Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is a concept which on first approach may seem to be a technology for the distant future, or something of a work of fiction; the idea that computers can interact seamlessly with humans and their environments. The idea that there could be something of a merge between aspects of virtual reality, and true reality would have been thought to be only for movies and computer games by the average person a decade or so ago, but now augmented reality has become a reality, and evidence of its progression can be seen in early technologies and computer systems that interact with humans. Augmenting reality can take several forms, but it usually encompasses combining a 'real world' or true reality view or image with a computer generated virtual image or environment. On the topic of virtual reality, this is often something that is confused with augmented reality. Virtual reality is where a user is immersed into an artificially created environment. Virtual reality requires the computer to produce highly realistic visuals and ambience to provide the user with a realistic experience, and must also provide sufficient interaction with the user to make the simulation more apparent. One feature which highlights the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality is that the virtual environment has the ability (and is in fact a requirement) to completely immerse the user in the virtual environment and block out any ambient features of the real world. As explained earlier, augmented reality utilises aspects of a 'virtual' environment and merges this with the real world environments.

So why augment reality in any case? This idea can be derived from how Ambient systems have been, and currently are influencing and becoming part of our daily routines and lifestyles. Taking ambient intelligence one step further, we can see how the notion of the disappearing computer [5], which is how computers have become able to interact so seamlessly with our everyday lives that people may not realise that their lives are revolving around the dependence of computer systems, can lead to systems providing augmented reality to make human computer interaction even more seamless.

The future possibilities of augmented reality are endless, and many systems already have, or are currently developing software and hardware to make augmented reality a common occurrence. The uses for augmented reality range from tourism, to business, to the military [2]. One simple example of how augmented reality is somewhat already in use in the military is the Heads Up Display (HUD) in military aircrafts. This is where information about navigation, targets, attack, and other pieces of vital information are superimposed on the visor of a pilot's helmet or their windshield [1]. This gives the pilot more information about his real environment and therefore greater control over it. Other areas of the military are also planning to implement HUD style systems, and are running various trials with software. Currently, similar systems are being used with foot soldiers as training methods, and trials are running for smaller, more portable Heads Up Displays to be used by individual soldiers for use in the field, displaying tactical and positional information among other things. This is the type of thing we have seen in futuristic computer games, and it seems that now, with technology advancing exponentially, works of fiction are becoming a reality.

Other simple, yet effective uses of augmented reality can also be found in the Sports and Entertainment sectors. In the USA, the sport of American football is televised using computer generated lines to indicate and show where the '1st down' mark lies, to show the viewers how far the players have to travel. Similar tools are used in football in England and other countries, where offside lines are superimposed onto the video footage to show and analyse the game. In cricket, a virtual reality model of the ground is used and trajectory lines show all the paths taken by the cricket ball throughout the game. This provides visual aid to the collection of statistical data used in analysing the game. I believe that it will not be long before this virtual reality system is replaced by a similar, augmented reality system which will not only be more aesthetically pleasing for viewers of the game, but will also aid in the analysis of sport, much in the way it has for football and American football. Augmented reality is also widely used in the media, and much of it goes unnoticed (which you could argue is evidence of a well implemented system). One example is the use of the three dimensional weather maps, where weathermen will walk across a map of a country or area showing and presenting weather patterns with the aid of computer effects.

The future of augmented reality seems promising. There are already several new and innovating systems currently in development using this technology, and I have given some examples in the last section. Several Universities and research institutes have experimented with augmented reality, and have developed many novel tools and demonstration programs, some of which have much potential. One example is the table tennis game. This is where a projector projects and virtual image of a pool of water onto a table tennis top, and sensors on the table interact with the ball so that when the ball hits the table, the computer creates a ripple effect [5]. A more advanced demonstration of what augmented reality is capable of, can be seen in virtual reality centres where the crossover between virtual reality and physical reality is exploited to great use. Using headsets and other devices, a virtual map of a location (e.g. a campus, a room etc) is built, and objects are mapped also. Then when the headset is worn by a user, the user can physically move around and interact with the room and its objects. When combining the virtual reality and physical (true) reality, the designer of the system can choose to implement and include virtual objects as well as real objects, and also create alternative visualisations for the physical objects. This example shows the capability of augmented reality, and it is evident that there are many ways this type of system can be exploited and used, with the most obvious path being commercial gaming and entertainment. Other more productive ideas in development that use augmented reality include using it in the medical field. A lot of the medical uses for augmented reality involve the surgery process, using computer enhanced images from such sources as CT scans or MRI scans and project them on to the subject. This will allow the doctors and surgeons to operate more efficiently and would eliminate the need to use the stereotactic frames that are currently used [1]. Construction and repair is another field