The Perceptual Science of Augmented Reality

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) systems aim to alter our view of the world and enable us to see things that are not actually there. The resulting discrepancy between perception and reality can create compelling entertainment and can support innovative approaches to education, guidance, and assistive tools. However, building an AR system that effectively integrates with our natural visual experience is hard. AR systems often suffer from visual limitations and artifacts, and addressing these flaws requires basic knowledge of perception. At the same time, AR system development can serve as a catalyst that drives innovative new research in perceptual science. This review describes recent perceptual research pertinent to and driven by modern AR systems, with the goal of highlighting thought-provoking areas of inquiry and open questions. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 9 is September 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Assessing Depth Perception in VR and Video See-Through AR: A Comparison on Distance Judgment, Performance, and Preference

“…The quality of blending virtual and physical content is confined by a constellation of factors, including (1) hardware constraints such as latency, optical distortions, and tracking inaccuracies that can result in the misplacement of virtual objects within the real environment, and (2) disparities in the appearance of virtual and physical components, encompassing differences in color and illumination. There is a great body of knowledge addressing these perceptual incongruencies and how different technologies cope with these [2,4,9,10,27]. Different AR display technologies inhere different incongruencies.…”

Vergence‐accommodation conflict increases time to focus in augmented reality

“…3 For a recent review, see Ref. 4 There is a lack of data quantifying the perceptual impact of varying magnitudes and directionality of AR VAC. This lack of data is a major limitation when designing appropriate hardware and/or software solutions to mitigate the effects of AR VAC.…”

“…Another study demonstrated that VAC impaired interaction with a virtual hand suggesting that VAC impairs eye‐hand coordination 3 . For a recent review, see Ref 4 …”