Mobile Augmented Reality Apps Research Articles

Understanding mobile augmented reality apps in Pakistan: an extended mobile technology acceptance model

PurposeAugmented reality (AR) adoption has boomed globally in recent years. The prospective of AR to seamlessly integrate digital information into the actual environment has proven to be a challenge for academics and industry, as they endeavor to understand and predict the influence on users' perceptions, adoption intentions and usage. This study investigates the factors affecting consumers’ behavioral intention to adopt AR technology in shopping malls by offering the mobile technology acceptance model (MTAM).Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual framework is based on mobile self-efficacy, rewards, social influence and enjoyment of existing MTAM constructs. A self-administered questionnaire, constructed by measuring questions modified from previous research, elicited 311 usable responses from mobile respondents who had recently used AR technology in shopping malls. This analysis was performed using SmartPLS3.0.FindingsGrounded on the findings of the study, it was found that, aside from factors such as mobile usefulness, ease of use and social influence, the remaining independent variables had the most significant impact on adopting AR technologies. Considering the limitations of this study, the paper concludes by discussing the significant implications and insinuating avenues for future research.Originality/valueTo better investigate mobile AR app adoption in Pakistan’s shopping malls, the researchers modified the newly proposed MTAM model by incorporating mobile self-efficacy theory, social influence, rewards and perceived enjoyment. However, the extended model has not been extensively studied in previous research. This study is the first to examine the variables that affect an individual’s intention to accept mobile AR apps by using a novel extended MTAM.

Understanding the impact of augmented reality product presentation on diagnosticity, cognitive load, and product sales

Augmented reality (AR) enhances consumers’ sensory responses to online product presentations, providing a more immersive experience. In online marketplaces, the utilization of various sensory modalities for product representation proves valuable for consumers’ evaluations. To investigate the impact of AR interfaces on human cognition, we developed a mobile AR app and conducted an experiment. Subjects tested the app, equipped with AR capabilities, alongside traditional two-dimensional (2D) representations for various product types. Our findings reveal that, in comparison to conventional 2D presentations, AR affordances significantly enhance consumers’ perceived product diagnosticity. Notably, this effect is more pronounced for technology products. Additionally, our research indicates that AR interfaces may contribute to an increased perceived cognitive load. In a second study, we conducted a natural experiment using AR-enabled Amazon products to explore the influence of AR interfaces on purchase decisions. For technology products, we observed a substantial increase in product sales when utilizing AR for online presentations. This research makes a valuable contribution to the mobile commerce literature, offering insights to retailers about the efficacy of AR interfaces in the realm of mobile shopping.

SatelliteSkill5—An Augmented Reality Educational Experience Teaching Remote Sensing through the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Advances in visualisation techniques provide new ways for us to explore how we introduce complex topics like remote sensing to non-specialist audiences. Taking inspiration from the popularity of augmented reality (AR) apps, a free, mobile digital AR app titled SatelliteSkill5, has been developed for both Androids and iPhones in Unity AR. SatelliteSkill5 helps users conceptualise remote sensing (RS) theory and technology by showcasing the potential of datasets such as multispectral images, SAR backscatter, drone orthophotography, and bathymetric LIDAR for tackling real-world challenges, with examples tackling many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the focus. Leveraging tried and tested pedagogic practices such as active learning, game-based learning, and targeting cross-curricular topics, SatelliteSkill5 introduces users to many of the fundamental geospatial data themes identified by the UN as essential for meeting the SDGs, imparting users with a familiarity of concepts such as land cover, elevation, land parcels, bathymetry, and soil. The SatelliteSkill5 app was piloted in 12 Irish schools during 2021 and 2022 and with 861 students ranging from 12 to 18 years old. This research shows that both students and teachers value learning in an easy-to-use AR environment and that SDGs help users to better understand complex remote sensing theory.

Assessing user benefits and privacy concerns in utilitarian and hedonic mobile augmented reality apps

PurposeThe application of mobile augmented reality (MAR) for enhancing user experiences and consumer patronizing intention has been the focus of recent MAR literature. Few studies examine the differences between apps. This study fills the research gap by examining how consumers assess their experiences with different MAR applications and how their decision-making process is performed, particularly in the setting of smartphones.Design/methodology/approachA web-based online survey was administered to collect data on consumers' perceptions of two different MAR apps: utilitarian and hedonic apps. Reliability and validity of the measurement scales, non-response bias and comment method bias were assessed. With the support of measurement model, partial least square (PLS) was employed to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThis study reveals that the technological attributes of augmented reality (AR) apps have significant effects on consumer perceptions of their utilitarian and hedonic benefits, including interactivity, visual quality, service quality, technicality and aesthetics. Moreover, this study shows that consumers of hedonic apps place more importance on their enjoyment with the MAR app; consumers of utilitarian apps focus more on the accrued functional values. The findings provide practical insights for retailers in AR marketing and application development in the MAR environment.Originality/valueThis study provides a comprehensive viewpoint for analyzing ongoing use and purchase intentions simultaneously in a unified theoretical framework. In addition, it compares different types of MAR apps: hedonic and utilitarian. Furthermore, it is one of the first few studies attempting to provide a comprehensive understanding of the predictive role of MAR technologies by incorporating privacy concerns into the research model based on user and gratification framework.

EAR: An Edge-Assisted and Energy-Efficient Mobile Augmented Reality Framework

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) apps may cause short battery life due to high-quality virtual objects rendered in the augmented environment. Given the limited ability of the human eye to recognize small details at larger distances, using (lower-quality) decimated virtual objects with a lower triangle count can still provide high user experience but at lower energy consumption. Current state-of-the-art solutions may impose a high burden on the MAR app developer, limited energy savings, and high storage overhead. In this paper, we propose eAR, an edge-assisted autonomous and energy-efficient framework for MAR apps designed to solve the limitations of state-of-the-art solutions. eAR features an offline software running on an edge server that uses Image Quality Assessment (IQA) to model user-perceived quality for each virtual object in terms of triangle count and user-object distance without requiring any effort from the MAR developer. In addition, eAR features a runtime lightweight optimization algorithm that minimizes storage overhead by dynamically deciding the most energy-efficient virtual object decimation ratios to request from the edge server. Our results show that eAR can help reduce energy consumption by up to 16.5% while reducing storage overhead by almost 60% compared to existing schemes, with minimal impact on user-perceived quality.

Mobile augmented reality supporting families’ immersive collaborative learning: Learning-on-the-move for place-based geoscience sense-making

We investigated how families experienced immersion as they collaboratively made sense of geologic time and geoscience processes during a place-based, learning-on-the-move (LOTM) experience mediated by a mobile augmented reality (MAR) app. Our team developed an MAR app, Time Explorers, that focused on how rock-water interactions shaped Appalachia over millions of years. Data were collected at the Children’s Garden at the Arboretum at Penn State. Data sources were videos of app usage, point-of-view camera recordings with audio capturing family conversations, and interviews from 17 families (51 people). The analytical technique was interaction analysis, in which episodes of family sense-making were identified and developed into qualitative vignettes focused on how immersion did or did not support learning about geoscience and geologic time. We analyzed how design elements supported sensory, actional, narrative, and social immersion through photo-taking, discussion prompts, and augmented reality visualizations. Findings showed that sensory and social immersion supported sense-making conversations and observational inquiry, while narrative and actional immersion supported deep family engagement with the geoscience content. At many micro-sites of learning, families engaged in multiple immersive processes where conversations, observational inquiry, and deep engagement with the geoscience came together during LOTM. This analysis contributes to the CSCL literature on theory related to LOTM in outdoor informal settings, while also providing design conjectures in an immersive, family-centered, place-based LOTM framework.

Effects of Mobile Augmented Reality Apps in Science Education on Austrian Secondary School Students' Health

Effects of Mobile Augmented Reality Apps in Science Education on Austrian Secondary School Students' Health

How to Design Virtual Video Production for Augmented Student Presentations

e-Learning environments have been developed and used by teachers and learners for decades. However, it is well known that sending, recording or meeting online can have a lack of presence and immersion. Furthermore, the configuration of a studio environment typically depends on physical props and technologies, which can be time consuming and hard to use for teaching purposes where each session may need a different configuration. Virtual Video Production (VVP) is a relatively new technology that builds on advances in extended reality (XR), supported by game engines and computer-controlled camera equipment. Camera data (pan, tilt, zoom, position) can be sent to a virtual camera in the game engine. The scene can be rendered via a green screen or with large LED displays. This provides an immersive presence with virtual 3D objects positioned in the room. Light settings can be mixed into the scene with remote control of LED lights to be in sync with virtual lights. Thus, VVP opens many opportunities for more immersive e-learning experiences. The challenge is how to apply these opportunities that involve syncing of several technical components and layers, designed to be useful within limited course resources. The question in this paper is how VVP can be designed and set up in an easy way for teachers and students to use it for presentations in courses? This paper presents results from a course in Immersive Environments where students first developed mobile Augmented Reality app prototypes and then used VVP to present their final work together with the authors. The authors documented preparation, wrote instructions for students and observed with notes taken during recording sessions. The results show how VVP can be designed and set up for course presentations that goes beyond a plain video recording in a lecture room or at home, but also beyond what was previously possible in a video studio at the university. This includes e.g., technical setup, direction of students, synopsis, concepts and virtual 3D props. Finally, the authors draw conclusions of what challenges remain for future research and suggestions of how to overcome them.

EdgeXAR: A 6-DoF Camera Multi-target Interaction Framework for MAR with User-friendly Latency Compensation

The computational capabilities of recent mobile devices enable the processing of natural features for Augmented Reality (AR), but the scalability is still limited by the devices' computation power and available resources. In this paper, we propose EdgeXAR, a mobile AR framework that utilizes the advantages of edge computing through task offloading to support flexible camera-based AR interaction. We propose a hybrid tracking system for mobile devices that provides lightweight tracking with 6 Degrees of Freedom and hides the offloading latency from users' perception. A practical, reliable and unreliable communication mechanism is used to achieve fast response and consistency of crucial information. We also propose a multi-object image retrieval pipeline that executes fast and accurate image recognition tasks on the cloud and edge servers. Extensive experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of EdgeXAR by building mobile AR apps upon it. Regarding the Quality of Experience (QoE), the mobile AR apps powered by EdgeXAR framework run on average at the speed of 30 frames per second with precise tracking of only 1-2 pixel errors and accurate image recognition of at least 97% accuracy. As compared to Vuforia, one of the leading commercial AR frameworks, EdgeXAR transmits 87% less data while providing a stable 30FPS performance and reducing the offloading latency by 50 to 70% depending on the transmission medium. Our work facilitates the large-scale deployment of AR as the next generation of ubiquitous interfaces.

Engaging locals in rural areas: value correspondence in placemaking through mobile augmented reality

ABSTRACT This research proposes value correspondence, which posits that the value shared in correspondence between stakeholders is essential for the development of placemaking in rural areas. By investigating location-based media; particularly mobile augmented reality (MAR) apps aimed at both reviving local tourism in rural townships and soliciting opinions from major stakeholders, the author has determined that local residents play a vital role in the placemaking process. However, research in this field has often ignored local residents and instead focused on tourists’ perceptions and augmented reality technology. Various MAR apps have been designed as forms of self-service technology that benefits tourists but, to some extent, also hinders dialog between tourists and locals; this results in value noncorrespondence, which may lead to the failure of placemaking. Thus, the author advocates that more attention should be paid to how locals can generate value in correspondence with other stakeholders via the use of MAR.

Mobile Augmented Reality Technologies for Autism Spectrum Disorder Interventions: A Systematic Literature Review

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.

Investigating privacy concerns related to mobile augmented reality Apps – A vignette based online experiment

Augmented reality (AR) gained much public attention after the success of Pokémon Go in 2016, and has found application in online games, social media, interior design, and other services since then. AR is highly dependent on various different sensors gathering real time context-specific personal information about the users causing more severe and new privacy threats compared to other technologies. These threats have to be investigated as long as AR is still shapeable in order to ensure users’ privacy and foster market adoption of privacy-friendly AR systems.To provide viable recommendations regarding the design of privacy-friendly AR systems, we follow a user-centric approach and investigate the role and causes of privacy concerns within the context of mobile AR (MAR) apps. We design a vignette-based online experiment adapting ideas from the framework of contextual integrity to analyze drivers of privacy concerns related to MAR apps, such as characteristics of permissions, trust-evoking signals, and AR-related contextual factors. The results of the large-scale experiment with 1,100 participants indicate that privacy concerns are mainly determined by the sensitivity of app permissions (i.e., whether sensitive resources on the smartphone are accessed) and the number of prior app downloads. Furthermore, we devise detailed practical and theoretical implications for developers, regulatory authorities and future research.

Determinants of the Intention to Adopt Mobile Augmented Reality Apps in Shopping Malls among University Students

Augmented Reality (AR) technology adoption has been growing worldwide in recent years. The potential of AR to blend digital information into the physical world has been a challenge for both academia and industry, who attempt to realize and anticipate its impact on users’ perceptions, adoption intention and use. The present paper is an empirical study aimed at making substantial suggestions and investigating an integrative theoretical paradigm which attempts to establish the significance of specific factors which allow using mobile augmented reality apps in shopping malls. The study employs information from the extant literature with a view to extending the Unified Theory on Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The results show that performance expectancy, enjoyment and reward are direct determining factors of adopting the specific technology in shopping malls, whereas facilitating conditions, social influence, innovativeness and trust exert an indirect effect on behavioral intention adoption. The research findings have far-reaching theoretical and practical implications for the development, marketing and application of mobile AR apps in the context of the specific contemporary form of shopping.

A virtual market in your pocket: How does mobile augmented reality (MAR) influence consumer decision making?

This research investigates the extent to which Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) apps can influence user attitudes and shopping behavior. It empirically explores user experience and examines its effects on consumer perceptions of hedonic and utilitarian gratification, informativeness, and ease of use. Findings indicate perceptions of gratification and informativeness significantly associate with MAR app use. When consumers perceived the MAR app as enjoyable, useful, and contributing to the information acquisition, they were inclined toward a more positive affective response. Practically it provides insights into MAR use, which benefits both consumers and MAR app designers, and influences company marketing strategy.

Elements of Engagement in Promoting Social Acceptance of Mobile Augmented Reality Application

In a social context, Mobile Augmented Reality is a type of Augmented Reality which enables users to interact with the augmented environment. However, the degree of engagement and non-distraction of Mobile Augmented Reality has been of major concern to scholars. This is because Mobile Augmented Reality should be a focused, movable and engaged augmented environment which allows users to achieve the desired objectives. Therefore, this paper examines the engagement elements of Mobile Augmented Reality that promote social acceptance among users within the vast literature. These elements will enable Mobile Augmented Reality designers and developers to produce apps that will be able to enhance users’ interest and attractiveness in a fun way. Based on the critical and comprehensive review, there are 22 elements of engagement that have been used by previous researchers in the design of Mobile Augmented Reality apps. The 22 elements include; Aesthetics, Novelty, Usability, Feedback, Motivation, Attention, Perceived Control, Curiosity, Enjoyment, Self-efficacy, Friendliness, Social skill, Endurability, Interest, Immersion, Challenge, Satisfaction, User Autonomy, Improvement, Supportive, Trust and Interaction. This paper argues that the 22 elements are critical in producing an engaging Mobile Augmented Reality app. It is recommended for designers to consider these elements in ensuring that the users will be positively engaged with the Mobile Augmented Reality app.

Effects of mobile augmented reality apps on impulse buying behavior: An investigation in the tourism field

Many of today's online services are designed specifically to encourage impulse buying. Moreover, many studies have shown that with the assistance of Mobile Augmented Reality, retailers have the potential to significantly improve their sales. However, the effects of Mobile AR on consumer impulse buying behavior have yet to be examined, particularly in the tourism field. Consequently, the present study integrates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework, and flow theory to examine the effects of Mobile AR apps on tourist impulse buyingbehavior. The research model is implemented using an online questionnaire, with the results analyzed by Partial-Least-Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The results obtained from 479 valid samples show that the characteristics of Mobile AR apps play an important role in governing tourist behavior in making unplanned purchases. In particular, as the utility, ease-of-use, and interactivity of the apps increase, the perceived enjoyment and satisfaction of the user also increase and give rise to a stronger impulse buying behavior. The results also reveal a mediating effect of the flow experience on the relationship between the perceived ease of use of the Mobile AR app and the user satisfaction in using the app. Overall, the findings presented in this study provide a useful source of reference for Mobile AR app developers, retailers, and tourism marketers in better understanding users' preferences for Mobile AR apps and strengthening their impulse buying behavior in the tourism context as a result.

Autonomous Vehicle and Augmented Reality Usage

With the development of autonomous development technology, the need for additional applications to be used inside and outside the vehicle is increasing. As a result of the literature review, many applications have been developed to display vehicle data directly on the monitor, with reflections on glass, and on hardware devices. These applications have been developed only for a defined problem and for a particular autonomous system. In this study, a basic autonomous vehicle software infrastructure and mobile Augmented Reality application that can work on Android devices have been developed. The Mobile Augmented Reality app serves inside and outside the vehicle. In addition, this application has been shown to support multiple autonomous system infrastructures.

Effect of Mobile Augmented Reality on Learning Performance, Motivation, and Math Anxiety in a Math Course

Motivation and math anxiety are crucial in performance and satisfaction, and augmented reality (AR) may be a useful tool in enhancing these factors because it provides users with interesting visual experiences. Since related empirical research is limited in investigating the effects of using free mobile AR apps integrating Keller’s ARCS (attention-relevance-confidence-satisfaction) motivation model on learning motivation, anxiety, and outcomes between students with different levels of anxiety in primary math education, this study investigated whether mobile AR differently affected learning, motivation, and math anxiety between students with high and low anxiety. The results showed that the AR group performed better than the non-AR group, and high-anxiety learners in the AR group outperformed in algebra and geometry. The AR group had higher motivation based on Keller’s ARCS model. The high-anxiety learners had higher confidence and satisfaction and lower anxiety when learning using mobile AR. The AR users were satisfied with ease of use, usefulness, playfulness, and benefit from exploration and hands-on experiences. Moreover, high-anxiety users in the AR group had higher perceptions of exploration, hands-on experiences, and playfulness. This study includes the participants’ experience in adopting mobile AR for their learning and discusses its constraints.

Effects of lead-usership on the acceptance of media innovations: A mobile augmented reality case

Lead-users are ahead of important trends, which makes them valuable resources when it comes to generate ideas for new products in the early stages of a company's new product development process. In later stages – e.g. just before market entry when prototypes of the new products are available and can be tested – the company's market research usually focuses on average users or representative samples of users since their measured acceptance of the prototypes can be used to predict sales volumes or market shares. However, in the media industry, prototypes of new products are often made publically available as alpha or beta versions and may especially attract high shares of lead-users for testing. In this paper we analyze the potential effects of these biased samples on the prediction of sales volumes or market shares. A sample of lead-users and other users tests the prototype of a mobile augmented reality app. Then, the acceptance of this media innovation is measured applying a lead-usership extended version of the UTAUT2 model. Our results show that behavioral intention and the effects of influencing factors substantially differ between lead-users and other users. We argue that knowing these differences can help to reduce risks of biased prediction of sales volumes or market shares.

An Argument Against Cross-Platform Development: Lessons From an Augmented Reality App Prototype for Rural Emergency Responders.

BackgroundMobile augmented reality (MAR) apps offer potential support for emergency responders in rural areas.ObjectiveIn this report, we described lessons learned from the development process of augmented reality (AR) Farm Mapping to Assist, Protect and Prepare Emergency Responders (MAPPER), a MAR app that provides emergency responders onsite information about the agricultural operation they enter.MethodsCross-platform frameworks were used to create AR MAPPER to accommodate budget constraints and overcome issues with markerless MAR technologies. Although the single codebase and Web technologies streamlined development, cross-device hardware limitations impacted location accuracy, lengthened the development cycle, and required regular updates to third-party libraries.ResultsA hybrid development approach of using Web-based technologies with native tie-ins for specialized components and enhanced performance cut time and costs. This also led to consistency across multiple platforms and ensured that there is only a single set of source files to modify for Android and iPhone operating systems. Meanwhile, active development was delayed by some major hurdles. Apple and Google both released new versions of their operating systems, and the Wikitude framework issued four major updates, each of which brought with it some important enhancements and also led to some new issues.ConclusionsDevelopers should consider single platform native development to benefit from platform-specific MAR implementations and to avoid development, testing, and maintenance costs associated with cross-platform implementation. Emergency response organizations may be more likely to utilize a single platform across the devices used by their command staff. This also reduces the benefits of cross-platform development. Furthermore, providing map-based, non-AR cross-platform apps for landowners, farmers, and ranchers would help improve and maintain data quality, which is crucial for the utility and user experience of MAR apps.