Augmented Reality in Museums
by Mohamed Ismail Ahmed Ibrahim
Introduction Museums are playing a pivotal role in the preservation and dissemination of cultural knowledge in society, using different methods to make information accessible to the public. The devices used in augmented reality systems vary according to the purpose and the environment of the system. The most popular form of display is mobile devices. The use of mobile applications is on the rise significantly, at the same time augmented reality, which combines virtual reality with the real world, has become more available and affordable. In recent years many museums have been using mobile augmented reality applications in their exhibitions; this makes invisible things visible, in order to provide more information to the user in an attractive manner. The use of Augmented Reality applications in museums enhances the real objects by the use of virtual elements in real time. By seeing the object directly or by means of a screen or device, visual Augmented Reality allow visitors to see more details of the real object. This study aims to identify the main reasons for the absence of Augmented Reality technology in Egyptian museums. This was achieved using semi-structured personal interviews By analyzing the collected data, the findings of this study reveal that the main reason for lack of Augmented Reality applications in museums is the lack of awareness of the potentials and cost of this technology and the lack of communication and effective interconnection between information technology experts, and museum staff.
What is Augmented Reality? The term "augmented reality" refers to overlaying computer-presented material on the real world and was introduced in the first time in 1992 when Tom Caudell and David Mizell discussed the advantages of Augmented Reality in comparison with Virtual Reality (Caudell & Mizell, 1992). There are several definitions of augmented reality (AR); I will show some of those definitions. It is defined as "a technique that allows interaction with and visualizing virtual graphics on the top of the user’s view" (Revista EIA, 2010). According to another definition augmented reality is "systems that have three characteristics.
It combines real and virtual graphics, interactive in real time, and registered in 3D. “It allows the user to see virtual objects superimposed on or composited with the real world." (Ronald T. Azuma, 1997) In the words of Alan B. Craig (2013), Augmented Reality is "A medium in which information is added to the physical world in registration with the world." Augmented Reality is also defined as “an environment in which real life is enhanced by virtual elements in real time.� (http://augreality.pbworks.com/) I have adopted the last definition as we can include any other elements to enhance the information we naturally receive through our five senses, such as hearing and not only graphics.
Augmented Reality Types Augmented reality systems have been used in many fields, medical, manufacturing and repair, annotation and visualization, robot path planning, entertainment, and military aircraft. (Ronald T. Azuma, 1997) Despite each system having its own function, there are in general three main functions that they perform i.e., tracking, retrieving, and informing. Augmented reality systems operate by tracking events, retrieving information and then combining the augmented information with reality. Tracking: there are several types of sensors that are used for tracking to provide user position and attitude. Retrieving: retrieved information can be chosen and sorted in the system, according to the restrictions and requirements generated from the event. Informing: presents the retrieved data to the user. The format of this presentation could be visual, audio, or some other medium. (Allison Kealy & Stephen Scott-Young, 2006) The devices used in augmented reality systems vary according to the purpose and the environment of the system. In my research, I focus on visual augmented reality. The visual augmented reality mobile applications can either be marker-based or markerless. Marker-based applications: the camera must perceive a specific visual marker in order to retrieve information.
Markerless applications: use the location determined by the device or image recognition to serve as a basis for adding information. Markerless applications have wider applicability as there is no need for special markers. (Horizon Report, 2011)
Augmented reality displays Bimber and Raskar (2003) illustrate in (Figure 1) the different possibilities of where the image can be formed in Augmented Reality systems on the optical path between the observer’s eyes and the physical object.
Figure 1
According to Bimber & Raskar (2003), if stereoscopic rendering is used to present Augmented Reality, there are two basic technologies could be used, video-mixing and optical combination.
Video-mixing displays the result of merging live-record video streams with computer generated graphics, while optical combination generates graphic overlay information that appears in the real environment or within the viewer’s field of view while observing the real environment. Kipper & Rampolla, (2012) maintain that there are several main types of Augmented Reality, which are wearable displays, mobile handheld display, video spatial display and spatial Augmented Reality, and wearable displays.
Mobile handheld display
Mobile
Devices
such
as
smartphones and tablet computers, the user can see digital images overlaid through the real time viewer by utilizing AR applications.
Image source: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
Video spatial display
By holding up an AR marker or
image to a camera, users can see an overlaid virtual information or video on a video screen or video monitor.
Image source: http://www.metaio.com/
Spatial Augmented Reality
(SAR)
Displays
technologies projectors display
use
such and
virtual
as
various video-
holograms
to
information
directly on the real-world object.
Image source: https://picturae.com
Wearable displays
A display device worn on the head like a pair of eyeglasses or goggles. It is a type of HMD (head mounted display) that acts as a personal large screen monitor with a large field of view.
http://www.google.com/glass
Significant milestones of visual Augmented Reality date
Event
Image
1961
Sensorama: In 1961, Morton Heilig (considered
to
be
the
father of virtual reality) invented Sensorama, the first virtual reality system with
visuals,
sounds,
smells, feeling of motion, and the sensation of wind on
the
viewer’s
face.
(Jonassen & Technology, 2004)
Image source: Telepresence.Org
1968
Ivan Sutherland invented the first
head-mounted
display (Sutherland, 1968)
www.icg.tugraz.at 1992
Tom Canudell coined the concept reality"
"augmented to
overlaying
refer
to
computer
generated information on top of the real world, when he created the HUDset display.
(Caudell
&
Mizell, 1992) 1993
http://www.slashgear.com/
Fitzmaurice Chameleon, example spatially
of
creates a
key
displaying situated
information with a tracked hand-held
device.
(Fitzmaurice, 1993)
(Fitzmaurice, 1993)
1998
The
first
mobile
AR
game(Gunther, 1998)
(Gunther, 1998) 1999
Hirokazu
Kato
created ARToolKit at HITLab (hitl.washington.edu)
http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/
2009
First mobile App of Augmented Reality
GIGAOM.com 2013
Beta
test
of
Glass augmented
reality
glasses.
http://www.google.com/glass
Augmented reality application examples There are various examples of using augmented reality applications in some museums around the world. In this research, I will present some different examples.
British Museum
Source: The Institution of Engineering and Technology
The British Museum in London with Samsung Digital Discovery Centre produced an augmented reality application to allow the visitors to find out more about key exhibits. This application attracted tens of thousands of participants in its initial stages. They will support development of new augmented reality applications in line with the new English National Curriculum.
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry An augmented reality brain game featured in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry’s permanent exhibition "YOU! The Experience," turns a 2D card into an augmented reality 3D brain on the card in their hand.
Source: http://www.perfectprototype.com The visitor picks one or all of the following modules: -
Virtual Puzzle-Piece Sorter Game: explains visually how the brain recognizes and manipulates objects and shapes .
-
Simon Says Musical Game: creates a virtual keyboard, to teach the visitor how the brain reacts to music.
-
Catch-the-Ball Game: The card turns into a ball to compare visitor's skills with the brain of a professional.
-
Memory-Matching Game: in this activity the player must remember and match objects as they appear in front of him on the card. (PerfectPrototype)
http://www.perfectprototype.com Allard Pierson Museum In 2009. Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam hosted exhibitions about archaeology and the ancient civilizations entitled "A Future for the Past." This included two rotatable screens set up, to present two excavation sites with augmented reality technology in the museum: A virtual reconstruction of an annotated landscape on an 1855 photograph of the Forum Romanum.
Source: http://www.maximumpc.com/ The show consists of two large photographs on the walls of the exhibition space and superimposes digital information on them at several point of interest (POI), the visitor can view them via a rotatable screen, one of the two photographs is a copy of one of the oldest photographs of the Roman Forum from the museum collection.
The London Natural History Museum
Image source: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/ The London Natural History Museum developed an interactive dinosaur film entitled "Who do you think you really are?" optimized for tablets that incorporates gesture-based manipulation and augmented reality, where extinct creatures appear to roam the Attenborough Studio space at the Natural History Museum. The show uses three independent screens, web cams and specially designed handheld devices that allow the visitor to take part in a virtual journey back through time where extinct creatures appear to roam around the visitor . The user discovers how humans are related to dinosaurs, early humans and many other things by using a handset to send images to screens around the studio, the user can also interact with Museum scientists, and play with virtual models, in addition there are quizzes and other activities.
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Alan B. Craig الصفحات
Understanding Augmented Reality: Concepts and Applications
Newnes, ٣١٠٢/١٠/٣٢ - من692
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http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2010/november/museum-brings-extinct-creatures-to-life-before-youreyes90697.html