Development of Head-Mounted Projection Displays for Distributed, Collaborative, Augmented Reality Applications

Abstract

Distributed systems technologies supporting 3D visualization and social collaboration will be increasing in frequency and type over time. An emerging type of head-mounted display referred to as the head-mounted projection display (HMPD) was recently developed that only requires ultralight optics (i.e., less than 8 g per eye) that enables immersive multiuser, mobile augmented reality 3D visualization, as well as remote 3D collaborations. In this paper a review of the development of lightweight HMPD technology is provided, together with insight into what makes this technology timely and so unique. Two novel emerging HMPD-based technologies are then described: a teleportal HMPD (T-HMPD) enabling face-to-face communication and visualization of shared 3D virtual objects, and a mobile HMPD (M-HMPD) designed for outdoor wearable visualization and communication. Finally, the use of HMPD in medical visualization and training, as well as in infospaces, two applications developed in the ODA and MIND labs respectively, are discussed. IntroductionWith the increase in multidisciplinary workforce and the globalization of information exchange, multiuser work teams are often distributed. Organizations increasingly seek ways to effectively support these teams by allowing them to share and mutually interact with 3D data in a common distributed workspace. As a result there has been increased interest in and reliance upon the use of distributed systems technologies that support multiuser distributed 3D visualization. Furthermore, economic, political, and health concerns may also fuel increased reliance on distributed work environments.The design of mobile and distributed augmented reality (AR) systems is best driven by concrete real world applications testable in real world environments. In this paper we review a research and development program to create and test AR displays and interface designs that support local, distributed, and mobile teams that (1) require immersive interaction with large scale 3D visualizations, but also (2) have full sensory awareness of the physical environment around them, and (3) are able to see and interact face-to-face with local and remote participants. Example applications include collaborative and distributed science and engineering design via 3D visualization, 3D medical visualization and 528 PRESENCE: VOLUME 14, NUMBER 5

Methodology for the Iterative Evaluation of Prototype Head-Mounted Displays in Virtual Environments: Visual Acuity Metrics

“…However, an optical structure operating on TIR properties is expected to yield higher reflectance. The point-spread functions, which describe the surface brightness distribution of a point source imaged on each material confirm that the cubed material achieved not only higher levels of brightness across the image plane, but also higher resolution (Martins & Rolland, 2003;Rolland, Biocca, Hamza-Lup, Ha, & Martins, 2005). We thus hypothesize that the corner cubed material may yield higher rVA performance than the beaded material.…”

Emerging Trends in Information Technology

“…Various forms of augmented reality, starting with early head-mounted displays, have been around for more than 30 years. [1]Over that time, increased bandwidth and smart phone adoption, as well as a proliferation of AR browser applications, have helped AR evolve from a family of cool gadgets on the periphery of graphics and visualization technologies to an increasingly central player in the technology landscape.…”

3D Symbiotic Environment for Collaborative Work

“…Collaborative work environments based on AR [1,7,9] have been developed until now. These researches substantiated the effectiveness of introducing AR to collaborative works.…”