Search Results (24)

The downtown area of the city of Coimbra, Portugal, is at low altitude and has historically suffered floods that have caused serious economic losses. The present research proposes a mobile augmented reality (MAR) application aimed at visualising the effect of possible scenarios of flooding in an area of higher risk in the city. A realistic 3D model of the city was created, using data extracted with BLosm and processed through Blender, followed by its integration into Unity with Vuforia for AR visualisation. The methodology encompasses the extraction and simplification of 3D models, mapping real-world coordinates in Unity, analysing several datasets, obtaining a model through regression and implementing a workflow to manage interactions between various Unity objects. The MAR application enables users to visualise potential flood impacts on buildings, utilising colour-coded indicators to represent different levels of water contact. The system’s efficacy was evaluated by simulating various use-case scenarios, demonstrating the application’s capability to provide real-time, interactive flood risk assessments. The results underline the potential of integrating AR and machine learning for enhancing urban flood management and prevention. Full article

The current study aims to investigate the effects of 3D virtual object complexity on visual working memory capacity in mobile augmented reality (MAR) interfaces. With the popularity of augmented reality technology in mobile applications, 3D virtual elements play a key role in interaction. However, prior studies ignored the correlation between virtual object presentation and visual working memory (VWM). Given that visual working memory capacity is closely related to overall cognitive ability, the current study explored the relationship between the complexity of 3D virtual objects and VWM capacity in AR interfaces. Sixty volunteers participated in a 5-point Likert scale rating to eliminate the interference factors of familiarity, concreteness and similarity in 3D virtual material objects. Then, we further conducted an MAR change detection paradigm experiment and successfully manipulated the complexity of 3D virtual objects and the set size. Thirty-one subjects completed the formal experiment. Three measurements (reaction time, proportion correct, and Cowan’s K) were analyzed for nine experimental conditions (three object complexity levels and three object set sizes). The results confirmed that the visual working memory capacity in mobile AR interfaces is modulated by the complexity of the 3D virtual objects and set size, which decreases with the increase in complexity and set size of the displayed 3D virtual objects. As the complexity of the 3D virtual objects increases, the amount of resources allocated to each item decreases, resulting in a decrease in memory capacity and memory accuracy. This study highlights the effectiveness of VWM capacity in MAR interface design research and provides valuable insights into determining the best way to present 3D virtual objects. Full article

This paper proposes a novel offloading and super-resolution (SR) control scheme for energy-efficient mobile augmented reality (MAR) in multi-access edge computing (MEC) using SR as a promising generative artificial intelligence (GAI) technology. Specifically, SR can enhance low-resolution images into high-resolution versions using GAI technologies. This capability is particularly advantageous in MAR by lowering the bitrate required for network transmission. However, this SR process requires considerable computational resources and can introduce latency, potentially overloading the MEC server if there are numerous offload requests for MAR services. In this context, we conduct an empirical study to verify that the computational latency of SR increases with the upscaling level. Therefore, we demonstrate a trade-off between computational latency and improved service satisfaction when upscaling images for object detection, as it enhances the detection accuracy. From this perspective, determining whether to apply SR for MAR, while jointly controlling offloading decisions, is challenging. Consequently, to design energy-efficient MAR, we rigorously formulate analytical models for the energy consumption of a MAR device, the overall latency and the MAR satisfaction of service quality from the enforcement of the service accuracy, taking into account the SR process at the MEC server. Finally, we develop a theoretical framework that optimizes the computation offloading and SR control problem for MAR clients by jointly optimizing the offloading and SR decisions, considering their trade-off in MAR with MEC. Finally, the performance evaluation indicates that our proposed framework effectively supports MAR services by efficiently managing offloading and SR decisions, balancing trade-offs between energy consumption, latency, and service satisfaction compared to benchmarks. Full article

Over the years, educational institutions have faced significant difficulties in the teaching process at all educational levels, due to lack of motivation, concentration, attention, and confidence, among other aspects. In this sense, information and communication technologies can be the answer to transform educational models. One of the most promising and accessible technologies in recent years is mobile augmented reality (MAR), which allows students to visualize content through a mobile device combining the real environment with a virtual environment, providing an interactive and digital vision of the physical world in real time. The appropriate use of digital technologies in early childhood and primary education can promote socialization, comprehension, learning, language development, attention, and other educational benefits. However, due to the novelty of this technology, there is limited research and a gap in the literature on the use of MAR at these educational levels. This research work, through systematic mapping, aims to give an overview of how AR and mobile devices have been used in the last decade, which academic areas have benefited from the use of this innovative academic approach, and the main benefits and problems of using this technology in early and primary education. The findings are encouraging and show that AR technology, together with mobile devices, can be used to support the teaching of science, mathematics, reading, language, geography, etc. Full article

The present empirical study investigates, analyzes, and discusses the affordances and limitations of an augmented reality (AR)-based educational intervention for the critical digital awareness of secondary school students through a sociocultural framework of instruction. The design of the educational intervention focuses on the empowerment of students’ critical digital skills in the new media produsage ecosystem in parallel with the development of target language skills through content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in a mobile augmented reality (MAR)-based transnational educational setting. This study focuses on examining the usefulness rather than the digital use of MAR from a socio-constructivism perspective with 77 participants from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds and educational settings. More specifically, an investigation of the potential of internalization of new knowledge through immersive-triggered inclusive educational practices is carried out, examining the effectiveness of the universal design for learning principles (UDL) as a pedagogical framework for AR-based instruction related to long-term memory retention, the synthesis of meaningful learning instances, and the creation of new knowledge. The study findings suggest that AR-based instruction, if incorporated into a robust pedagogical framework, can enhance attention and long-term memory retention, provide meaningful, inclusive learning opportunities, and facilitate digital well-being in the ever-evolving complex learning ecosystem. This study concludes by proposing the term of critical immersive-triggered literacy (CIT Literacy), defined as a skill development framework that triggers learners’ attention and facilitates digital well-being for meaningful learning instances via immersive technologies. Full article

Mobile-augmented-reality (MAR) applications extended into the metaverse could provide mixed and immersive experiences by amalgamating the virtual and physical worlds. However, the consideration of joining MAR and the metaverse requires reliable and high-quality support for foreground interactions and rich background content from these applications, which intensifies their consumption of energy, caching and computing resources. To tackle these challenges, a more flexible request assignment and resource allocation framework with more efficient processing are proposed in this paper through anchoring decomposed metaverse AR services at different edge nodes and proactively caching background metaverse region models embedded with target augmented-reality objects (AROs). Advanced terminals are also considered to further reduce service delays at an acceptable energy-consumption cost. We, then, propose and solve a joint-optimization problem which explicitly considers the balance between service delay and energy consumption under the constraints of perceived user quality in a mobility event. By also explicitly taking into account the capabilities of user terminals, the proposed optimized scheme is compared to a terminal-oblivious scheme. According to a wide set of numerical investigations, the proposed scheme has wide-ranging advantages in service latency and energy efficiency over other nominal baseline schemes which neglect the capabilities of terminals, user physical mobility, service decomposition and the inherent multimodality of the metaverse MAR service. Full article

Mobile applications on smartphones and tablets have become part of our everyday lives. The number of augmented reality (AR) technology applications is also increasing. Augmented reality has proven to be effective in various areas of human life, from education, marketing, and training to navigation. All people have the right to access information and use available technologies, but not everyone has the same opportunities. To contribute to the digital inclusion of people who are often disadvantaged in this regard, we should think about the accessibility of digital technologies, including mobile augmented reality (MAR). The specificity of MAR is a new way of human–computer interaction compared to traditional mobile solutions. The objective of this review paper is to analyze the handheld AR solutions developed for people with different disabilities to identify accessibility challenges related to interaction when performing different tasks in AR. It also explores and presents accessibility features and other accessibility best practices, as well as potential future research directions related to the personalization and customization of such solutions for individuals. The results of this literature review can contribute to the creation of accessibility guidelines in the field of handheld AR and encourage the development of accessible AR solutions that can benefit not only people with disabilities but also people without disabilities. Full article

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) applications demand significant communication, computing and caching resources to support an efficient amalgamation of augmented reality objects (AROs) with the physical world in multiple video view streams. In this paper, the MAR service is decomposed and anchored at different edge cloud locations to optimally explore the scarce edge cloud resources, especially during congestion episodes. In that way, the proposed scheme enables an efficient processing of popular view streams embedded with AROs. More specifically, in this paper, we explicitly utilize the notion of content popularity not only to synthetic objects but also to the video view streams. In this case, popular view streams are cached in a proactive manner, together with preferred/popular AROs, in selected edge caching locations to improve the overall user experience during different mobility events. To achieve that, a joint optimization problem considering mobility, service decomposition, and the balance between service delay and the preference of view streams and embedded AROs is proposed. To tackle the curse of dimensionality of the optimization problem, a nominal long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is proposed, which is trained offline with optimal solutions and provides high-quality real-time decision making within a gap between 5.6% and 9.8% during inference. Evidence from a wide set of numerical investigations shows that the proposed set of schemes owns around 15% to 38% gains in delay and hence substantially outperforms nominal schemes, which are oblivious to user mobility and the inherent multi-modality and potential decomposition of the MAR services. Full article

The aim of this research is to propose a new solution to assist sailors in safe navigation on inland shallow waters by using Augmented and Virtual Reality. Despite continuous progress in the methodology of displaying bathymetric data and 3D models of the bottoms, there is still a lack of solutions promoting these data and their widespread use. Most existing products present navigation content on 2D/3D maps onscreen. Augmented Reality (AR) technology revolutionises the way digital content is displayed. This paper presents the solution for the use of AR on inland and coastal waterways to increase the safety of sailing and other activities on the water (diving, fishing, etc.). The real-time capability of AR in the proposed mobile application also allows other users to be observed on the water in limited visibility and even at night. The architecture and the prototype Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) applications are presented. The required AR, including the preparation methodology supported by the Virtual Reality Geographic Information System (VRGIS), is also shown. The prototype’s performance has been validated in water navigation, specifically for exemplary lakes of Warmia and Mazury in Poland. The performed tests showed the great usefulness of AR in the field of content presentation during the navigation process. Full article

High-performance spatial target snapping is an essential function in 3D scene modeling and mapping that is widely used in mobile augmented reality (MAR). Spatial data snapping in a MAR system must be quick and accurate, while real-time human–computer interaction and drawing smoothness must also be ensured. In this paper, we analyze the advantages and disadvantages of several spatial data snapping algorithms, such as the 2D computational geometry method and the absolute distance calculation method. To address the issues that existing algorithms do not adequately support 3D data snapping and real-time snapping of high data volumes, we present a new adaptive dynamic snapping algorithm based on the spatial and graphical characteristics of augmented reality (AR) data snapping. Finally, the algorithm is experimented with by an AR modeling system, including the evaluation of snapping efficiency and snapping accuracy. Through the experimental comparison, we found that the algorithm proposed in this paper is substantially improved in terms of shortening the snapping time, enhancing the snapping stability, and improving the snapping accuracy of vector points, lines, faces, bodies, etc. The snapping efficiency of the algorithm proposed in this paper is 1.6 times higher than that of the traditional algorithm on average, while the data acquisition accuracy based on the algorithm in this paper is more than 6 times higher than that of the traditional algorithm on average under the same conditions, and its data accuracy is improved from the decimeter level to the centimeter level. Full article

Using mobile augmented reality games in education combines situated and active learning with pleasure. The aim of this research is to analyze the responses expressed by young, middle-aged, and elderly adults about the location-based mobile augmented reality (MAR) games using methods of content analysis, concept maps, and social network analysis (SNA). The responses to questions related to MAR game Ingress were collected from 36 adult players, aged 20–60, from Greece, and subsequently analyzed by means of content analysis, concept maps, and social network analysis. Our findings show that for question 1 (How do you feel when you endow the geographical space with personal preferences?), there was a differentiation of the answers between age groups with age groups agreeing in pairs, the first two and the last two, while for question 2 (Do you think that the game offers opportunities for learning and teaching geography, building on your previous geographical knowledge?), there was an overlap in responses of participants among age groups. It was also revealed that the MAR games foster a constructivism approach of learning, as their use learning becomes an active, socially supported process of knowledge construction. Full article

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) is designed to keep pace with high-end mobile computing and their powerful sensors. This evolution excludes users with low-end devices and network constraints. This article presents ModAR, a hybrid Android prototype that expands the MAR experience to the aforementioned target group. It combines feature-based image matching and pose estimation with fast rendering of 3D textured models. Planar objects of the real environment are used as pattern images for overlaying users’ meshes or the app’s default ones. Since ModAR is based on the OpenCV C++ library at Android NDK and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics API, there are no dependencies on additional software, operating system version or model-specific hardware. The developed 3D graphics engine implements optimized vertex-data rendering with a combination of data grouping, synchronization, sub-texture compression and instancing for limited CPU/GPU resources and a single-threaded approach. It achieves up to 3× speed-up compared to standard index rendering, and AR overlay of a 50 K vertices 3D model in less than 30 s. Several deployment scenarios on pose estimation demonstrate that the oriented FAST detector with an upper threshold of features per frame combined with the ORB descriptor yield best results in terms of robustness and efficiency, achieving a 90% reduction of image matching time compared to the time required by the AGAST detector and the BRISK descriptor, corresponding to pattern recognition accuracy of above 90% for a wide range of scale changes, regardless of any in-plane rotations and partial occlusions of the pattern. Full article

With the exception of Pokémon Go, relatively little is known about other Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) games, and the attitudes of middle-aged and elderly adults towards them are hitherto poorly examined. The aim of this research is to examine the opinions of young, middle-aged, and elderly adults about the location-based MAR game Ingress. The responses to questions related to Ingress were collected from 24 adult players aged 20–60 from Greece and subsequently were analyzed by means of content analysis, both qualitatively and quantitatively, using the Jaccard index of similarity. Our findings showed that opinions of young people (20–35) agree more with those of elderly adults (>52) than with those of the intermediate age group of 36–51. It was also revealed that knowledge of geography facilitates the ability to play the game better, the game’s scenario is very interesting to adults, and the feeling of playing locally in a global game is also appreciated by all age groups. Along with these findings, with this research, it was shown that (a) content analysis is a valuable method for exploring opinions and attitudes of adult users towards MAR games and (b) Jaccard indices can be used to quantitatively explore themes emerging from content analysis. Full article

In mobile augmented reality (MAR) games, learning by doing is important to supplement the theoretical knowledge with practical exercise in order to maximize the learning outcome. However, in many fields, the users are not able to apply their knowledge in practical ways, despite having achieved a good understanding of the theoretical fundamentals and this is even more important to adult learners. The aim of this research is to examine young, middle-aged and elderly adults’ opinions about the location-based MAR game Ingress, by applying John Keller’s “ARCS learning motivation model” (Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction). The users’ responses to closed questions related to Ingress were collected from 45 adult players aged 20–60 from Greece and were subsequently analyzed by means of pre- and post-quantitative measures of the four ARCS factors. The results show that: (a) game training improves all the factors of ARCS, primarily attention and satisfaction; (b) the responses of young people (20–35) agree more with those of elderly adults (>52) than with those of the intermediate age group of 36–51. Our findings, therefore, highlight the potential and the applicability of the ARCS model in MAR games. Full article

Over the past decade, enhanced computing capabilities and mobile technologies have begotten the upsurge of innovative mobile health (mHealth) solutions, and many research efforts have occurred recently in the area of technology-based interventions (TBI) for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Mobile augmented reality (MAR) refers to AR systems that use the handheld mobile device medium (mobile phones, tablets or smart glasses). This article reports the results of a systematic review undertaken on the use of MAR for ASD-related skills learning from the year 2010. It aims to provide an insight into the current state of research on MAR interventions and to provide guidance to relevant designers and researchers. We searched seven databases and retrieved 625 articles initially. After exclusion and screening, 36 articles were reviewed reporting on using MAR to improve various skills of children and adolescents with ASD, and 10 research questions related to PICO (P: Population, I: Intervention, C: Comparison, O: Outcomes) were addressed. This study identifies challenges that still exist in the research efforts towards the development of applications exploiting the MAR for ASD interventions: technology issues, research design consideration, subjective assessment etc. The studies examined suggest researchers should focus on users and improve the quality of the MAR app. In addition, more effective research methods and evaluation methods could be involved in future studies to facilitate the development of MAR intervention applications. Full article