擴增實境（Augmented Reality，簡稱 AR）
 Introduction:
Augmented reality (AR) is cutting-edge technology that allows for a digitally enhanced view
of the real world, connecting you with more meaningful content in your everyday life. With
the camera and sensors in a smartphone or tablet, AR adds layers of digital information –
videos, photos, sounds – directly on top of items in the world around us.
 Features:
1. Actual objects and virtual objects in a real environment
2. Can instantly interact with users
3. Real objects and virtual objects overlap each other (super-imposed)
 Definition of Milgram (1991):
He proposed “Milgram's Reality-Virtuality Continuum”.
He connected real and virtual environments. In the middle of this area is called "Mixed
Reality". The area which is close to real environments is "Augmented Reality". Other, the
area which is close to virtual environments is "Augmented Virtuality".
 What is different between AR(Augmented Reality) 擴增實境 and VR
(Virtual reality) 虛擬實境?
VR- replace the real environment in the virtual world
在虛擬世界重現真實環境
AR-replace the virtual environment in the real world
在真實世界重現虛擬環境
 Basic principle of operation of AR
 Applications:
Marketing: F&N Large Outdoor Screen Dancing AR
The customer can dance with four virtual dancers on the outdoor LED screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr5UH3OtZiw
Entertainment: 1:55 mins
Date with Hatsune Miku in Augmented Reality environment
An engineer made an AR goggles by ASUS XTION PRO LIVE, and combined
pop music of Japan and animation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jpWiTVR0GA#t=77
Retail trade: 線上試衣間 30 second
This is a new technology that can detect the height and weight, clothes can
project on your body. So you don't need to wear every clothes, it is very
convenient.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8VJcABcofU
Game:
Ingress 22 second
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92rYjlxqypM
Ingress is a near-real time augmented reality massively multiplayer online
pervasive game created by Niantic Labs, a startup within Google, currently for
Android devices, but expected to be available for Apple's iOS in 2014.
Medical:
Augmented Reality can provide the surgeon with information, which are
otherwise hidden, such as showing the heartbeat rate, the blood pressure, the
state of the patient’s organ, etc. AR can be used to let a doctor look inside a
patient by combining one source of images such as an X-ray with another such
as video.
Examples include a virtual X-ray view based on prior tomography or on real
time images from ultrasound and confocal microscopy probes or visualizing the
position of a tumor in the video of an endoscope. AR can enhance viewing a
fetus inside a mother's womb. See also Mixed reality.
Industrial design:
AR can help industrial designers experience a product's design and operation
before completion. Volkswagen uses AR for comparing calculated and actual
crash test imagery. AR can be used to visualize and modify a car body structure
and engine layout. AR can also be used to compare digital mock-ups with
physical mock-ups for finding discrepancies between them.
Navigation:
AR can augment the effectiveness of navigation devices. Information can be
displayed on an automobile's windshield indicating destination directions and
meter, weather, terrain, road conditions and traffic information as well as alerts
to potential hazards in their path. Aboard maritime vessels, AR can allow bridge
watch-standers to continuously monitor important information such as a ship's
heading and speed while moving throughout the bridge or performing other
tasks.
The NASA X-38 was flown using a Hybrid Synthetic Vision system that
overlaid map data on video to provide enhanced navigation for the spacecraft
during flight tests from 1998 to 2002. It used the LandForm software and was
useful for times of limited visibility, including an instance when the video
camera window frosted over leaving astronauts to rely on the map overlays.The
LandForm software was also test flown at the Army Yuma Proving Ground in
1999.
Furniture industry
Because of augmented reality, customers of IKEA can now try out select
products in their homes with the help of a printed catalog, a mobile app and a
smartphone or tablet. To use the new service, customers will need to download
the free 2014 IKEA Catalog App for iOS or Android. After launching the app, a
smartphone or tablet camera is used to zone in on an orange cross to the bottom
right of selected product pages. An icon will appear on the device display, which
gives users access to the AR mode. The app then instructs the user to close the
printed version of the catalog and place it in the spot where the customer intends
to put the new furniture. The approximate dimensions of the virtual furniture are
based on the size of this physical, real-world IKEA catalog.
The camera wakes up again and a product outline appears in the frame. This can
be rotated, repositioned and manipulated so that it looks just right, before
confirming the selection from a scrollable list. Finally, a virtual version of the
new sofa, desk or bookcase with the room in the background is shown onscreen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDNzTasuYEw (about1:30mins)
 Advantage/Disadvantage
Advantage:
1. Augmented Reality is set to revolutionize the mobile user experience as did
gesture and touch (multi-modal interaction) in mobile phones. This will redefine
the mobile user experience for the next generation making mobile search
invisible and reduce search effort for users.
2. Augmented Reality, like multi-modal interaction (gestural interfaces) has a
long history of usability research, analysis and experimentation and therefore
has a solid history as an interface technique.
3. Augmented Reality improves mobile usability by acting as the interface
itself, requiring little interaction (this Interaction Design technique is known as
Direct Manipulation). Imagine turning on your phone or pressing a button
where the space, people, objects around you are “sensed” by your mobile
device- giving you location based or context sensitive information on the fly.
http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/technology/advantages-and-drawbacks-ofusing-augmented-reality-augmentedreality/#sthash.C1nLxZYT.dpuf
4. The New Sphere: As a result of creating Augmented Reality a new sphere
has formed known as ‘The Virtual Sphere’. This has produced a new platform
for media to work with including in the Public Relations field. New campaigns
are beginning to include Augmented Reality as part of their communications
strategies. A recent campaign which has incorporated this is The Gorillaz for
their new album, “Plastic Beach”. They have promoted it in the latest edition of
NME Magazine which comes complete with an A5 booklet filled with Gorillaz
information and inside is an Augmented Reality marker, which when held up to
a webcam the user is presented with a 3D “Plastic Beach” which may be
navigated around.
It could be argued that interactivity of this nature works well in PR campaigns
and Augmented Reality is the next generation of interactivity with consumers.
5. Personal Experience: Once mixed with your social media applications, it
can become a personal experience with offers/coupons from shops you like and
places you enjoy going to – hence a marketers’ dream. This could prove to be
highly useful to PROs when trying to reach their target market as the displays
are only perceived by a single user, raising the possibility of creating rich,
personal experiences for all occupants of a shared space. Today, people are
searching, buying, rating, interacting, and using social media in a pressure-free
environment. This can give PROs new opportunities as this usage is creating a
large amount of raw, yet accurate data about consumer preference and by
digesting this information you can sift through to the people who are interested
in your product or service. An example of promoting in a more personal way is
on 43things.com which is a community that allows people to interact about the
life goals they have. A popular aim is to join a gym, so naturally when you’re up
on this page advertisements for gyms appear. Although this is not an example of
Augmented Reality creating that personal experience it illustrates how it could
work in the future.
http://www.behindthespin.com/features/advantages-disadvantages-of-augmente
d-reality
Disadvantage:
1. Current performance levels (speed) on today’s [2009] iPhone or similar
touch devices like the Google G1 will take a few generations to make
Augmented Reality feasible as a general interface technique accessible to the
general public.
2. Content may obscure or narrow a users interests or tastes. For example,
knowing where McDonald’s or Starbucks is in Paris or Rome might not interest
users as much as “off the beaten track information” that you might seek out in
travel experiences.
3. Privacy control will become a bigger issue than with today’s information
saturation levels. Walking up to a stranger or a group of people might reveal
status, thoughts (Tweets), or other information that usually comes with an
introduction, might cause unwarranted breaches of privacy.
http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/technology/advantages-and-drawbacks-ofusing-augmented-reality-augmentedreality/#sthash.C1nLxZYT.dpuf