What is Augmented Reality or AR? Well, the simplest way to explain it is the new way of displaying a computer generated content over a live view of the world by using a technology device. It is a new way of enhancing the reality around us. Currently, AR is mostly used in television especially in sports review ad analysis. More and more mobile devices are now catching on the Augmented Reality idea and you can now download over 50 Iphone and Android apps just for AR.
For example, if you’re looking for a restaurant, you can hold up your phone in front of your face and the Yelp app will put restaurant names and logos on your screen based on which real direction they are in. Even if you move your phone, the restaurant logos will appear to remain stationary, just like when you move your head in real life.
The European Commission is currently funding several AR projects through FP7 funding. Project ARtSENSE tackles a very important problem in the modern usage of ICT in cultural heritage domain: bridging the gap between the digital world with the physical in a highly flexible way in order to enable a novel, adaptive cultural experience. ARtSENSE aims to develop an active assistants which looks over the user’s shoulder (physcal world) and react on any change in a visitor’s state of interests (user’s world) by adapting the guide (digital world) accordingly.
Besides introducing novel wearable technologies for sensing continuously and non-intrusively the user’s context (visual eye-tracking, audio, physiological biosensing) in order to determine the user’s current interest (mental engagement), ARtSENSE will revolutionize the way how adaptive assistance will be realized: using cutting-edge technology (low weight bidirectional see-through displays) that enables overlaying reality with digital information transparently, including gaze-and gesture-controlled interaction, so that visitors have the feeling that physical objects are directly responding to them. In that way artworks become active artefacts that react on users’ attention and emotions and provide more information about them! This leads to the new generation of mobile museum guides based on the novel concept we call Adaptive Augmented Reality (AR).
Another project using AR is ManuVAR project. The objective of ManuVAR is to develop an innovative technology platform and a framework to support high value manual work throughout the product lifecycle. ManuVAR will cover ergonomics, safety, work assistance, and training. It includes various people from designers to factory workers, operators, maintenance personnel, and end-users. The aims of ManuVAR are to:
– increase productivity and quality, reducing the cost of high value manual work at every stage of the lifecycle;
– facilitate adaptation to product customization and changes;
– support efficient knowledge and skill management;
– improve EU industry competitiveness via knowledge-based business models.
