Ultra‐light and low‐cost mobile augmented reality units
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2016-09-29
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A realidade aumentada caracteriza-se pela sobreposição de conteúdos virtuais sobre o mundo real. Esta auxilia o ser humano, aumentando a quantidade de informação que este tem ao seu dispor e é aplicada nas mais diversas áreas da atividade humana. Ao longo dos anos, vários sistemas foram propostos com o intuito de trazer mobilidade a sistemas de realidade aumentada. Estes, inicialmente, possuíam poucos recursos computacionais que foram aumentado com a evolução tecnológica. Normalmente transportados numa mochila, integravam vários dipositivos, nomeadamente, um computador com vários sensores ligados e um dispositivo de visualização. Estes sistemas eram desconfortáveis, dado o seu peso e as suas dimensões, e proporcionavam um baixo grau de imersividade dada a fraca qualidade dos dispositivos de visualização. Embora tenham surgido dispositivos mais leves e compactos, esses apresentavam desempenhos inferiores aos sistemas móveis baseados em computadores, e possuíam um custo insuportável para a maioria dos utilizadores. Atualmente, a tecnologia permitiu uma enorme miniaturização dos dispositivos computacionais, surgindo dispositivos móveis que integram variadíssimos sensores e que tornam possível o desenvolvimento de sistemas de realidade aumentada móvel de baixo custo, com peso e dimensão reduzidos, com capacidade de processamento e resolução de ecrãs mais adequados para a realidade aumentada.
Nesse contexto, esta dissertação apresenta uma revisão de vários sistemas de realidade aumentada móvel publicados, e propõe vários protótipos baseados em dispositivos comerciais atuais. Este foram desenvolvidos com o intuito de proporcionarem a melhor experiência imersiva e de conforto a um custo comportável para os utilizadores. Os protótipos foram sujeitos a testes comparativos de performance e posteriormente avaliados por utilizadores quanto ao conforto e imersividade em contexto indoor e outdoor. Os resultados de performance mostram que os protótipos apresentam capacidade para apresentar conteúdos de realidade aumentada, tendo sobressaído os dispositivos com maior capacidade e maior peso. Por sua vez, os utilizadores embora se mostrassem de uma forma geral agradados com as experiências proporcionadas pelos protótipos, alguns referiram ter sentido desconforto devido ao peso de um protótipo e um número muito reduzido de utilizadores referiu ter sentido algumas indisposições durante a sua utilização, nomeadamente: tonturas, visão turva, cansaço visual e desequilíbrios.
Augmented reality is characterized by the superimposing of virtual content over the real world. It helps people by “augmenting” the amount of information available and it is applied in several areas of human activity. Over the years, several systems have been proposed in order to bring mobility to augmented reality systems. Initially, these systems had few computing resources that were increased by technological developments. Usually, they were carried in a backpack, integrating several devices, such as a computer with multiple sensors and a display device connected to it. These systems were uncomfortable due to their weight and dimensions, and they lacked immersion because of the poor quality of the display devices. Lighter and more compact devices appeared but they had inferior performance compared to computer-based systems and were priced at an unbearable cost for most users. Nowadays, technology has enabled device miniaturization, allowing several devices to be released with several integrated sensors, making it possible to develop low-cost mobile augmented reality systems with reduced weight, size and with processing power and screen resolution suitable for augmented reality. In this context, this work presents a review of several published mobile augmented reality systems, and proposes some prototypes based on current commercial devices. These were developed in order to provide the best immersive experience and comfort at an affordable cost for users. The prototypes were subjected to comparative performance tests and further evaluated by users relatively to the comfort and immersion in indoor and outdoor environments. The results show that the developed prototypes have a good capacity to present augmented reality contents, where the devices with larger computing capacity and higher weight achieved best results. In turn, the users where generally satisfied with the experiences provided by prototypes, but some reported to feel discomfort due to the weight of a prototype, and a very small number of users reported having experienced certain indispositions during the use, particularly: dizziness, blurred vision, eye strain and imbalances.
Augmented reality is characterized by the superimposing of virtual content over the real world. It helps people by “augmenting” the amount of information available and it is applied in several areas of human activity. Over the years, several systems have been proposed in order to bring mobility to augmented reality systems. Initially, these systems had few computing resources that were increased by technological developments. Usually, they were carried in a backpack, integrating several devices, such as a computer with multiple sensors and a display device connected to it. These systems were uncomfortable due to their weight and dimensions, and they lacked immersion because of the poor quality of the display devices. Lighter and more compact devices appeared but they had inferior performance compared to computer-based systems and were priced at an unbearable cost for most users. Nowadays, technology has enabled device miniaturization, allowing several devices to be released with several integrated sensors, making it possible to develop low-cost mobile augmented reality systems with reduced weight, size and with processing power and screen resolution suitable for augmented reality. In this context, this work presents a review of several published mobile augmented reality systems, and proposes some prototypes based on current commercial devices. These were developed in order to provide the best immersive experience and comfort at an affordable cost for users. The prototypes were subjected to comparative performance tests and further evaluated by users relatively to the comfort and immersion in indoor and outdoor environments. The results show that the developed prototypes have a good capacity to present augmented reality contents, where the devices with larger computing capacity and higher weight achieved best results. In turn, the users where generally satisfied with the experiences provided by prototypes, but some reported to feel discomfort due to the weight of a prototype, and a very small number of users reported having experienced certain indispositions during the use, particularly: dizziness, blurred vision, eye strain and imbalances.
Descrição
Dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Informática
Palavras-chave
Realidade aumentada , Dispositivos móveis