Interactive Web-based Hydrological Simulation Systems as an Education Platform using Augmented and Immersive Reality

An ongoing research problem in Augmented Reality (AR) is to improve tracking and display technology in order to minimize registration errors. However, perfect registration is not always necessary for users to understand the intent of an augmentation. This paper describes the results of an experiment to evaluate the effects of graphical context in a Lego block placement task when the graphics are located outside of the task area. Four conditions were compared: fully registered AR; non-registered AR; a heads-up display (HUD) with the graphics always visible in the field of view; and a HUD with the graphics not always visible in the field of view. The results of this experiment indicated that registered AR outperforms both non-registered AR and graphics displayed on a HUD. The results also indicated that non-registered AR does not offer any significant performance advantages over a HUD, but is rated as less intrusive and can keep non-registered graphics from cluttering the task space.

Since the introduction of wearable head-up displays, there has been much interest in the surgical community adapting this technology into routine surgical practice. We used the keywords augmented reality OR wearable device OR head-up display AND surgery using PubMed, EBSCO, IEEE and SCOPUS databases. After exclusions, 74 published articles that evaluated the utility of wearable head-up displays in surgical settings were included in our review. Across all studies, the most common use of head-up displays was in cases of live streaming from surgical microscopes, navigation, monitoring of vital signs, and display of preoperative images. The most commonly used head-up display was Google Glass. Head-up displays enhanced surgeons' operating experience; common disadvantages include limited battery life, display size and discomfort. Due to ergonomic issues with dual-screen devices, augmented reality devices with the capacity to overlay images onto the surgical field will be key features of next-generation surgical head-up displays.

Today, the automotive industry is focused on human-vehicle interaction related with safety and convenience while driving. One of those is head-up display (HUD) to implement augmented reality (AR) in a vehicle for information offering [Park et al. 2013]. In this study, we discuss a vehicle Augmented Reality Information System (vARIS) to offer information such as collision warning and path guide through augmented reality (AR) in a vehicle. This system realizes AR on windshield using projection type HUD and provides AR information on 50 inch HUD display for safety and convenience of a driver. A currently commercialized HUD has 3~5 inch display.

A preliminary clinical report of implant placements with 2 immersive reality technologies is described: augmented reality with head mounted display and mixed reality with a tablet PC. Both immersive realities are promising and could facilitate innovative dental applications. However, mixed reality requires further development for clinical optimization.

To develop a framework for quantifying the visual and cognitive distraction potential of augmented reality (AR) head-up displays (HUDs). AR HUDs promise to be less distractive than traditional in-vehicle displays because they project information onto the driver's forward-looking view of the road. However, AR graphics may direct the driver's attention away from critical road elements. Moreover, current in-vehicle device assessment methods, which are based on eyes-off-road time measures, cannot capture this unique challenge. This article proposes a new method for the assessment of AR HUDs by measuring driver gaze behavior, situation awareness, confidence, and workload. An experimental user study (n = 24) was conducted in a driving simulator to apply the proposed method for the assessment of two AR pedestrian collision warning (PCW) design alternatives. Only one of the two tested AR interfaces improved driver awareness of pedestrians without visually and cognitively distracting drivers from other road elements that were not augmented by the display but still critical for safe driving. Our initial human-subject experiment demonstrated the potential of the proposed method in quantifying both positive and negative consequences of AR HUDs on driver cognitive processes. More importantly, the study suggests that AR interfaces can be informative or distractive depending on the perceptual forms of graphical elements presented on the displays. The proposed methods can be applied by designers of in-vehicle AR HUD interfaces and be leveraged by designers of AR user interfaces in general.

In recent years, the development of Augmented Reality (AR) frameworks made AR application development widely accessible to developers without AR expert background. With this development, new application fields for AR are on the rise. This comes with an increased need for visualization techniques that are suitable for a wide range of application areas. It becomes more important for a wider audience to gain a better understanding of existing AR visualization techniques. In this article we provide a taxonomy of existing works on visualization techniques in AR. The taxonomy aims to give researchers and developers without an in-depth background in Augmented Reality the information to successively apply visualization techniques in Augmented Reality environments. We also describe required components and methods and analyze common patterns.

This paper studies the applicability of Augmented Reality Head-Up Displays (HUD) to car racing applications. HUD have been used for years in avionics to effectively represent environmental cues to the pilot without the need to look at the instruments. Recent advances in technology claim that similar systems can be developed for cars. HUD have been available for cars for some time, but have been exploited only as virtual dashboards. This paper looks into the potential benefits and limitations of truly Augmented Reality for car racing. In particular, the objective is to highlight the curbs of the track so to help the driver plan the best trajectory. We develop the algorithms needed to detect the curb and project its position on the HUD. We show that, in order to provide a precise projection of the cue, the attitude of the vehicle needs to be estimated and the information from a camera needs to be merged with a map of the racing track. We test the approach on an experimental vehicle rigged to emulate a HUD. The results indicate that, while the algorithms can be designed to be robust and precise, they require a very large Field of View.

The visualization of medical images with advanced techniques, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, represent a breakthrough for medical professionals. In contrast to more traditional visualization tools lacking 3D capabilities, these systems use the three available dimensions. To visualize medical images in 3D, the anatomical areas of interest must be segmented. Currently, manual segmentation, which is the most commonly used technique, and semi-automatic approaches can be time consuming because a doctor is required, making segmentation for each individual case unfeasible. Using new technologies, such as computer vision and artificial intelligence for segmentation algorithms and augmented and virtual reality for visualization techniques implementation, we designed a complete platform to solve this problem and allow medical professionals to work more frequently with anatomical 3D models obtained from medical imaging. As a result, the Nextmed project, due to the different implemented software applications, permits the importation of digital imaging and communication on medicine (dicom) images on a secure cloud platform and the automatic segmentation of certain anatomical structures with new algorithms that improve upon the current research results. A 3D mesh of the segmented structure is then automatically generated that can be printed in 3D or visualized using both augmented and virtual reality, with the designed software systems. The Nextmed project is unique, as it covers the whole process from uploading dicom images to automatic segmentation, 3D reconstruction, 3D visualization, and manipulation using augmented and virtual reality. There are many researches about application of augmented and virtual reality for medical image 3D visualization; however, they are not automated platforms. Although some other anatomical structures can be studied, we focused on one case: a lung study. Analyzing the application of the platform to more than 1000 dicom images and studying the results with medical specialists, we concluded that the installation of this system in hospitals would provide a considerable improvement as a tool for medical image visualization.

In traditional driving, drivers need to frequently look down at the instrument panel to check information such as speed, RPM, and fuel level. This process causes the driver's gaze to leave the road ahead, increasing the risk of accidents.The automotive head‐up display (HUD) was introduced by General Motors in 1988 to prevent driver distraction. Augmented reality (AR) technology has made the HUD more attractive for ADAS visualization, with the ability to overlay driving and sensed information on the road. [1] AR-HUD technology has been applied to project important driving information in the driver's line of sight. By The head-up-display (HUD), which reflects driving information into the windshield has the goal to lower driving effort from the information uptake and thereby, increase our safety by reducing risks associated to e.g., fatigue and stress. [2] The specific implementation principle is that the windscreen HUD uses the optical combining characteristics of the HUD interlayer (i.e. the PVB interlayer sandwiched in a laminated windscreen) to provide a single focused virtual image appearing near the front of the car. [3] HUDs have evolved from traditional Combiner HUDs (C-HUD) to Windshield HUDs (W-HUD) and then to AR-HUDs. AR-HUDs achieve immersive interaction of "human-car-environment" through sensor fusion and connected vehicle data. However, the current AR-HUD interface design, with its fixed information priority and single visual presentation form, struggles to meet the differentiated needs and safety guarantees in dynamic environments. To address this issue, we dynamically adjust information priority and presentation forms to enhance the visual focus of key driving information, optimize the spatial organization logic of the information architecture to improve information recognition efficiency in complex scenarios, and adapt interface element contrast and layout clarity to environmental features to improve user visual experience. We have established an environmental adaptability design model and proposed an interface innovation strategy of "context awareness-information layering-visual optimization." The feasibility of this method was evaluated through user research. Subjective feedback on the "jarring sensation" of the interface information decreased by 78%, and spatial perception deviation reduced by 45%. This design significantly improved the effectiveness of information transmission in multiple environmental scenarios, reduced the driver's cognitive load, and verified the core role of interface design in the environmental adaptability of automotive AR-HUDs, providing theoretical and practical support for optimizing human-machine interaction in intelligent driving.

The automotive industry recognizes the vibrant development of augmented reality (AR) technology and identifies that it will be a great enhancement for the business from design, manufacturing, safety, and user experience perspectives. Recently, AR head-up displays (HUDs) are showcased with fascinating and useful applications. Several automotive OEMs advertise their intent to implement AR HUDs in future programs. In this presentation, we will focus on HUDs, provide an overview of AR HUD use cases that enhance driver experience, the requirements to create AR experience, and review the enabling technology. Specifically, we will review and describe the key elements of phase holography and the use of this powerful technology to achieve a compact optical system design.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that can overlap virtual elements over the real world in real time. This research focuses on studying how different AR elements can help forklift operators locate pallets as quickly as possible in a warehouse environment. We have developed a simulated AR environment to test Egocentric or Exocentric virtual navigation cues. The virtual elements were displayed to the user in a HUD (head-up display) on the forklift windshield, fixed place in front of the user operator, or in a HMD (head-mounted display), where the virtual cues are attached to the head of the user. A user study found that the Egocentric AR view was preferred over the Exocentric condition and performed better while the HUD and HMD viewing methods produced no difference in performance.

Traditional workplace studies focus on the bodily integration of familiar technologies like the desktop computer and smartphone. To better understand augmented reality (AR) technologies that provide new ways to perform daily tasks, this article turns to an overlooked yet critical forerunner of AR: the head-up display (HUD). Extensive archival research and oral histories show that the HUD caused pilots to depend on a single interface, curtailing their autonomy for integrating disparate information that could inform critical, often lethal decision-making processes. This history provides evidence that once a single device subsumes many functions of a work environment, adaptive articulation work can drive information workers to undertake increasingly insulated information practices. The HUD's isolating and insulating perceptual legacy suggests that AR will similarly train users in many contexts how to trust interactive data overlays in ways that preclude cross-checking alternative data sources that could inform decision-making processes.

Practical exercises are a crucial part of many curricula. Even simple exercises can improve the understanding of the underlying subject. Most experimental setups require special hardware. To carry out e. g. a lens experiments the students need access to an optical bench, various lenses, light sources, apertures and a screen. In our previous publication we demonstrated the use of augmented reality visualization techniques in order to let the students prepare with a simulated experimental setup. Within the context of our intended blended learning concept we want to utilize augmented or virtual reality techniques for stationary laboratory exercises. Unlike applications running on mobile devices, stationary setups can be extended more easily with additional interfaces and thus allow for more complex interactions and simulations in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The most significant difference is the possibility to allow interactions beyond touching a screen. The LEAP Motion controller is a small inexpensive device that allows for the tracking of the user’s hands and fingers in three dimensions. It is conceivable to allow the user to interact with the simulation’s virtual elements by the user’s very hand position, movement and gesture. In this paper we evaluate possible applications of the LEAP Motion controller for simulated experiments in augmented and virtual reality. We pay particular attention to the devices strengths and weaknesses and want to point out useful and less useful application scenarios. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Augmented reality (AR) head-up displays (HUD) have previously been explored as a potential information delivery system for drivers. In driving scenarios, correct perception of virtual object distance assists with effective use of AR HUDs in safety-critical applications (e.g., collision warnings). AR volumetric displays purportedly offer increased accuracy of distance perception through consistent presentation of oculomotor cues such as vergence and accommodation over traditional displays. For this paper, we investigated volumetric AR displays as a mean of enhancing perception of virtual objects registered to the real world, specifically in terms of distance perception as a result of binocular cues. We designed and ran an experiment where participants controlled and placed virtual objects next to real-world counterparts at ranges between 7-12 meters. We found that the volumetric AR display outperformed a traditional fixed focal plane AR HUD when considering distances 5 meters greater than the traditional display's focal depth.

In recent years, manufacturing companies, including aerospace ones, have started adopting immersive reality technologies, such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, to enhance productivity and quality of products. Immersive reality technologies aim to assist users in a manufacturing environment by visually presenting useful insights and guidance. Although these technologies can improve efficiency and reduce the amount of mental demand required by workers, without a system that is able to adapt whenever a change in a product occurs or a new product has been designed, the operators must manually update the system with the latest information available. In this paper, we present an innovative framework that aims to improve the design and assembly phases of aerospace products through an immersive reality environment assisting the user with interactive suggestions. Moreover, the framework exploits a Domain Specific Language to facilitate seamless updates and adaptations in the immersive reality system.