Enabling an Augmented Reality Ecosystem: A content oriented Survey

 Motivation:

Augmented reality is a fast growing technology that sees augmentation of virtual objects into real world, which let users interact with them in real time and space. With the advent of devices such as Google glasses and Microsoft HoloLens, Augmented reality is a hot domain and is seeing high research being conducted. This paper discusses all the aspects of augmented reality and factors affecting it at a high level.

Main Points

•   Authors discuss the Framework involved in the augmented reality ecosystem with all the stakeholders involved in AR. The functionalities of each stake holders are clearly demarcated
•    The three main areas in the content generation pipeline from a content-oriented prospective are discussed in the paper- Data Collection, Content Fusion, Content Display
•   Data Collection: Content to be rendered to users or applications are gathered through Local Sensors or Cameras

ü  Sensors: Sensors consists of following classes:

1)Direct-field Sensors: measure strength of direct field and are sensitive to electromagnetic distortion and distance

2) Sensors: Sensors based on axis and position

3)GPS: Provide global location information. They are energy intensive

ü  Cameras: Cameras are used for vision based tracking and capture of background information upon which virtual objects in AR system are added

•         Content Fusion: Integration of real world object data from content providers by the AR system is carried through

ü  Offline Data Pre-processing: Information integration in the database by developers to personalize AR system content

ü  Online Content selection: Filtering of information based on location, orientation and user’s preference. This is carried out through Distance based filtering, Visibility based filtering, Advanced filtering

•         Content Display: Devices used for display of collected data for user interaction. It consists of

ü  Head-mounted Display: Displays worn on head consisting of optical see through and video see through categories

ü  Projection Displays: Use projection technology to augment three dimensional objects in the real world by projecting graphics into their visible surfaces

ü  Handheld Display: Implementing AR experiences through Mobile computing and wireless technology

•        Authors discuss about the current AR systems, uses, current trends and issues in brief

Trade offs

• Authors have clearly explained all the aspects involved in augmented reality at a high level.  Everything including stakeholders, framework, and components are discussed in length
•  Authors have mentioned scope of research, advantages and drawbacks under all categories in Augmented reality
•  This paper cites many technical papers for each categories in the field of augmented reality research which is very informative
• Future work that needs to be done to improve AR are clearly stated
•  Authors could have cited more examples and real data under each categories for better understanding. Recent Experiments carried out in the field of AR could have been included
•  Interaction between each components of AR (devices, data collection) and functioning related to them is not provided