Proposed Website Architecture with Embedded Augmented Reality to Discover Cultural Heritage

Abstract

AbstractMobile-based augmented reality is the type of augmented reality that runs on our mobile devices and has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years in many fields. However, there is always the sticky point that the users have to install an application to enjoy the Augmented Reality experience. WebAR or web-based augmented reality is a digital technology that allows us to share augmented reality experiences over the internet with two main characteristics; platform-independent, and no mobile application installation is required. Embedded augmented reality, or inline augmented reality considered a type of WebAr where the user can enjoy the experience of augmented reality without leaving the parent site. The main objective of this study is to propose a structure to embed augmented reality in a website using ar.js API. The proposed website contains information about Al-Hadba Minaret, which was destroyed by a terrorist operation in 2014. The research methodology is divided into three main parts. Firstly, we propose an architecture of both client-server request and response and the architecture of ar.js over other Entity Component Systems. Secondly, we discuss the structure of the proposed system. Finally, we simulate the result of the proposed architecture via appcircle.io. The total website performance is 79% and the accuracy of WebAr recognition is 60%. We hope this study will contribute to adopting the promising web-based augmented reality instead of mobile-based augmented reality.KeywordsEmbedded augmented realityInline augmented realityWebArAr.jsWeb-based ARCultural heritageAl-Hadba minaret