Mobile Augmented Reality Applications Research Articles

Role of Perceived Ease of Use for Augmented Reality App Designed to Help Children Navigate Smart Libraries

In this article, we sought to determine whether perceived enjoyment (PE), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and perceived usefulness (PU) impacted children’s attitude toward using an augmented reality mobile application (app) to search for books in a smart library. We used an experiment and a questionnaire survey to measure the perceptions of 238 children of the proposed app. Structural equation modeling was applied in conjunction with the technology acceptance model and flow theory to analyze the collected data. Participants tended to take less notice of their spatial context while using the app and rather focused on their experience of the route. Children’s attitudes toward the app were most influenced by PEOU, followed by PE, and PU. This article provides evidence that children with limited cognition abilities using ego-centered navigation to find selected targets tend to emphasize PEOU and thus prioritize processing temporal concepts over emotional and spatial concepts.

A Novel Immersive Anatomy Education System (Anat_Hub): Redefining Blended Learning for the Musculoskeletal System

Immersive technologies are redefining ways of interacting with 3D objects and their environments. Moreover, efforts in blended learning have presented several advantages of incorporating educational technology into the learning space. The advances in educational technology have in turn helped to widen the choice of different pedagogies for improving learner engagement and levels of understanding. However, there is limited research in anatomy education that has considered the use and adoption of immersive technologies for the musculoskeletal system, despite its immense advantage. This research presents a practical immersive anatomy education system (coined Anat_Hub) developed using the agile scrum and participatory design method at a selected tertiary institution in Cape Town, South Africa, which promotes learner engagement through an asynchronous technological means using augmented reality (AR). The aim of the study was to develop an immersive AR mobile application that will assist learners and educators in studying and teaching the names, attachments, and actions of muscles of the human musculoskeletal system (upper and lower limbs). The Anat_Hub application offers a wide range of useful features for promoting active and self-regulated learning, such as 3D and AR modes, glossary, and quiz features. The application was tested with potential users, and on a variety of mobile device specifications. Very few volunteers have used AR prior to this study (13.2%). On a scale of 1 to 5, the majority of volunteers scored the application a 4 or 5. Overall, results and feedback obtained from users show that the proposed immersive anatomy system could effectively improve learner engagement and retention of anatomy concepts.

Optimal Proactive Caching for Multi-View Streaming Mobile Augmented Reality

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.

Interactions in Sociotechnical Systems: Achieving Balance in the Use of an Augmented Reality Mobile Application.

We explore relationships between barriers and facilitators experienced by users to understand dynamic interactions in sociotechnical systems and improve a mobile phone-based augmented reality application that teaches users about the contents of a standardized pediatric code cart. Understanding interactions between performance obstacles and facilitators can provide guidance to (re)designing sociotechnical systems to improve system outcomes. Clinicians should know about contents and organization of code carts, and an augmented reality mobile application may improve that knowledge but changes the sociotechnical system in which they learn. Prior work identified barriers and facilitators impacting the use of this application-participants described dimensions together, indicating interactions that are explored in the current study. We conducted four focus groups (number of clinicians = 18) and two interviews with clinicians who used the application. We performed a secondary analysis of focus group data exploring interactions between previously identified barriers and facilitators to application use. We used epistemic network analysis to visualize these interactions. Work system barriers interacted with barriers and facilitators interacted with facilitators to amplify cumulative negative or positive impact, respectively. Facilitators balanced barriers, mitigating negative impact. Facilitators also exacerbated barriers, worsening negative impact. Barriers and facilitators interact and can amplify, balance, and exacerbate each other-notably, positives are not always positive. To obtain desired outcomes, interactions must be further considered in sociotechnical system design, for example, the potential improvements to the application we identified.

Interaction with Paintings by Augmented Reality and High Resolution Visualization. A Real Case Exhibition

In this paper, an interactive software system for the enjoyment of the artworks in an art exhibition environment is presented. By using Augmented Reality technology, mobile application and High Resolution visualization we provide the users with a visual augmentation of the paintings and a touch interaction technique to display digital contents for art promotion, allowing exhibition visitors to interact with digital contents in an intuitive and exciting manner. The exhibition here presented is the result of previous research over the use of new technologies (e.g. Augmented Reality) for artwork promotion. Descriptions of the hardware system component and software development details are presented, with particular focus over the application implementation. Furthermore, we outline a possible Multi- media AR Installation connected with a semantic network.

An augmented and interactive exhibition of an archived model for Frederick Kiesler's Endless House, 1959

This research explores the potential of an immersive and interactive online archive to enhance our understanding of historic architecture through the study of models. It reports on implementing an augmented reality mobile application that exhibits a model for the unbuilt Endless House, 1959, by Frederick Kiesler. A reflective critique, from the researcher's point of view, and initial feedback from a small sample of architecture students, provides an insight into users' experience of the exhibition, its value as a research tool, and as an educational resource. Building on existing technologies and established research methods, we present an alternative way of exhibiting a large-scaled model for public engagement and research collaboration between academics, archivists, and conservators. Results discuss the development of the mobile application with interactive features specifically designed for an architectural audience. It touches on issues associated with documenting, interpreting, and exhibiting architectural models, emphasizing accessibility, accuracy, engagement, combining 3D and 2D digital assets, and user experience. It was found that the interactive and immersive features of the exhibition enhanced the researchers' scope to spatially inspect the model, visually experience it, collaborate with others, and strengthen connections between the model and other examples of Kiesler's textual and visual archival materials.

Immersive experience and customer responses towards mobile augmented reality applications: The moderating role of technology anxiety

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of customer immersive experience on attitude and adoption intention toward mobile augmented reality applications (MAR apps). This paper also examines the moderating role of technology anxiety on the relationship between immersive experience on attitude and adoption intention toward MAR apps. A dataset of 322 customers and the partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM) with the SmartPLS 3.2.8 statistical software were used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results show that immersive experience significantly affects attitude and adoption intention toward MAR apps. In addition, the vital role of technology anxiety in moderating the relationship between customer immersive experience and their responses toward MAR apps is revealed.

DRAM: A DRL-based resource allocation scheme for MAR in MEC

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and 5G technology allow clients to access computing resources at the network frontier, which paves the way for applying Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) applications. Under the MEC paradigm, MAR clients can offload complex tasks to the MEC server and enhance the human perception of the world by merging the received virtual information with the real environment. However, the resource allocation problem arises as a critical challenge in circumstances where several MAR clients compete for limited resources at the network frontier. In this paper, we aim to design an online resource allocation scheme on the MEC server that takes both high quality of experience and good fairness performance for MAR clients into consideration. We first formulate this problem as a Markov decision process and tackle the challenge of applying the deep reinforcement learning paradigm. Then, we propose DRAM, a Deep reinforcement learning-based Resource allocation scheme for mobile Augmented reality service in MEC. We also propose a self-adaptive algorithm on the MAR client that is derived based on the analysis of the MAR service to tackle client adaptation problems. The simulation results demonstrated that DRAM can provide high quality of experience and simultaneously achieve good fairness performance by coordinating with clients’ adaptation algorithms.

‘AReal-Vocab’: An Augmented Reality English Vocabulary Mobile Application to Cater to Mild Autism Children in Response towards Sustainable Education for Children with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association defines autism spectrum disorder as a neurological illness, in which children with the disorder have trouble communicating socially or have a set of behaviours that are recurrent or restricted. Autism learners are mostly visual method learners who learn best through pictures and visuals. Most learners with autism struggle to learn new terminology due to their cognitive difficulties, and with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology is no longer a foreign concept in the educational sphere. The usage of augmented reality technology has proven to be beneficial in offering more relevant learning sessions for autism learners. As a result, underpinned by the learning theories of behaviourism, constructivism, connectives and cognitivism, altogether with the theory of mind and Frame model, an augmented reality smartphone application, called ‘AReal-Vocab’, was created to assist children with mild autism in acquiring English vocabulary. The design and development research approach was employed in this study, in which later, the developed mobile augmented reality application was then tested on six mildly autistic youngsters to see how well the designed and developed augmented reality mobile application aided them in acquiring the English language. The AReal-Vocab mobile application, which was planned and built, has had an impact on the English-vocabulary learning of children with moderate autism, according to the findings. Not only has AReal-Vocab helped mildly autistic children learn English vocabulary in a more engaging and meaningful way, sparking their interest in the language learning process, but it also serves as a platform for instilling leisure learning at home, as well as stimulating pronunciation skills and language articulation. The findings of this study are expected to benefit all parties involved, particularly children with autism, autism educators, and parents of children with autism.

Artificial intelligence and creativity: piano teaching with augmented reality applications

ABSTRACT The article is devoted to the study of the possibilities of augmented reality (AR) mobile applications in acquiring piano skills. The study presents concept of the online course “Piano for Beginners” with the implementation in the educational practices of mobile applications: Flowkey – Learn Piano; Simply Piano; Skoove: Learn to Play Piano and AR applications: AR Pianist - 3D Piano Concerts and Music Everywhere. Course testing was conducted among novice pianists - 47 university students in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China in the period from January to July 2021. Students’ subjective attitudes toward their learning experiences and personal learning progress in acquiring piano skills were studied. 89% of students confirmed a high level of progress in mastering musical terminology literacy, 83% of students showed skills in reading sheet music and working independently with musical material. 70% of students showed basic performance skills of playing the piano, allowing them to perform a musical work competently, 90% of students showed technical skills of a pianist. The study results may be of interest to practicing piano teachers who are in search of innovative opportunities to modernize pedagogical practice.

The effect of an augmented reality educational tool on the motivation towards learning in pharmacy students: an evaluative survey

Abstract Introduction Within the context of education, motivation relates to the desire students possess to engage in their learning environment. This quality is vital in determining the effort an individual expresses towards their learning and the desire they have to achieve higher academic performances (1). Educational technologies, particularly digital technologies, have long been used in post-secondary education to increase collaboration, critical thinking and motivation among students (2). The advancements in technology have led to the creation of novel augmented reality (AR) educational tools, however they have not been widely implemented or researched with the education of pharmacy students in the United Kingdom. Aim To identify changes of pharmacy students’ self-reported intrinsic motivation towards learning after using the ‘Pharma Compounds AR’ (PCAR) educational tool. Methods The PCAR tool was an image-based educational AR mobile application – it displayed 3-D models and animations of complex molecules when unique target images were scanned with the mobile’s camera. 118 stage two undergraduate Pharmacy students from a University in England were approached through cohort emails that contained a link to an online consent form and pre-intervention questionnaire. Participants were required to complete the pre-questionnaire before they received the PCAR tool for at least two months. Students were informed that they could use the tool to accommodate their learning in any way they felt appropriate. Once the intervention period ended, participants completed an online post-questionnaire. Changes in self-reported intrinsic motivation were determined with the use of adapted Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) Likert scale questions. The pre-questionnaire focused on motivation towards learning using conventional methods and their perceived usefulness, whereas the post-questionnaire focused on motivation towards learning with the PCAR tool and its perceived usefulness. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted on the IMI adapted Likert scales. Results A total of 68 (57.6% rr) undergraduate Pharmacy students completed the pre-questionnaire. The majority were aged 18-21(82.4%), female (70.6%) and domestic (94.1%). The post-questionnaire was completed by 30 students (44.1% rr), mainly aged 18-21 (83.3%), female (70%), and domestic (86.7%). Participants ranked their agreement to each Likert statement from 1 (not true at all) to 7 (very true). Mean agreement motivation scores were increased after the use of the PCAR tool (pre-3.88 vs post-5.15), as were the mean agreement scores of the learning tools’ perceived usefulness (pre-4.69 vs post-5.29). Dependant T-tests performed on responses of students who completed both questionnaires revealed a significant increase in students’ mean pre- and post-intervention motivation towards learning scores (p=0.000). No significance was calculated between the mean pre-and post-agreement usefulness scores (p>0.05). Conclusion Incorporating the PCAR tool into the education of stage two Pharmacy students significantly increased their reported motivation towards learning when compared to conventional methods, it was also reported as being a more useful learning tool. The drop in post-questionnaire responses has to be acknowledge as a limitation as well as not explicitly knowing how students used the PCAR tool in their studies. Nevertheless, the incorporation of AR into schools of Pharmacy could provide students and tutors more engaging teaching and learning experiences. References (1) Budiman R. Developing Learning Media Based on Augmented Reality (AR) to Improve Learning Motivation. J Educ Teach Learn. 2016 Sep;1(2):89–94. Available from: https://www.learntechlib.org/p/209026 (2) Martin F, Polly D, Coles S, Wang C. Examining higher education faculty use of current digital technologies: Importance, competence, and motivation. Int J Teach Learn High Educ. 2020;32(1):73–86.

Pattern-Based Augmented Reality Authoring Using Different Degrees of Immersion: A Learning Nugget Approach

Creating Augmented Reality (AR) applications can be an arduous process. With most current authoring tools, authors must complete multiple authoring steps in a time-consuming process before they can try their AR application and get a first impression of it. Especially for laypersons, complex workflows set a high barrier to getting started with creating AR applications. This work presents a novel authoring approach for creating mobile AR applications. Our idea is to provide authors with small, ready-to-use AR applications that can be executed and tested directly as a starting point. Authors can then focus on customizing these AR applications to their needs without programming knowledge. We propose to use patterns from application domains to further facilitate the authoring process. Our idea is based on the learning nugget approach from the educational sciences, where a nugget is a small and self-contained learning unit. We transfer this approach to the field of AR authoring and introduce an AR nugget authoring tool. The authoring tool provides pattern-based self-contained AR applications, called AR nuggets. AR nuggets use simple geometric objects to give authors an impression of the AR application. By replacing these objects and further adaptions, authors can realize their AR applications. Our authoring tool draws from non-immersive desktop computers and AR devices. It synchronizes all changes to an AR nugget both to an AR device and a non-immersive device. This enables authors to use both devices, e.g., a desktop computer to type text and an AR device to place virtual objects in the 3D environment. We evaluate our proposed authoring approach and tool in a user study with 48 participants. Our users installed the AR nugget authoring tool on their own devices, worked with it for 3 weeks, and filled out a questionnaire. They were able to create AR applications and found the AR nugget approach supportive. The users mainly used the desktop computer for the authoring tasks but found the synchronization to the AR device helpful to experience the AR nuggets at any time. However, the users had difficulties with some interactions and rated the AR nugget authoring tool in a neutral field.

Design Patterns for Mobile Augmented Reality User Interfaces—An Incremental Review

The virtual enhancement of the physical world through Augmented Reality (AR) has an enormous potential in its application, but faces challenges in its development. The lack of standards and the increased complexity of interaction opportunities complicate the definition of suitable User Interfaces (UIs). Several principles and patterns have been formulated to simplify UI design for AR applications, but their joint contribution to a positive usability as well as the influence of individual patterns remain unclear. In this paper, AR design principles from selected research were reviewed and merged into a comprehensive pattern model within an incremental process. Based on an initial model, we developed ARScribble, a mobile AR application which imitates a physical spray can to virtually sketch within a real environment. In a user-based study, we evaluated the usability of ARScribble as well as the role of individual patterns for the overall usability. We found promising indications that the pattern model implementation is related to a positive usability. The individual pattern analysis showed that AR users particularly desire a consistent and structured UI. A consistent appealing design and multimodal interaction concepts were also found to positively correlate with the overall usability. Based on these results, we included additional related work to refine the initial model into a final pattern model. To evaluate this refinement, the colAR application was developed, which allows real-world colors to be assigned to virtual objects. As a result, we found the consideration of the final pattern model to be related to a positive usability, which was confirmed in an A/B test, in which an application neglecting the pattern model showed a significantly poorer usability.

Using Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) to Support Safe Navigation on Inland and Coastal Water Zones

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.

Evaluating the content accuracy of augmented reality applications on the Solar System

Advancements in mobile technologies have accelerated mobile Augmented Reality (AR), and many applications have been developed and presented in online stores. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of the AR model of the Solar System simulated in mobile AR applications located in the Google Play Store. The applications were examined in the store between 1 December 2020 and 1 January 2021. A criterion was developed and 23 applications were determined that met the criterion. The mobile AR applications were coded according to a coding scheme devoted to evaluating the content requirements of the Solar System. The results showed that the applications do not meet the requirements of the model of the Solar System. In addition, the applications are insufficient to accommodate the gravity, inertia, scale, and system formation that are the requirements of the teaching of the Solar System as a whole. The results also revealed that the applications have the potential to lead to similar misconceptions as mentioned in the literature. The results suggest that the applications should be developed or reviewed by specialists or teachers before using in science classrooms. In addition, research on AR should be more focused on the quality of mobile AR applications in online stores.

Development of Application Based on Augmented Reality as A Learning of History and Culture in Architecture Case Study Pathok Negoro Mosques Yogyakarta

Pathok Negoro Mosques is an architectural masterpiece. These mosques are part of history in forming Yogyakarta. The existence of the Sultan’s Ngayogyakarta Palace is inseparable from the Pathok Negoro Mosques building. These mosques also have a function as a defensive system of the Islamic kingdom in Yogyakarta. Arguably, the current generation is getting deprived of the intellectual heritage of culture and history. The history and culture of the Pathok Negoro Mosques will be the content of this research. This research aims to develop an interactive application for learning the history and culture of architecture based on augmented reality. Augmented reality applications developed using unity. This research is proposed to be carried out in 2 stages. The first stage is related to the collection of the historical and cultural context of the mosque. The second stage is the development of an AR application for Android mobile devices. The reference data was made into the AR application with several methods, such as plane detection and image tracking. The research managed to develop a mobile augmented reality application in Unity3D 2018.3.14f1 for android devices that consists of the narrative recorded voice of brief history and culture the Pathok Negoro Mosques. The app also shows a well-ordered animation of building structure such as roof, roof insulation, roof structure and column of Pathok Negoro Mosques. Moreover, the research showed a clear step and issue of making an augmented reality app as learning of history and culture of Pathok Negoro Mosques

Mobile Augmented Reality Laboratory for Learning Acid–Base Titration

Traditionally, laboratory practice aims to establish schemas learned by students in theoretical courses through concrete experiences. However, access to laboratories might not always be available to students. Therefore, it is advantageous to diversify the tools that students could use to train practical skills. This technology report describes the design, development, and first testing of a mobile augmented reality application that enables a hands-on learning experience of a titration experiment. Additionally, it presents the extension of the TrainAR framework for chemical education through the implementation of specific domain features, i.e., logbook, graph, and practical oriented hints. To test the application, 15 participants were recruited from five different high schools and two universities in Belgium. The findings reflect that the MAR Lab app was well-received by the users. In addition, they valued the design elements (e.g., logbook and multiple-choice questions), and the system has “good” usability (SUS score 72.8, SD = 14.0). Nevertheless, the usability and learners’ experience can be improved by tackling technical problems, providing more explicit instructions for subtasks, and modifying certain features. Therefore, future development will concentrate on improving upon these shortcomings, adding additional levels to target a larger audience, and evaluating the improvements’ effects with more participants.

Evaluating system usability of mobile augmented reality application for teaching Karnaugh-Maps

The education system evolves and transforms towards interactive and immersive learning tools in this digital age. Augmented reality has also evolved as a ubiquitous, robust, and effective technology for providing innovative educational tools. In engineering education, many abstract concepts require technological intervention for conceptual understanding and better instructional content. While learning through the immersive tools, system usability has great importance in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Effectiveness refers to users' accuracy and completeness in achieving defined goals; efficiency relates to expended resources about the precision and completeness with which users achieve their objectives; satisfaction deals with a positive attitude towards using the product. If the system fails to provide good usability, it may cause adverse effects such as increasing stress, lacking necessary features, increasing the users' cognitive load, and negatively impacting the student's motivation. In this study, two mobile augmented reality (MAR) applications were developed as an instructional tool to teach the students about Karnaugh maps in the digital electronics course. The first application is a Keypad-based MAR application that uses a keypad matrix for user interaction and the second application is a Marker-based MAR application that uses multiple markers to solve K-Map for producing an optimum solution of the given problem. An experimental study was conducted to determine the student's opinion of the developed MAR applications. The study was designed to determine the system usability of the two MAR applications using the System Usability Score (SUS) and Handheld Augmented Reality Usability Score (HARUS) models. 90 engineering students participated in the study, and they were randomly divided into two different groups: keypad-based group and Marker-based group. The keypad-based group included 47 students who had hands-on experience with a keypad-based MAR application, whereas the marker-based group included 43 students who had hands-on experience with multiple marker-based MAR applications. The experimental outcomes indicated that the keypad-based MAR application has better SUS and HARUS scores than the marker-based MAR application which suggests that the keypad-based MAR application has provided better user interaction.

Mobile Augmented Reality Application for Primary School Education

Mobile Augmented Reality Application for Primary School Education

Augmented reality mobile application to improve the astronomy teaching-learning process

It is during the primary education stage that children begin to awaken their interest in science and, in turn, have new mathematical, geographical, and scientific knowledge, which are the basis for understanding astronomical aspects. This research focuses on developing an Augmented Reality Mobile Application based on the Mobile-D methodology for the teaching-learning process of astronomy in 4th and 6th grade students. The random selection design of an experimental group applied to a sample of 60 students was used, subdivided into groups of 30 students each. Finally, it can be concluded that the use of an Augmented Reality mobile application for the teaching-learning process significantly influences elementary school students in the subject of astronomy.