Abstract
This paper explores the affordances of augmented reality content in a mobile augmented reality application. A user study was conducted by performing a multi-camera video recording of seven think aloud sessions. The think aloud sessions consisted of individual users performing tasks, exploring and experiencing a mobile augmented reality (MAR) application we developed for the iOS platform named ARad. We discuss the instrumental affordances we observed when users interacted with augmented reality content, as well as more complex affordances rising from conventions from media content, AR and the traditional WIMP paradigm. We find that remediation of traditional newspaper content through the MAR medium can provide engaging, pleasing and exciting user experiences. However, the some of the content still suffers from being shoveled onto the MAR platform without adapting it properly. Finally, we discuss what content was most successfully mediated to the user and how the content impacts the user experience.
Highlights
Mobile augmented reality has become increasingly viable through less expensive systems development kits (SDK) and ever increasing technical capabilities of mobile devices
We find that remediation of video content in an AR context seems promising
Image slideshows in the AR context has little merit amongst the users and contributes little to an overall positive user experience of the application. 3D content provides users with the greatest level of immersion and users engaged more directly with this type of content
Summary
Mobile augmented reality has become increasingly viable through less expensive (and recently free) systems development kits (SDK) and ever increasing technical capabilities of mobile devices. A mobile augmented reality (MAR) or handheld mobile augmented reality (HMAR) application is in its most basic form a mobile device with a display to show an augmentation and registration technology and software that "...have the following three characteristics: 1) Combines real and virtual 2) Interactive in real time 3) Registered in 3-D". With the smartphone revolution as a backdrop, we decided to start developing a MAR application for distributing and presenting AR content in a newspaper – Verdens Gang – with a large circulation in Norway. We saw increasing requests for reuse of traditional media content the newspaper already had in its possession. These requests resulted in a final version of the application that supports remediating of content on markers in a newspaper
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