Augmented+Reality

toc

[|Augmented Reality] works very intricately with Virtual Reality - both of which are designed to immerse the user in a 'cyber' sphere while trying to mirror reality to some extent and hence the respective terminology. More specifically, Augmented Reality tends to work towards combining the real scene viewed by the audience member with the virtual scene which is generated by the computer. The latter is said to 'augment' the situation with added information and elements which work towards enhancing the users experience, performance and the way in which they will interact in this world.

According to [|Jim Vallino] in the Department of Software Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, individuals who choose to created Augmented environments should consider "the ultimate goal is to create a system such that the user can not tell the difference between the real world and the virtual augmentation of it" (Vallino, 2005).

Simulated augmented reality medical image

=Augmented Reality Vs. Virtual Reality=


 * **Augmented Reality** || **Virtual Reality** ||
 * //Advantages// || //Advantages// ||
 * System 'augments' real world situation || 100% immersive environment ||
 * Hence user still maintains sense of presence in 'real world' || Visual senses under systems control ||
 * //Disadvantages// || //Disadvantages// ||
 * Needs mechanism to combine real and virtual worlds || Aural and proprioceptive senses are under the control of the system. Hence making user feel helpless at times. ||

=Key Aspect to being able to be immersed in Augmented Reality?=

Motivation:
Amount that user wants to participate in the environment

Key Aspects

 * Enhances (or augments) the user's 'perception' of the world.
 * The ability to 'display' informaiton that is not detectable by the user's senses.
 * Be able to 'help' the user perform real-world tasks. Also known as [|Intelligence Amplification]••

=Augmented Reality Application Domains - What Are They?=


 * Can be used in the **medical** field.
 * Creates sensory feedback and a VR/AR world in which the user is immersed.
 * More specifically - 'image guided surgery' which involves trying to make the patient feel more comfortable as they are immersed in an Augmented world as the surgery is taking place.
 * Example: Brain tumour removal
 * "Augmented reality can be applied so that the surgical team can see the CT or MRI data correctly registered on the patient in the operating theater while the procedure is progressing. Being able to accurately register the images at this point will enhance the performance of the surgical team and eliminate the need for the painful and cumbersome stereotactic frames shown in Figure 3 that are currently used for registration." (Vallino, 2005).

Image Citation: [|http://www.se.rit.edu/%7Ejrv/research/ar/introduction.html#Section1].

=Technologies at use in Augmented Reality=

Wearable Computers
Wearable computers are computers that are made specifically to enable users to wear them on their bodies instead of being placed on a fixed physical location. It attempts to recreate the role of computers into something wearable by the user and thus accessible by the user at any time.

The UNC Tracker Project
The UNC Tracker project attempts to provide users with a sense of being immersed in a simulated environment within a wide area. This project enables user to experience the real world while superimposing the augmented reality onto the real environment.

=CCT205 Wikispaces Links=

Virtual Reality

Key Elements in VR

=Works Cited=

Chattoe, John. (2006). CCT375 - Lecture Number One. January 6th 2006.

Vallino, Jim. (2005). Introduction to Augmented Reality. Rochester Institute of Technology. Online at: [|http://www.se.rit.edu/%7Ejrv/research/ar/introduction.html]

"The UNC Tracker Project". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 27 February 2006. <[|http://www.cs.unc.edu/%7Etracker/]>

"Wearable Computers". MIT. 27 February 2006. 

Images
Image one and two - Chattoe, John. Lecture Number One. CCT375. January 6th.2006.

Image Three - [|http://www.se.rit.edu/%7Ejrv/research/ar/introduction.html#Section1].