AR Remote Awareness

From HIT Lab NZ

Researchers:
Date:	September, 2004 - Ongoing
Funding:

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Contents 1 Publications 2 Additional Content 2.1 Image Gallery 2.2 Videos

This project investigates how gaze awareness within a communicating group can improve an augmented reality conferencing application. Virtual avatars are projected into the real world working environment via AR Markers representing each participant. The instantaneous head orientation of each user is measured using a head mounted display (HMD) with an attached camera (tracking the AR targets) or a handheld display is used. In this way visual gaze orientation of each user relative to every other user (at each conference node) is represented by rotating each avatar in the direction of the targeted marker. To enable the conference participants to work together on a common object, an additional marker is introduced where on which the shared object is projected. It is also possible to indicated on what part of the shared object that each individual user is fixating.

We want to determine if the low bandwidth virtual awareness information described above can replace the need for high bandwidth video streams in current video conference systems. Our system has the added advantage that each participant can know the fixation point of other participants relative to a shared object.

Our system facilitiates a low cost, low bandwidth desktop conference in a personal workspace all within an existing working environment, while simultaneously providing a common working space for conferencing partners. We hypothesize that when each participant is aware of the visual gaze of other participants then it is easier to implement turn taking within an electronically mediated conference without the need for a moderator.

In addition a substitute for video conferencing, our approach can be used for remote collaboration, guidance or teaching.

Presently the shared object is just a two dimensional object with texture. Our plans are to incorporate 3D objects and add interaction techniques such as tangible user interfaces that operate within the augmented reality conference environment.

Publications

Additional Content

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