application, Arvue, that gives users the ability to display digital house models in full scale at their intended site. Arvue is intended to help architectural firms in communicating house designs with their clients and through this, enhance their clients' experience of the designing process and decision making process. However, the user interface of Arvue lacks in usability, and when creating the interface, no usability testing was conducted. The objective of this thesis is to re-design the user interface of Arvue, with the aim to enhance its usability.  The prototype was developed using the design thinking process, which was iterated two times. This process consists of five phases - empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test. During the empathize phase, potential users were interviewed about their thoughts on usability and their knowledge and thoughts on AR. During the define phase, personas and user need statements were created based on the interview data. The user need statements were then used as a base for the brainstorming sessions in the ideate phase. Finally, a prototype was created and usability tested in two iterations.  To measure if the aim of this thesis was met, the System Usability Scale was used to grade both the current user interface of Arvue and the prototype, to compare the results. The current user interface scored an average of 49,5 or a grade F, meaning that the usability is below average. The prototype scored an average of 88 or a grade A+, meaning that the usability is above average. This indicates that the usability of the user interface has been enhanced, and thereby the aim of the thesis has been met. / Att bygga hus kan vara det största beslutet och den största investeringen i ditt liv, vilket kräver ett välinformerat beslut angående husets design. För otränade ögon kan det dock vara svårt att föreställa sig tvådimensionella ritningar på sin avsedda plats. Med hjälp av augmented reality har företaget Softhouse Neava AB utvecklat en applikation, Arvue, som ger en möjlighet att visa digitala husmodeller i verklig skala på deras avsedda plats. Arvue är avsedd att hjälpa arkitektfirmor att kommunicera husdesigner med sina kunder och genom detta förbättra sina kunders upplevelse av designprocessen och beslutsprocessen. Användargränssnittet för Arvue lider dock av bristande användarvänlighet, och användbarhetstester utfördes inte vid skapandet av användargränssnittet. Målet med denna uppsats är att omdesigna användargränssnittet för Arvue med syfte att förbättra dess användarvänlighet.  Prototypen utvecklades med hjälp av design thinking-processen, som itererades två gånger. Denna process består av fem faser - empathize, define, ideate, prototype och test. Under empathizefasen intervjuades potentiella användare om deras tankar kring användarvänlighet och deras kunskap och tankar kring AR. Under definefasen skapades sedan personas och user need statements baserat på intervjudatat. Detta användes sedan som grund för brainstormingsessioner i ideatefasen. Slutligen skapades en prototyp som användbarhettestades i två iterationer.  För att mäta om syftet med uppsatsen uppnåddes användes System Usability Scale för att betygsätta både det nuvarande användargränssnittet för Arvue och prototypen, för att sedan kunna jämföra resultaten. Det nuvarande användargränssnittet fick ett genomsnittligt poäng på 49,5 eller betyget F, vilket innebär att användarvänligheten är under genomsnittet. Prototypen fick ett genomsnittligt poäng på 88 eller betyget A+, vilket innebär att användarvänligheten är över genomsnittet. Detta tyder på att användarvänligheten för användargränssnittet har förbättrats och att syftet med uppsatsen har uppnåtts.

In this thesis we present our research project on an augmented environment developed using the technology available in the field of Augmented Reality, capable of delivering learning contents on Information and Communication Technologies and e-services to older adults without computer and digital literacy. The learning environment is meant to provide a contribution in solving a problem of social exclusion in older adults. In recent years, technology has helped older adults in many ways to slow down the effects of ageing. Yet, at the same time, technology has also created new problems for older adults. Indeed, technology has transformed society into a strongly technological-based e-society, in which citizens without competences on the use of computer and digital tools, such as older adults, are progressively pushed to the margins, and run the risk of being socially excluded. Learning is the key-concept for a possible solution to such a problem. Older adults can still learn, even in older age. Learning is beneficial to older adults in many ways. So, why not using learning for teaching older adults the basic of technology necessary to make them citizens of e-society? That is the purpose of our research: our learning environment is meant to teach older adults the basic of technology through a technological device. We designed our augmented environment specifically for older adults without computer and digital literacy: it takes into account older adults’ needs and possible disabilities; it does not require any particular psycho-physical competence to be used; it does not require any technological knowledge. In this thesis we show how we designed a learning augmented environment with such features, how we developed it, and how we tested it on a group of older adults to ensure that what we have developed meets the requirements we set during the design process.

abstract: There is a demanding need to empower students from kindergarten through high school to learn computer science and be equipped with the computational thinking skills that they need in today's technology driven world. However, introducing computer programming to students can be challenging, especially for those who aren't familiar with the nuances of code. Several popular tools are used in curriculum for K-12 students which utilize interactive and visualization approaches to engage young kids in learning computational concepts. Possibilities of using Augmented Reality (AR) in teaching programming to novices are explored in this work. In this thesis Ogmented, an AR application is designed which includes interactive learning material that covers a range of fundamental Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts. This work aims to exploit the idea to learn abstract concepts via AR by capitalizing the strength of visual-aided and interactive elements. A user study with a group of elementary school students is conducted. It explored how students operated the AR application with the interactive elements and how they wrote codes to solve programming problems. It was observed that students who followed instructions while taking tutorials were successfully able to write fragments of codes in exercise modules. Irrespective of their knowledge about programming, majority of students were able to write executable code snippets for concepts they were taught with use of Ogmented. This shares an initial insight on using AR in classroom to teach abstract programming concepts. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Computer Science 2017

Augmented reality is getting much attention due to its continuous development and becoming more pervasive across various industries. Researchers have shown the possibility of improving user experience in augmented reality. Every piece of public art created and installed aims to improve the community's quality of life. This study aims to determine how to create an augmented reality mobile application that users can interact with and learn more about public art on the Växjö campus. An Augmented reality prototype was implemented to examine the possibility of improving the awareness of public art. It was designed and developed using the front-end Unity Engine, Vuforia SDK, and the back-end Node.js server with MongoDB database. A user study with two iterations was conducted. The prototype was tested and validated by an established and standardized method using System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Engagement Scale-Short Form (UES-SF) questionnaires. Based on usability and user engagement scores and interviews, the analysis of the responses demonstrated that the prototype is user-friendly and scalable.

This thesis deals with phenomena of augmented reality in context of didactics. The thesis aims to define augmented reality in conceptual and content area and focuses on augmented reality in the structure of educational tools and identification of its functions and use from the didactical standpoint. The thesis characterizes augmented reality as a specific technological-perceptual concept and establishes a system of perceptual, technological and resulting aspects that reflect important parameters of augmented reality. The thesis also examines the didactic specifics of augmented reality, defines the main possible didactic intentions for its use and establishes a structure of augmented reality systems in terms of teaching forms. Thesis defines didactic qualities and specifics of augmented reality as a technical educational tool with the support of empirical research. The concept of the thesis represents a comprehensive study of augmented reality from different perspectives and standpoints related to education and it can be understood as a base for other more specific research projects related to the issue of the use of augmented reality in education. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)