Dariusz Rumiński

Building Contextual Augmented Reality Environments with semantics

Augmented reality offers a powerful tool for visualization of various kinds of contextual information. However, the current methods of developing AR applications limit their applicability as well as their spatial and logical scope. To avoid fragmentation of AR functionality between multiple independent applications and to simplify integration of various information services into seamless, contextual and personalized AR interfaces, the concept of Contextual Augmented Reality Environments (CARE) has been introduced. In this paper, a new method of building CARE environments is proposed. The method permits automatic generation of such environments through semantic transformation of high-level domain ontologies. Consequently, AR environments can be created and maintained by domain-experts without experience in programming and graphic design.

Creation of Interactive AR Content on Mobile Devices

This paper presents a method of context-based mobile on-site creation of complex interactive augmented reality (AR) content. The method significantly simplifies the content creation process by providing a WYSIWYG authoring mode for AR scenes. In the paper, an AR authoring tool, called MARAT—Mobile Augmented Reality Authoring Tool, is presented. The tool allows users without programming skills to create interactive AR presentations on mobile devices directly on-site, where the AR presentations will be accessed by end-users. The use of the MARAT application for building AR-based virtual museum exhibitions is presented.

CARL: A Language for Modelling Contextual Augmented Reality Environments

The paper describes a novel, declarative language that enables modelling ubiquitous, contextual and interactive augmented reality environments. The language, called CARL – Contextual Augmented Reality Language, is highly componentised with regards to both the structure of AR scenes as well as the presented AR content. This enables dynamic composition of CARL presentations based on various data sources and depending on the context. CARL separates specification of three categories of entities constituting an AR environment – trackable markers, content objects and interfaces, which makes the language more flexible and particularly well suited to building collective awareness systems based on ubiquitous AR-based information visualisation.

An experimental study of spatial sound usefulness in searching and navigating through AR environments

This paper presents an experimental study of spatial sound usefulness in searching and navigating through augmented reality environments. Participants were asked to find three objects hidden within no-sound and spatial sound AR environments. The experiment showed that the participants of the spatialized sound group performed faster and more efficiently than working in no-sound configuration. What is more, 3D sound was a valuable cue for navigation in AR environment. The collected data suggest that the use of spatial sound in AR environments can be a significant factor in searching and navigating for hidden objects within indoor AR scenes. To conduct the experiment, the CARE approach was applied, while its CARL language was extended with new elements responsible for controlling audio in 3D space.

Dynamic composition of interactive AR scenes with the CARL language

The paper presents a method of dynamic composition of interactive augmented reality (AR) scenes based on distributed data sources and depending on the context. For this purpose, a novel declarative language for modelling ubiquitous, contextual AR environments is employed. The language, called CARL - Contextual Augmented Reality Language, enables modularisation of the structure of AR scenes and the presented AR content. CARL separates specification of three categories of entities constituting an AR environment - trackable markers, content objects and interfaces. Particular entities may be selectively added to an AR scene, which makes the language flexible and particularly well suited for building dynamic AR systems.

Semantic model for distributed augmented reality services

In this paper, a semantic model for distributed Augmented Reality services is presented. The services are built with the use of a novel Semantic Augmented Reality Ontology (SARO). SARO is based on semantic web standards (RDF, RDFS and OWL 2) and constitutes one of the main elements of the Contextual Augmented Reality Environments (CARE) approach. The model is used to build ubiquitous dynamic Augmented Reality presentations based on semantically described AR services in a contextual manner. In the paper, a visual design tool - the CARE Modeler - is also presented. The tool conforms to the SARO ontology and helps developers to model contextual Augmented Reality experiences. Finally, example presentations based on an AR service designed with the use of the tool are presented.

Building Augmented Reality Presentations with Web 2.0 Tools

Augmented reality enables superimposing various kinds of computer generated content, such as interactive 2D and 3D multimedia objects, in real time, directly on a view of real objects. One of the application domains, which can particularly benefit from the use of AR techniques, is education. However, to enable widespread use of AR in education, simple and intuitive methods of preparation of learning content are required. In this paper, we propose an easy-to-use method of augmenting printed books with arbitrary multimedia content. A popular Moodle-based educational platform has been extended with a plugin enabling creation of AR presentations. In addition, an associated mobile application is provided, which helps teachers assign the presentations to book pages and enables students to access the content.

Declarative GUI descriptions for device-independent applications

The increasing number and diversity of devices connected to the Internet open new research challenges in the field of cross-platform and device-independent applications. One of the approaches to this problem is the Device-Independent Architecture, which provides application logic and application data device independence. It enables also usage of user interface (UI) adaptation middleware to support application UI device independence. Potentially, device-independent descriptions of application UI can be implemented with existing user interface description languages (UIDLs). In this paper, we present an analysis of eight popular UIDLs that are assumed to be suitable for device-independent GUI descriptions, along with a summary of evaluation results and lessons learned. The selected UIDLs were employed to describe a set of GUI views based on an existing mobile application. The gathered results confirm our research hypothesis that the analyzed popular declarative UIDLs are not capable of describing mobile GUI in a device-independent manner. Therefore, using the knowledge gathered from the reported experiment, we propose a set of guidelines for an optimal device-independent UIDL.

Generating User Interfaces for XML Schema Documents with a Presentation Language

Paper documents of public administration are being gradually replaced by XML documents with structure formally expressed as XML Schema definitions. However, due to rapid changes in legal and administrative regulations, many IT departments face the problem of fast and effective adaptation of user interfaces (UIs) of applications to changes in versions of public administration documents. This paper presents an approach to automatic transformation of XML Schema documents into useful and effective web form documents using the Form Presentation Language (FPL). The result of transformation is ready to use for end-users, while the style of transformation may be modified with minimal effort without specific technical skills.

An architecture for distributed semantic augmented reality services

In this paper, we present an architecture for distributed augmented reality (AR) services. The presented architecture is based on a client-server design, which supports semantic modeling and building contextual AR presentations for a large number of users. It encompasses two approaches: SOA and CARE. The Service-Oriented Architecture enables building distributed systems that provide application functionality as services to either end-user applications or other services. In turn, CARE allows semantic modeling of AR environments, which combined with SOA enables dividing responsibility between loosely coupled semantic services distributed on the internet. We also provide the results of an experimental evaluation of the performance of a prototype based on the above-mentioned architecture. The findings are promising and demonstrate that an application of semantic web techniques can be an effective approach to implementation of large-scale contextual distributed AR services.