What is Augmented Reality
It’s a technology represent the virtual world together with the real world in real-time, the still or animated models and characters created by a computer are aligned in camera view with a specific simple or an object, and it changes its perspective according to the camera scene, so the viewer with camera and screen or the one behind the head mounted display imagine that this virtual model have somehow existed before or in real-life in the area within his vision. Sometimes these augmented staff is being enriched with multi-media such like videos and sounds, sometimes it comes as interactive environment where users can use touch, voice, and other sensors simultaneously with object recognition technology, for mediating the augmented environment and change its parameters.
How it works
The technology depends on a number of things to apply the full experience. First a display, either held by hand, mounted, or even fixed; it is used to represent and show the augmented objects to the eye 3 Dimensional, tracking the head moves, and direction of the vision. Another tool is the tracking devices, the cameras or sensors; movement and light sensors, and sometimes GPS and wi-fi devices for the larger contexts. We need also interaction devices such like, keyboards, mouse, touch sensors and sometimes more advance tools, such like body motion recognition devices or speak recognition devices. Finally a large processing power, in terms of graphics and algorithms, to integrate and render back in almost real-time the 3D model together with the video stream and interactions which come from the cameras and sensors into a new video presented in front of the viewer’s eye.
Uses of augmented reality
Augmented Reality is used in a wide range of activities. Its use in armies operations, to support troops with visual instructions in real-time and help them see what is not visible. The technology opened new horizons in the area of medicine; a doctor can see beneath the skin of his patient without opening a single cut, and that include different kind of embedded perspectives applied to the patient’s body from CT scan models and X-rays images. Augmented Reality applications are developed now for entertainments and lifestyle applications, video games now use the body as a joystick, a lot of mobile applications use the technology to support mobile functions and purposes, e.g. Inform tourists with places of attractions, or give a museum visitor valuable information about a piece of work.
Augmented reality in Architecture
Augmented Reality can support the Architects efforts to promote their designs, it allows them to preview their work to clients in sites before building it. Another purpose of the technology is in building maintenance and historic building conservations, with all these complex wires, pipes and elements, covered by walls and ceilings, it’s easy to follow a line, by highlight it in the sight of the engineer and then make the walls and slabs transparent or even invisible. It’s also useful technology for planners, when it’s show building information with a more enhanced view, showing historical events, building types and other underground infrastructure.
Augmented Reality experiment
We will try to create an augmented reality system, using rhino and grasshopper, supported by some other tools and plugins, such like GHowl and Firefly. A 3D model of a building will be inserted into the system and then we will be using a mobile camera to render the 3D model into a marker in the room.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality
