abstract: While significant qualitative, user study-focused research has been done on augmented reality, relatively few studies have been conducted on multiple, co-located synchronously collaborating users in augmented reality. Recognizing the need for more collaborative user studies in augmented reality and the value such studies present, a user study is conducted of collaborative decision-making in augmented reality to investigate the following research question: “Does presenting data visualizations in augmented reality influence the collaborative decision-making behaviors of a team?” This user study evaluates how viewing data visualizations with augmented reality headsets impacts collaboration in small teams compared to viewing together on a single 2D desktop monitor as a baseline. Teams of two participants performed closed and open-ended evaluation tasks to collaboratively analyze data visualized in both augmented reality and on a desktop monitor. Multiple means of collecting and analyzing data were employed to develop a well-rounded context for results and conclusions, including software logging of participant interactions, qualitative analysis of video recordings of participant sessions, and pre- and post-study participant questionnaires. The results indicate that augmented reality doesn’t significantly change the quantity of team member communication but does impact the means and strategies participants use to collaborate. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Computer Science 2020

Diminished reality, as a sub-topic of augmented reality where digital information is overlaid on an environment, is the perceived removal of an object from an environment. Previous approaches to diminished reality used digital replacement techniques, inpainting, and multi-view homographies. However, few used a virtual representation of the real environment, limiting their domains to planar environments. This thesis provides a framework to achieve real-time diminished reality on an augmented reality headset. Using state-of-the-art hardware, we combine a virtual representation of the real environment with inpainting to remove existing objects from complex environments. Our work is found to be competitive with previous results, with a similar qualitative outcome under the limitations of available technology. Additionally, by implementing new texturing algorithms, a more detailed representation of the real environment is achieved.

The aim of this work was to determine whether line-type features(straight lines found in geometry considered interesting by auser) could be identified in spatial map data of indoorenvironments produced by the Microsoft Hololens augmented realityheadset. Five different data sets were used in this work onwhich the feature detection was performed, these data sets wereprovided as sample data representing the spatial map of fivedifferent rooms scanned using the Hololens headset which areavailable as part of the Hololens emulator. Related work onfeature detection in point clouds and 3D meshes were investigatedto try and find a suitable method to achieve line-type featuredetection. The chosen detection method used LSQ-plane fitting andrelevant cutoff variables to achieve this, which was inspired byrelated work on the subject of feature identification and meshsimplification. The method was evaluated using user-placedvalidation features and the distance between them and the detectedfeatures, defined using the midpoint diistance metric was used asa measure of quality for the detected measures. The resultingfeatures were not accurate enough to reliably or consistentlymatch the validation features inserted in the data and furtherimprovements to the detection method would be necessary to achievethis. A local feature-edge detection using the SOD & ESODoperators was considered and tested but was found to not besuitable for the spatial data provided by the Hololens emulator.The results shows that finding these features using the provideddata is possible, and the methods to produce them numerous. Thechoice of mehtod is however dependent on the ultimate applicationof these features, taking into account requirements for accuracyand performance.

In 2016, Microsoft released the first portable mixed reality device, the HoloLens. This opened completely new possibilities for software visualisation. The aim of this thesis is the development of a porting of the software analysis tool Getaviz for mixed reality. Mixed reality introduces new challenges regarding the user interface. In order to find solutions to these challenges, this thesis concentrates on designing such a user interface. Therefore, the logic of Getaviz was not reimplemented. The results are designed to be used in a future project, allowing Getaviz itself to be used in mixed reality. Consequently, the open source code is available on GitHub. In order to assure high usability, the development process was divided into three iterations followed by evaluations with five study participants each. The frequent feedback allowed to react to problems and brought in new ideas to improve the software. This process is partly based on the concept of agile software development. The development process of this thesis resulted in an app for the HoloLens. The app can be found in the Microsoft Store by searching for „Getaviz“.

Mänskligt beslutfattande är en viktig faktor i design processen för system och objekt. Medden snabba utvecklingen av området förstärkt verklighet är det nu möjligt att simuleradigitala gränssnitt överallt. Det finns flera användningsområden både inom industin ochallmänheten där det realiseras med allt ifrån mobiltelefoner till smarta glasögon. I dennauppsats tas ett system fram för att testa hur visuell styrning kan implementeras med hjälpav huvudmonterad förstärkt verklighet. Subtil ledning undersöks också om det kan användas som en digital knuff i huvudmonterad förstärkt verklighet. För att undersöka dettatas en prototyp fram. Genom utveckling av denna prototyp kan ett kontrollerat experimentet genomföras och visuell styrning samt subtil ledning undersökas. Experimentet föratt undersöka visuell styrning är Posner cueing task. Genom att använda ögonspårningsutrustning, kan man mäta reaktionstiderna för sackader hos användarna. Resultatet visaren signifikant skillnad i reaktonstid när vår subtila ledning används. Slutsatsen av dennauppsats är att subtil ledning kan användas som en digital knuff i huvudmonterad förstärktverklighet och denna rapport kan användas för vidare forskning inom visuell styrning iförstärkt verklighet med huvudmonterade bildskärmar. / Human decision making is an important factor in the design process for systems anditems. With the fast developing of Augmented Reality it is now possible to simulate digitalinterfaces everywhere. This allows for several application areas both within the industryand for the public and it can be implemented with everything from cellphones to smartglasses. In this thesis, it is investigated how subtle gaze guidance can be implemented usingwearable Augmented Reality technology. Subtle cuing is also investigated to see if it canbe used as a digital nudge in head-worn Augmented Reality environment. To investigatethis, a prototype is developed. By developing a prototype that can perform a controlledexperiment, the visual guidance and subtle cueing can be examined with a Posner cueingtask. By using eye trackers, saccadic reaction times of the participants are measured andexamined. The result shows a significant change in reaction time when using our subtleguidance than without. The conclusion is that subtle cueing can be used as a digital nudgein a head-worn Augmented Reality environment and this thesis can be used for furtherstudies within visual guidance in Augmented Reality with a head-mounted display.

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Placement of virtual objects in Augmented Reality is often done without regarding the artifacts in the physical environment. This thesis investigates how placement can be done with the artifacts included. It only considers placement of wall mounted objects. Through the development of two prototypes, using detected edges in RGB-images in combination with volumetric properties to identify the artifacts, arreas will be suggested for placement of virtual objects. The first prototype analyze each triangle in the model, which is an intensive and with low precision on the localization of the physical artifacts. The second prototype analyzed the detected RGB-edges in world space, which proved to detect the features with precise localization and a reduce calculation time. The second prototype manages this in a controlled setting. However, a more challenging environment would possibly pose other issues. In conclusion, placement in relation to volumetric and edge information from images in the environment is possible and could enhance the experience of being in a mixed reality, where physical and virtual objects coexist in the same world. / Placering av virtuella objekt i Augumented Reality görs ofta utan att ta hänsyn till objekt i den fysiska miljön. Den här studien utreder hur placering kan göras med hänsyn till den fysiska miljön och dess objekt. Den behandlar enbart placering av objekt på vertikala ytor. För undersökningen utvecklas två prototyper som använder sig av kantigenkänning i foton samt en volymmetrisk representation av den fysiska miljön. I denna miljö föreslår prototyperna var placering av objekt kan ske. Den första prototypen analyserar varje triangel i den volymmetriska representationen av rummet, vilket visade sig vara krävande och med låg precision av lokaliseringen av objekt i miljön. Den andra prototypen analyserar de detekterade kanterna i fotona och projicerar dem till deras positioner i miljön. Vilket var något som visade sig hitta objekt i rummet med god precision samt snabbare än den första prototypen. Den andra prototypen lyckas med detta i en kontrollerad miljö. I en mer komplex och utmanande miljö kan problem uppstå. Placering av objekt i Augumented Reality med hänsyn till både en volymmetrisk och texturerad representation av en miljö kan uppnås. Placeringen kan då ske på ett mer naturligt sätt och därmed förstärka upplevelsen av att virtuella och verkliga objekt befinner sig i samma värld.

One of the main goals of augmented reality is placing virtual content in the real world at a precise location. To achieve this goal, the Head Mounted Display (HMD) should be able to place virtual content at a precise location, and the users should be able to perceive at the exact location. However, achieving this task is very challenging. Since the birth of augmented reality, researchers have been trying to design AR glasses which can do this. Recently AR researchers by taking advantage of SLAM algorithms are able to come closer to the first phase of this goal. Microsoft designed and manufactured a pair of smart glasses called the HoloLens. It is well known for its advanced SLAM algorithm to place the content in a precise location as close as possible. However, there is no significant research on the perceptual location of the virtual content which are placed through Hololens. Therefore this thesis presents a method for measuring the perceived location of virutal objects, and presents an experiment, where these measurements are made with the Hololens. Through this experiment, interesting information about HoloLens was found, such as the capability of regaining tracking immediately after occlusion, rightward error about the horizontal plane, and bias of floating the virtual content above the surface, and objects that appear to close to the observer. Therfore Hololens is an advanced AR display, it still suffers from these problems.

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