Mobile Augmented Reality System Research Articles

Cache allocation policy based on user preference using reinforcement learning in mobile edge computing

SummaryIn mobile edge computing (MEC), due to the limited computing resources and power of mobile augmented reality (MAR) devices, cache identification results which can reduce power consumption and executing time of mobile devices are the solution to process MAR tasks. In this paper, we study an allocation cache problem in MAR systems. The allocation cache problem is formulated as maximizing the cache utility of cache hit ratio and user preference factor. To solve this problem, a cache resource allocation and cache space adjustment policy for edge computing systems is proposed. We also propose an improved double deep Q‐network (DDQN) algorithm to learn this policy. Simulation results show that the policy greatly improves the cache hit ratio compared with the traditional caching policy.

Effectiveness of mobile augmented reality–integrated oral health education for community-dwelling older adults: A randomized controlled trial

Background & purposeOral health education helps older adults optimize their oral health. However, traditional lecture-based oral health education has limitations, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobile augmented reality (MAR) has emerged as an alternative educational method. This study compared the effectiveness of MAR-integrated oral health education with that of lecture-based education and no education. MethodsThis parallel, randomized controlled, open-label trial enrolled 75 older adults from six activity centers. The participants were randomly assigned, by a random number table technique, to the lecture-based, MAR, or control group. Data on oral healthcare-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and oral health status were collected through questionnaires and oral examinations at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 2-week follow-up. The MAR system's usability was assessed. Statistical analyses, comprising descriptive statistics and inferential tests, were performed. ResultsData from 61 participants were analyzed, 22 in the lecture-based group, 20 in the MAR group, and 19 in the control group. Both lectures and MAR education significantly improved oral health status. However, changes in knowledge and self-efficacy scores were significantly different only for the MAR versus control group (p = .002 and .001, respectively). The MAR group demonstrated better knowledge and self-efficacy retention than did the lecture-based group, without significant difference. Usability assessment revealed potential for improvement in the MAR system. ConclusionsMAR-integrated oral health education enhanced the knowledge, self-efficacy, and oral health status of community-dwelling older adults. However, addressing technology adoption and usability challenges is vital. Longer-term evaluations and broader geographical studies are recommended.

LEAF + AIO: Edge-Assisted Energy-Aware Object Detection for Mobile Augmented Reality

Today very few deep learning-based mobile augmented reality (MAR) applications are applied in mobile devices because they are significantly energy-guzzling. In this paper, we design an edge-based energy-aware MAR system that enables MAR devices to dynamically change their configurations, such as CPU frequency, computation model size, and image offloading frequency based on user preferences, camera sampling rates, and available radio resources. Our proposed dynamic MAR configuration adaptations can minimize the per frame energy consumption of multiple MAR clients without degrading their preferred MAR performance metrics, such as latency and detection accuracy. To thoroughly analyze the interactions among MAR configurations, user preferences, camera sampling rate, and energy consumption, we propose, to the best of our knowledge, the first comprehensive analytical energy model for MAR devices. Based on the proposed analytical model, we design a LEAF optimization algorithm to guide the MAR configuration adaptation and server radio resource allocation. An image offloading frequency orchestrator, AIO, coordinating with the LEAF, is developed to adaptively regulate the edge-based object detection invocations and to further improve the energy efficiency of MAR devices. Extensive evaluations are conducted to validate the performance of the proposed analytical model and algorithms.

A mobile augmented reality-integrated oral health education for community dwelling older adults: A pilot study

Providing oral healthcare education can be an optimal strategy for imparting knowledge and developing self-care skills for older adults to enhance their oral health conditions. However, traditional passive lecture-based education programs have several limitations. Integrating mobile augmented reality (MAR) into oral health education can potentially enhance the effectiveness of the education by mitigating those limitations. The objectives of this study are to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of MAR-integrated oral health education. The objectives of this study were to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of MAR-integrated oral health education. Twenty-four older adults from community dwellings participated in this study. The participants received MAR-integrated oral health education once at activity centers. Self-report questionnaires were utilized to assess oral healthcare-related knowledge and self-efficacy, and the usability score of the MAR system. The assessment was conducted before and after the educational program. Data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-t test. The mean scores of oral healthcare-related knowledge and self-efficacy showed a significant increase after the educational program, with P-values of <0.001 and 0.002, respectively. A majority of the participants exhibited a lack of knowledge and self-efficacy regarding the proper selection of toothpaste and interdental brushes. However, there was an improvement after the intervention. The usability score of the system was lower than the average level. MAR-integrated oral health education effectively increases oral health-related knowledge and self-efficacy among community dwelling older adults. Still, the usability of the MAR system needs to be improved. Further investigation of long-term effects and clinical outcomes, and the inclusion of comparative groups are recommended for the future study.

Evaluating user interface of a mobile augmented reality coloring application for children with autism: An eye-tracking investigation

Mobile augmented reality (AR) solutions are increasingly being used to facilitate learning and skills training for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Derived from the fact that mobile AR systems can be embedded with multimedia effects, such as 3D animations, sounds or personalized images, with potential benefits for learning and engagement. Many mobile AR-based applications have been developed over the past decade; however, little is known about how children with autism interact with mobile AR application interface elements, which limits the accessible user interface (UI) design of such applications. In this study, we conducted an eye-tracking experiment to examine how children with autism interact differently with the UI of mobile AR coloring apps compared to typically developing (TD) children. Both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that 1) icons and images were more attractive to ASD children and could facilitate their understanding of the task more effectively; 2) a richer interface makes participants with autism focus more on irrelevant elements; and 3) the size and position of icons affected their speed of information processing. We recommend that UI be designed to suit the characteristics of children with autism. For example, visual stimuli such as icons or images should be meaningful; screen elements need to be simple and clear; background distractions should be avoided; and text also needs to be brief and precise. This study is expected to inspire researchers to provide AR apps with accessible UIs in the future and improve the user experience (UX) of children with autism.

Forecasting the Weather and its Visualization using Augmented Reality

-In the recent period, many real-world applications and institutions generates a huge amount of data which is unstructured i.e., in the form of images containing data, receipts, invoices, forms, statements, contracts etc. This rich and detailed information presented in the text is of great significance in computer vision-based applications (driverless cars, assisting blind and visually impaired people, detecting labels and packages, automatic number plate recognition etc.). Recently, there has been a hike in the efforts, This project presents AR Weather, a simulation application, which can simulate three types of precipitation: rain, snow, and hail. We examined a range of weather phenomenon and how they may be simulated in a mobile augmented reality system. AR Weather was developed and deployed on the Tinmith wearable computer system to enable autonomous and free movement for the user. The user can move freely inside the simulated weather without limitation. The result of this work, the AR Weather application, has been evaluated with a user study to determine the user’s acceptance and draw conclusions to the applicability of augmented reality simulated weather Keywords- Mobile augmented reality, environmental sensor networks, mobile visualization

Mobile Augmented Reality: User Interfaces, Frameworks, and Intelligence

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) integrates computer-generated virtual objects with physical environments for mobile devices. MAR systems enable users to interact with MAR devices, such as smartphones and head-worn wearables, and perform seamless transitions from the physical world to a mixed world with digital entities. These MAR systems support user experiences using MAR devices to provide universal access to digital content. Over the past 20 years, several MAR systems have been developed, however, the studies and design of MAR frameworks have not yet been systematically reviewed from the perspective of user-centric design. This article presents the first effort of surveying existing MAR frameworks (count: 37) and further discusses the latest studies on MAR through a top-down approach: (1) MAR applications; (2) MAR visualisation techniques adaptive to user mobility and contexts; (3) systematic evaluation of MAR frameworks, including supported platforms and corresponding features such as tracking, feature extraction, and sensing capabilities; (4) and underlying machine learning approaches supporting intelligent operations within MAR systems. Finally, we summarise the development of emerging research fields and the current state-of-the-art and discuss the important open challenges and possible theoretical and technical directions. This survey aims to benefit both researchers and MAR system developers alike.

Mobile augmented reality system for object detection, alert, and safety

The usefulness of mobile devices has increased greatly in recent years allowing users to perform more tasks in daily life. Mobile devices and applications provide many benefits for users, perhaps most significantly is the increased access to point-of-use tools, navigation, and alert systems. This paper presents a prototype of a cross-platform mobile augmented reality (AR) system with the core purpose of finding a better means to keep the campus community secure and connected. The mobile AR System consists of four core functionalities &#x2013; an events system, a policing system, a directory system, and a notification system. The events system keeps the community up-to-date on current events that are happening or will be happening on campus. The policing system allows the community to stay in arms reach of campus resources that will allow them to stay secure. The directory system serves as a one-stop-shop for campus resources, ensuring that staff, faculty, and students will have a convenient and efficient means of accessing pertinent information on the campus departments. The mobile augmented reality system includes integrated guided navigation system that users can use to get directions to various destinations on campus. The various destinations are different buildings and departments on campus. This mobile augmented reality application will assist the students and visitors on campus to efficiently navigate the campus as well as send alert and notifications in case of emergencies. This will allow campus police to respond to the emergencies in a quick and timely manner. The mobile AR system was designed using Unity Game Engine and Vuforia Engine for object detection and classification. Google Map API was integrated for GPS integration in order to provide location-based services. Our contribution lies in our approach to create a user specific customizable navigational and alert system in order to improve the safety of the users at their workplace. Specifically, the paper describes the design and implementation of the proposed mobile AR system and reports the results of the pilot study conducted to evaluate their perceived ease-of-use, and usability.

Perceived Usability and User Experience in Augmented Reality Tools for the Treatment of Spider Phobia

Abstract The use of augmented reality (AR) environments to treat small animal phobias is an alternative to traditional in vivo exposure treatments that allow supporting the therapy through the virtual, gradual and controlled exposure of the patient to the animal to which he/she is afraid. In this paper, we compare three different AR tools used in exposure therapy for spider phobia with thirty users; namely, a mobile haptic AR system, an immersive AR environment, and a non-immersive AR environment. An in vivo (direct) interaction with a real spider was also used as a reference during the comparison. To compare these four conditions, each subject participated in an exposure therapy session using all of them. The perception of usefulness and experience of use of each of the tools were evaluated using a Technology Acceptance Model on-exit questionnaire and the results were obtained through indirect observation analysis. The results showed that there are no significant differences regarding the perception of usefulness among the three applications and that the haptic AR system generated the least discomforting experience of use.

Retraction Note: The differences in pleasing value and learning performance among different groups using mobile augmented reality system for cultural environment learning

Retraction Note: The differences in pleasing value and learning performance among different groups using mobile augmented reality system for cultural environment learning

Meta-Interface Analysis for Interaction in Mobile Augmented Reality

Mobile Augmented Reality has expanded including the cultural heritage sector. Among the options offered is the digitization of cultural heritage. Multiple technical breakthroughs has implemented, including hand gesture recognition and body tracking, into mobile augmented reality systems. The success of these improvements depends on a good user interface. Meta User Interface (Meta-UI) allows significant information to be displayed without interfering with system operation. The results of the analyses that the Meta-UI user interface could aid users in employing hand gestures and body motion capture on this mobile augmented reality without any issues and could deliver information about batik efficiently. PIECES Framework testing confirmed this, with a satisfaction score of 4.40 to 4.55. Using the PIECES Framework concepts and questionnaire that focus on user satisfaction with mobile augmented reality, the score indicates that the user is satisfied.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Exploring Privacy Risks of Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

Mobile augmented reality systems are becoming increasingly common and powerful, with applications in such domains as healthcare, manufacturing, education, and more. This rise in popularity is thanks in part to the functionalities offered by commercially available vision libraries such as ARCore, Vuforia, and Google’s ML Kit; however, these libraries also give rise to the possibility of a hidden operations threat , that is, the ability of a malicious or incompetent application developer to conduct additional vision operations behind the scenes of an otherwise honest AR application without alerting the end-user. In this article, we present the privacy risks associated with the hidden operations threat and propose a framework for application development and runtime permissions targeted specifically at preventing the execution of hidden operations. We follow this with a set of experimental results, exploring the feasibility and utility of our system in differentiating between user-expectation-compliant and non-compliant AR applications during runtime testing, for which preliminary results demonstrate accuracy of up to 71%. We conclude with a discussion of open problems in the areas of software testing and privacy standards in mobile AR systems.

Assess Teachers' Attitude Towards Mobile Augmented Reality Systems for Teaching Digital Electronics Course

There have been a number of studies conducted to determine the effect of incorporating Augmented Reality (AR) technology into real time scenario. As per research studies, when students engaged themselves in activity based learning then AR helps to improve their perceptions as well as their overall cognitive abilities. On the other hand, due to lack of professional coding skills, sometimes it is difficult for the teachers to incorporate AR-based activities in their course. In this study, teaching intervention through mobile augmented reality (MAR) is proposed that is simple to use and can assist teachers in the creation and design of augmented reality materials, such as combinational circuits. A unique feature of this mobile system is that it allows teachers to merge the subject matter and animated videos in a way that promotes active participation of the students. Our proposed system was put through a quasi-experimental evaluation to see if it could support a variety of teaching activities. Teacher response through a survey questionnaire was positive, and they were eager to adopt and use MAR system in their classrooms. Educators also agreed that our strategy was an effective way to boost the quality of outdoor educational activities.

The Development of Mobile Augmented Reality: 3-Dimensional Video

Augmented reality has become one of the learning processes applicable through mobile devices, called Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR). Learning and service experiences can be enhanced using mobile devices such as those offered by MAR, an innovative learning space providing active interaction of superimposing digital content into the real world. Previous studies have discussed the importance of the MAR system in various domains, especially in education, as it led students to achieve higher levels of engagement in their learning process. However, there are limitations in highlighting the importance of the development process for MAR. Therefore, this present study describes the development process of MAR through the AREM model, which aimed to exhibit the systematic guidelines in producing a practicable MAR. It also highlights the preferable learning content and media component based on the respondents’ responses in the survey questionnaire. Data gathered from questionnaires were analysed by using descriptive statistics. The guideline in developing MAR can benefit students and educators in producing a MAR for learning purposes.

A mobile augmented reality system to conduct electrical machines laboratory for undergraduate engineering students during the COVID pandemic

A mobile augmented reality system to conduct electrical machines laboratory for undergraduate engineering students during the COVID pandemic

A Fast and Accurate Spatial Target Snapping Method for 3D Scene Modeling and Mapping in Mobile Augmented Reality

High-performance spatial target snapping is an essential function in 3D scene modeling and mapping that is widely used in mobile augmented reality (MAR). Spatial data snapping in a MAR system must be quick and accurate, while real-time human–computer interaction and drawing smoothness must also be ensured. In this paper, we analyze the advantages and disadvantages of several spatial data snapping algorithms, such as the 2D computational geometry method and the absolute distance calculation method. To address the issues that existing algorithms do not adequately support 3D data snapping and real-time snapping of high data volumes, we present a new adaptive dynamic snapping algorithm based on the spatial and graphical characteristics of augmented reality (AR) data snapping. Finally, the algorithm is experimented with by an AR modeling system, including the evaluation of snapping efficiency and snapping accuracy. Through the experimental comparison, we found that the algorithm proposed in this paper is substantially improved in terms of shortening the snapping time, enhancing the snapping stability, and improving the snapping accuracy of vector points, lines, faces, bodies, etc. The snapping efficiency of the algorithm proposed in this paper is 1.6 times higher than that of the traditional algorithm on average, while the data acquisition accuracy based on the algorithm in this paper is more than 6 times higher than that of the traditional algorithm on average under the same conditions, and its data accuracy is improved from the decimeter level to the centimeter level.

Visual SLAM Based Spatial Recognition and Visualization Method for Mobile AR Systems

The simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) market is growing rapidly with advances in Machine Learning, Drones, and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. However, due to the absence of an open source-based SLAM library for developing AR content, most SLAM researchers are required to conduct their own research and development to customize SLAM. In this paper, we propose an open source-based Mobile Markerless AR System by building our own pipeline based on Visual SLAM. To implement the Mobile AR System of this paper, we use ORB-SLAM3 and Unity Engine and experiment with running our system in a real environment and confirming it in the Unity Engine’s Mobile Viewer. Through this experimentation, we can verify that the Unity Engine and the SLAM System are tightly integrated and communicate smoothly. In addition, we expect to accelerate the growth of SLAM technology through this research.

Tourism Management System Based on mobile Internet

With the development of cloud computing, Internet of things, mobile communication, mobile Internet and other technologies, the development of intelligent, multi-dimensional and all-round tourism management information system has become the development trend of tourism informatization. This paper studies and realizes a mobile, information, intelligent and personalized intelligent travel service system for tourism industry by comprehensively utilizing the tracking and registration technology based on location and multi-sensor, tile map technology, 3D landscape map technology and virtual reality Superposition Technology of mobile augmented reality system. The system can provide a new perspective for tourists to understand the surrounding landscape and get a new interactive experience. The system includes three-dimensional landscape map, virtual roaming, route navigation, environment identification, historical building query, thermal map display, friend footprints, personal trajectory, Wechat sharing and other functional modules. Tourists can enjoy more convenient travel services at the same time. The model proposed in this paper has a certain reference value for the study of tourism management system.

An Improved 3D Registration Method of Mobile Augmented Reality for Urban Built Environment

3D registration plays a pivotal role in augmented reality (AR) system. The existing methods are not suitable to be applied directly in the mobile AR system for the built environment, with the reasons of poor real-time performance and robustness. This paper proposes an improved 3D registration method of mobile AR for built environment, which is based on SURFREAK and KLT. This method increases the building efficiency of algorithm descriptors and maintains the robustness of the algorithms. To implement and evaluate the registration method, a smart phone-based mobile AR system for built environment is developed. The experimental result shows that the improved method is endowed with higher real-time performance and robustness, and the mobile AR 3D registration can realize a favorable performance and efficiency in the complex built environment. The mobile AR system could be used in building recognition and information augmentation for built environment and further to facilitate location-based games, urban heritage tourism, urban planning, and smart city.

Automatic Interior Design in Augmented Reality Based on Hierarchical Tree of Procedural Rules

Augmented reality has a high potential in interior design due to its capability of visualizing numerous prospective designs directly in a target room. In this paper, we present our research on utilization of augmented reality for interactive and personalized furnishing. We propose a new algorithm for automated interior design which generates sensible and personalized furniture configurations. This algorithm is combined with mobile augmented reality system to provide a user with an interactive interior design try-out tool. Personalized design is achieved via a recommender system which uses user preferences and room data as input. We conducted three user studies to explore different aspects of our research. The first study investigated the user preference between augmented reality and on-screen visualization for interactive interior design. In the second user study, we studied the user preference between our algorithm for automated interior design and optimization-based algorithm. Finally, the third study evaluated the probability of sensible design generation by the compared algorithms. The main outcome of our research suggests that augmented reality is viable technology for interactive home furnishing.