Augmented Reality Applications Research Articles

Intangible heritage restoration of damaged tomb murals through augmented reality technology: A case study of Zhao Yigong Tomb murals in Tang Dynasty of China

Tomb murals are a precious amalgamation of tangible and intangible heritage, encapsulating profound historical significance and aesthetic value. While tangible heritage often gains more attention than intangible heritage in cultural protection, it is still imperative to acknowledge that intangible heritage complements and substantiates the historical, cultural and artistic context. Tomb murals contain intangible heritage elements such as religious practices, customs and artistic techniques. Tomb murals from the Tang Dynasty of China showcase the cultural richness of both tangible and intangible heritage. Nevertheless, there are many challenges to the protection of Tang Dynasty tomb murals. In light of these challenges, the current study aims to protect the intangible heritage embodied in Tang Dynasty tomb murals through augmented reality technology. A Tang Dynasty tomb, the Zhao Yigong Tomb, has been selected as the research object. Seven murals from this tomb were restored using a process involving two-dimensional and three-dimensional modelling combined with augmented reality (AR) technology. Throughout the restoration process, the current study explores the impact of religious customs associated with the Zhao Yigong Tomb on mural contents and artistic techniques. The scenes depicted in these seven murals were integrated into an on-cloud AR platform to establish an effective process for protecting intangible heritage in tomb murals and stimulate further research, design and development. This study identifies the target audience as researchers, educators and college students interested in history, art and culture. To evaluate the current study, researchers and educators with relevant working backgrounds and college student participants with different backgrounds and interests were invited to test the AR application in the field, followed by one-to-one interviews for a usability assessment. The usability assessment shows that the AR application is widely accepted. In addition to adding information interactively, it helps the audience to improve their understanding of Tang Dynasty art and culture.

ConIQA: A deep learning method for perceptual image quality assessment with limited data

Effectively assessing the realism and naturalness of images in virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality applications requires Full Reference Image Quality Assessment (FR-IQA) metrics that closely align with human perception. Deep learning-based IQAs that are trained on human-labeled data have recently shown promise in generic computer vision tasks. However, their performance decreases in applications where perfect matches between the reference and the distorted images should not be expected, or whenever distortion patterns are restricted to specific domains. Tackling this issue necessitates training a task-specific neural network, yet generating human-labeled FR-IQAs is costly, and deep learning typically demands substantial labeled data. To address these challenges, we developed ConIQA, a deep learning-based IQA that leverages consistency training and a novel data augmentation method to learn from both labeled and unlabeled data. This makes ConIQA well-suited for contexts with scarce labeled data. To validate ConIQA, we considered the example application of Computer-Generated Holography (CGH) where specific artifacts such as ringing, speckle, and quantization errors routinely occur, yet are not explicitly accounted for by existing IQAs. We developed a new dataset, HQA1k, that comprises 1000 natural images each paired with an image rendered using various popular CGH algorithms, and quality-rated by thirteen human participants. Our results show that ConIQA achieves superior Pearson (0.98), Spearman (0.965), and Kendall’s tau (0.86) correlations over fifteen FR-IQA metrics by up to 5%, showcasing significant improvements in aligning with human perception on the HQA1k dataset.

Potential and Limits of Augmented Reality in Engineering Education and Industry 4.0

AbstractAs a young class of socio‐technical systems, Augmented Reality (AR), which enriches the real world with virtual information, is becoming increasingly important. It offers a variety of possibilities in the areas of education and training. Here, interactive and immersive learning experiences increase motivation and learning success. AR also enables the specific support of workers in the production environment. When dealing with complex tasks, AR applications help workers to increase efficiency and quality. Based on the developments of the BMBF collaborative project KORESIL, this paper contains an overview of the current application scenarios of AR in teaching and industry. The outlook provides an analysis of this technology's potential and identifies current challenges in hard‐ and software.

Digital Storytelling and Critical Thinking: A Comparative Analysis Across Physical, Virtual, and Hybrid Learning Environments

This research investigates the promotion of critical thinking skills and the dissemination of knowledge through digital storytelling experiences within three distinct learning environments: physical, virtual and hybrid. Using a comparative analysis, the research examines the impact of each modality on critical thinking, focusing on the evaluation of six macro-indicators presented in (Poce, 2017): basic language skills, relevance, importance, argumentation, critical processing and novelty. The study involved students from the universities of Roma TRE, Modena and Reggio Emilia and Tor Vergata through three experiences: in presence tour , a virtual tour made via FrameVR (https://learn.framevr.io/) and an augmented reality application to provide educational content. The results indicate that digital environments significantly improve some aspects of critical thinking, particularly in terms of argumentative quality and creative engagement. The study also observes a marked improvement in knowledge retention, as evidenced by end-of-course evaluations, suggesting that immersive digital storytelling can mitigate the tendency for last-minute hoarding and promote long-lasting educational engagement. This research contributes to the pedagogical discourse on the effectiveness of digital storytelling and object-based learning in promoting critical and reflective thinking processes in students.

Advanced techniques and high-performance computing optimization for real-time rendering

Real-time rendering is a cornerstone of modern interactive media, enabling the creation of immersive and dynamic visual experiences. This paper explores advanced techniques and high-performance computing (HPC) optimization in real-time rendering, focusing on the use of game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine. It delves into mathematical models and algorithms that enhance rendering performance and visual quality, including Level of Detail (LOD) management, occlusion culling, and shader optimization. The study also examines the impact of GPU acceleration, parallel processing, and compute shaders on rendering efficiency. Furthermore, the paper discusses the integration of ray tracing, global illumination, and temporal rendering techniques, and addresses the challenges of balancing quality and performance, particularly in virtual and augmented reality applications. The future role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in optimizing real-time rendering pipelines is also considered. By providing a comprehensive overview of current methodologies and identifying key areas for future research, this paper aims to contribute to the ongoing advancement of real-time rendering technologies.

The Effects of Augmented Reality Geometry Learning Applications on Spatial Visualization Ability for Primary School Pupils

Geometry is considered a fundamental component to be mastered in the elementary school mathematics curriculum. Lower primary school pupils frequently experience obstacles because of the abstract nature of geometric concepts and the requirement for spatial visualization skills, which are necessary for strengthening their conceptual understanding. Augmented reality (AR) technology offers a promising solution by providing visual representations of geometric shapes. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of AR technology in primary school education on pupils’ spatial visualization abilities in geometry. Employing a quasiexperimental pre- and post-test research design, this study involved 61 second-grade pupils from two Northern Malaysian primary schools. The selection of schools followed cluster sampling techniques, while intact groups were utilized to select samples. Data were collected from two groups: an experimental group that utilized the LearnGeoAR applications and a control group that employed conventional teaching methods to learn geometric shapes. This study used the spatial visualization ability test (SVAT) instrument, grounded in Van Hiele’s theory of geometric thinking. The findings revealed that the experimental group, which utilized AR applications, exhibited a higher mean score in pupils’ spatial visualization ability in geometry compared to the control group. Additionally, the experiment demonstrated a moderate effect on both groups. This finding highlights the potential of AR technology in enhancing pupils’ spatial visualization skills in geometry instruction, providing valuable insights for instructional methodologies.

EXPERIENCE MUSEOLOGY AND EPHESUS EXPERIENCE MUSEUM

In the rapidly changing world of the 21st century, museums are not only places where exhibits are stored, but also turn into experience centers that offer more opportunities to their visitors. As a concept created by this transformation, the experience museum offers visitors the opportunity to interact not only by watching the works, but also by experiencing the artifacts and historical processes. In addition, in this process, concepts such as experience museology and immersive reality have emerged with the use of technological tools such as AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), MR (Mixed Reality), AI (Artificial intelligence), hologram, simulation and 360-degree video mapping. With the technologies used in the Ephesus Experience Museum, an immersive environment has been created that appeals to the visual or auditory senses of the audience. While visiting the museum in this immersive environment, visitors also experience the historical process by listening to it through audio guides. In this article, by focusing on the museums developed in line with technological possibilities, the Ephesus Experience Museum was visited and examined in the context of experience museology, and the data obtained from the literature review were tried to be analyzed by comparing them with the experience museums in the west. A different exhibition atmosphere has been created with the technological facilities used in the Ephesus Experience Museum. Visitors' experience of the museum has also increased the information opportunities. At the same time, the deficiencies of the Ephesus Experience Museum have been identified. Celsus (Selçuk) Library, one of the important structures of the ancient city of Ephesus, and other historical buildings were not included in the storytelling, and this created a lack of stories. It is thought that this deficiency can be achieved with QR code or augmented reality applications.

Development and Evaluation of Training Scenarios for the Use of Immersive Assistance Systems

Emerging assistance systems are designed to enable operators to perform tasks better, faster, and with a lower workload. However, in line with the productivity paradox, the full potential of automation and digitalisation is not being realised. One reason for this is insufficient training. In this study, the statistically significant differences among three different training scenarios on performance, acceptance, workload, and technostress during the execution of immersive measurement tasks are demonstrated. A between-subjects design was applied and analysed using ANOVAs involving 52 participants (with a statistical overall power of 0.92). The ANOVAs were related to three levels of the independent variable: quality training, manipulated as minimal, personal, and optimised training. The results show that the quality of training significantly influences immersive assistance systems. Hence, this article deduces tangible design guidelines for training, with consideration of the system-level hardware, operational system, and immersive application. Surprisingly, an appropriate mix of training approaches, rather than detailed, personalised training, appears to be more effective than e-learning or ‘getting started’ tools for immersive systems. In contrast to most studies in the related work, our article is not about learning with AR applications but about training scenarios for the use of immersive systems.

The impact of AR online shopping experience on customer purchase intention: An empirical study based on the TAM model.

Augmented Reality (AR) offers a rich business format, convenient applications, great industrial potential, and strong commercial benefits. The integration of AR technology with online shopping has brought tremendous changes to e-commerce. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is a mature model for assessing consumer acceptance of new technologies, and applying it to evaluate the impact of AR online shopping experiences on consumer purchase intention is an urgently needed area of research. Firstly, the typical applications of AR in online shopping were reviewed, and the connotations and experiences of AR online shopping were summarized. Secondly, using the five types of AR online shopping experiences as antecedent variables, and perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as intermediate variables, a theoretical model was constructed to explore the impact of AR online shopping experiences on customer purchase intentions, followed by an empirical study. Finally, suggestions were proposed for optimizing the online shopping experience to enhance purchase intentions. The article expands the application scenarios of the Technology Acceptance Model and enriches the theory of consumer behavior in Metaverse e-commerce.

Influence of Technology Readiness in the Adoption of Augmented Reality Applications in Retailing

Forget crowded aisles and unending product comparisons. Imagine yourself trying on clothes virtually, visualizing furniture in your living room before making a purchase, or even discovering information about products that are hidden behind interactive labels. Augmented reality (AR) promises to revolutionize the shopping experience, but widespread adoption depends on understanding user motivations. This study explores what motivates consumers to interact with this emerging technology to determine the “why” behind AR retail adoption. Although AR has the potential to transform many industries, consumer technology readiness is a critical factor that will determine how widely adopted AR becomes. This research investigates how a person’s ability, willingness, and confidence in their ability to use technology serves as a vital link between the potential for innovation and its practical implementation. The study investigates the effects of performance expectancy, price, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, and technological readiness on adoption behavior using a partial least squares-structural equation modeling analysis of data from 306 online survey respondents. The results show that price and performance expectancy are significant drivers, but hedonic motivation and effort expectancy have no impact on adoption behavior. Notably, one factor that strongly influences the adoption of AR apps is technological readiness. These findings provide retailers with insightful advice, telling them to prioritize app value, affordability, and user-friendly design while also realizing how crucial it is to accommodate different degrees of technological comfort. Retailers can effectively use AR technology to improve customer engagement and accelerate adoption in the retail space by knowing these key drivers.

Scientific habilty by using DNA and robotic activities in the science class

Educational robotics as an area of pedagogy is a discipline whose objective is the development of robotic prototypes that support the learning of natural sciences, demonstrating its potential as a didactic proposal that integrates technology into transdisciplinary thinking favoring digital thinking in the 21st century, in which we can mention scientific ability and the development of solutions to problems that favor scientific thinking. This educational research aims to connect the fields of chemistry and biology with the growing technology of educational robotics. A descriptive interpretive methodology was applied to a group of 80 high school students; They conducted experimental activities such as extracting DNA from tomatoes and observing the stages of mitosis in onion apical meristems. After observing the chromosomes in a microscope, the students use an augmented reality application, contrasting the information and creating a robotic model with recyclable material, programmed using the open-source ap-plication Arduino. No significant differences were found during the development of the activities between public and private schools, showing that 90% of the students obtained the DNA and 67% managed to develop robotic programming activities.

Innovative Applications of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Education

This article explores the innovative applications of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies in the field of education. The article first introduces the basic concepts of VR and AR technologies and their potential in education, and then discusses their practical applications, challenges faced, and future development directions in education through three different sections. The article concludes by summarizing the importance of VR and AR technologies in improving the quality of education and enhancing the learning experience, and offers a perspective on the future development of these technologies.

Visar: Projecting Virtual Sound Spots for Acoustic Augmented Reality Using Air Nonlinearity

Augmented reality that integrates virtual content in real-world surroundings has attracted lots of concentration as the growing trend of the metaverse. Acoustic augmented reality (AAR) applications have proliferated due to readily available earphones and speakers. AAR can provide omnidirectional engagement through the all-around sense of spatial information. Most existing AAR approaches offer immersive experiences by playing binaural spatial audios according to head-related transfer functions (HRTF). These involve complex modeling and require the user to wear a headphone. Air nonlinearity that can reproduce audible sounds from ultrasound offers opportunities to achieve device-free and omnidirectional sound source projection in AAR. This paper proposes Visar, a device-free virtual sound spots projection system leveraging air nonlinearity. Visar achieves simultaneous tracking and sound spot generation while suppressing unintended audio leakages caused by grating lobes and nonlinear effects in mixing lobes through optimization. Considering multi-user scenarios, Visar also proposed a multi-spot scheduling scheme to mitigate the mutual interference between the spots. Extensive experiments show the tracking error is 7.83cm and the orientation estimation error is 10.06°, respectively, envisioning the considerable potential of Visar in AAR applications.

Design, development and testing of BodoRao—A markerless augmented reality application for endangered language in primary education

AbstractBackgroundAugmented reality can provide a 3D virtual experience, widely used in modern education. However, the impact of these applications on the underdeveloped tribal community has yet to be investigated. To our knowledge, no markerless augmented reality application has been developed especially for learning the language of the Bodo tribe. Therefore, we have developed a markerless augmented reality application—BodoRao to teach the alphabet and numerals of the Bodo tribal language.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the usability and efficacy of the BodoRao application. To investigate how augmented reality apps affect students' academic achievement in language acquisition. Also, assess the students' attitude towards using an augmented reality application.MethodA mixed‐method approach that combined quantitative and qualitative methods was used to gather the data. A total of 80 students drawn from two user groups: native speakers and non‐native speakers were evaluated, to determine if the BodoRao application can benefit a variety of speakers. Furthermore, from each of the user groups, experimental and control groups were formed. The experimental group used an augmented reality application to learn while the control group studied using a traditional textbook. Eight teachers were also interviewed to get their opinions on the BodoRao application.Results and ConclusionThe findings found a significant difference in the achievement test results between the experimental and control groups for both native and non‐native users. Students' positive attitudes toward the application were also observed, as represented by their high application satisfaction, low anxiety and readiness for use. Additionally, it was observed that there was a positive and significant correlation between the academic achievements and attitudes of native and non‐native students in the experimental group.

Seeing is believing: An Augmented Reality application for Palaeolithic rock art

By developing new recording methodologies, current rock art studies generate a large amount of graphic information about sites (tracings, photographs, three-dimensional reproductions) providing visibility of this fragile and little-known heritage, whose accessibility is often difficult or impossible for the general public. In addition, many rock art depictions are challenging to observe, due to the very nature of the artistic entities (fine engravings or faded paintings in karst environments or open-air sites with poor or changing light conditions), or to conservation problems derived from natural factors such as erosion and geological and biological processes, as well as from anthropic factors. These conditions make rock art depictions nearly indistinguishable in many places and on many objects today, except for experts. This difficulty of accessing and visualising rock art heritage, located in fragile environments and often challenging places such as caves or difficult-to-reach open-air sites, makes the information and knowledge generated by investigation of this heritage asset difficult to transfer to society in general, which is frequently unaware of the priceless value of this heritage. The present study proposes generating several mechanisms to transfer the results of research, restitution and documentation of rock art to society in general. An AR (Augmented Reality) application has been developed using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to address current challenges in implementing AR technologies in low-light environments. So far, this app has been developed in a Proof-of-Concept project at Spanish archaeological sites such as Hornos de la Peña (Cantabria), Domingo García (Segovia) and La Salud (Salamanca). This application will be particularly interesting for sites currently visited with or without a guide, allowing user interactivity and real-time reconstruction, for example, of the visibility of graphic motifs.

Development Augmented Reality of CNC Lathe G-Code Programming

In the realm of education, the most recent novel methods, such as augmented reality (AR), are becoming increasingly popular since students can apply the learning circumstances seen in virtual form to the real-world environment. The study's goal is to create an AR application for G code programming on CNC Lathe machines for the Machining course at Batu Pahat Vocational College. The ADDIE model was employed as the process model in this development. The phases of this paradigm are as follows: analysis, design, development, implementation, and assessment. SolidWorks, Blender, and Blippar are used to create AR apps. Product functionality was evaluated by five experts in the fields of machining and multimedia. The data is collected using an expert confirmation form and analysed using the frequency of acceptance and expert feedback. The study's findings suggest that the built application achieved its purpose. Overall, this AR application for G code programming was created with vocational college students in mind and is suited for use as a supplementary reference that can be used in theoretical or practical lessons.

Structure factor design of a liquid crystal beam steering device for augmented reality applications

The applications of AR and VR devices have been increasingly important in our daily life. There are some disadvantages remaining to be improved for real time application. In this paper, we demonstrated the design of an experiment based on the Taguchi method targeting a beam steering liquid crystal device possessing a 6 degree steering angle with fast switching (>60Hz) ability for viewing angle expansion in AR/VR devices. The approach of the best structure design was suggested from the recall table that concluded the optical phenomenon was affected by the selected parameters from simulation. The resulting design rule was a tape-out design to prepare the pattern ITO glass. The beam steering device was assembled according to the suggested cell gap. The device evaluation showed a 6.1 degree steering angle as predicted. The response time was measured as 10.5 ms, which is able to be driven well above 60 Hz.

Ultra-low-defect homoepitaxial micro-LEDs with enhanced efficiency and monochromaticity for high-PPI AR/MR displays

The issue of brightness in strong ambient light conditions is one of the critical obstacles restricting the application of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). Gallium nitride (GaN)-based micro-LEDs, renowned for their exceptional brightness and stability, are considered the foremost contenders for AR applications. Nevertheless, conventional heteroepitaxial growth micro-LED devices confront formidable challenges, including substantial wavelength shifts and efficiency droop. In this paper, we firstly demonstrated the high-quality homoepitaxial GaN-on-GaN micro-LEDs micro-display, and thoroughly analyzed the possible benefits for free-standing GaN substrate from the material-level characterization to device optoelectronic properties and micro-display application compared with sapphire substrate. The GaN-on-GaN structure exhibits a superior crystal quality with ultra-low threading dislocation densities (TDDs) of ~ 105 cm−2, which is three orders of magnitude lower than that of GaN-on-Sapphire. Through an in-depth size-dependent optoelectronic analysis of blue/green emission GaN-on-GaN/ Sapphire micro-LEDs from 100 × 100 shrink to 3 × 3 μm2, real that a lower forward voltage and series resistance, a consistent emission wavelength (1.21 nm for blue and 4.79 nm for green @ 500 A/cm2), coupled with a notable reduction in efficiency droop ratios (15.6% for blue and 28.5% for green @ 500 A/cm2) and expanded color gamut (103.57% over Rec. 2020) within GaN-on-GaN 10 μm micro-LEDs. Last but not least, the GaN-on-GaN micro-display with 3000 pixels per inch (PPI) showcased enhanced display uniformity and higher luminance in comparison to its GaN-on-Sapphire counterpart, demonstrating significant potentials for high-brightness AR/MR applications under strong ambient light.

Decision support for augmented reality-based assistance systems deployment in industrial settings

AbstractThe successful deployment of augmented reality (AR) in the industry for on-the-job guidance depends heavily on factors such as the availability of required expertise, existing digital content and other deployment-related criteria such as a task’s error-proneness or complexity. Particularly in idiosyncratic manufacturing situations involving customised products and diverse complex and non-complex products and its variants, the applicability and attractiveness of AR as a worker assistance system is often unclear and difficult to gauge for decision-makers. To address this gap, we developed a decision support tool to help prepare customised deployment strategies for AR-based assistance systems utilising manual assembly as the main example. Consequently, we report results from an interview study with sixteen domain experts. Furthermore, when analysing captured expert knowledge, we found significant differences in criteria weighting based on task complexity and other factors, such as the effort required to obtain data.

Augmented Reality Applied to Identify Aromatic Herbs Using Mobile Devices

Correctly identifying and classifying food is decisive in food safety. The food sector is constantly evolving, and one of the technologies that stands out is augmented reality (AR). During practical studies at Companhia de Entreposto e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo (CEAGESP), responsible for the largest food storage in South America, difficulties were identified in classifying aromatic herbs due to the large number of species. The project aimed to create an innovative AR application called ARomaticLens to solve the challenges associated with identifying and classifying aromatic herbs using the design science research (DSR) methodology. The research was divided into five stages according to the DSR methodology, from surveying the problem situation at CEAGESP to validating the application through practical tests and an experience questionnaire carried out by CEAGESP specialists. The result of the study presented 100% accuracy in identifying the 18 types of aromatic herbs studied when associated with the application’s local database without the use of an Internet connection, in addition to a score of 8 on a scale of 0 to 10 in terms of the usability of the interface as rated by users. The advantage of the applied method is that the app can be used offline.