Principal Investigator: Dr Per Ola Kristensson
The Intelligent Interactive Systems group will commence a new project examining the solution principles for Optimising Geospatial Annotation Techniques in Mixed Reality.
Description:
Mixed reality, delivered by optical see-through head-mounted displays such as the Microsoft HoloLens, has the potential to dramatically extend the capabilities of workers in the AEC industry. However, the interaction techniques and work processes that maximise engagement and productivity in a mixed reality context are not well understood. This project examines the specific challenge of generating spatialized text, arrows and drawings that a designer/engineer might require to create virtual markups of the physical or mixed-virtual-physical world. The primary objective of the project is to identify the solution principles that make generation of such content productive and enjoyable for users. A secondary objective is the development of evaluation techniques for see-through head-mounted displays that minimise the amount of user testing and design iterations required.
A mid-air text entry system, specifically designed for use in a mixed reality context, has already been developed and evaluated in user trials. A proof-of-concept application supporting intuitive generation of spatially fixed text, lines, arrows and images has also been developed and shared with Trimble. Experiments are planned to evaluate performance and user experience with these developed techniques.
This project is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Trimble Fund 2017 and is being conducted by the Intelligent Interactive Systems group.