Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality Page
http://www.se.rit.edu/~jrv/research/ar/index.html
This page is a resource for Augmented Reality information. You will find an introduction to augmented reality and links to some augmented reality work on the web.

Levelhead
http://selectparks.net/
http://julianoliver.com/levelhead
http://selectparks.net/~julian/levelhead/install.html
levelHead is known to build on Ubuntu 7.10/7.04 and Debian Etch systems against the following external dependencies. It's adviseable you adhere to these versions if you want to avoid going spontaneously mad:
· cal3d 0.11 https://gna.org/projects/cal3d/
· osgcal 0.1.44 http://download.gna.org/underware/
· openscenegraph 1.2 http://www.openscenegraph.org/projects/osg/wiki/Downloads/PreviousReleases
· gstreamer (any) http://www.gstreamer.net/
· bakefile (any) http://www.bakefile.org/
· ARToolkit 2.72.1 http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/download/
· ARToolkitPlus 2.1.1 http://studierstube.icg.tu-graz.ac.at/handheld_ar/artoolkitplus.php Optional:
· linux-uvc revision 228 http://linux-uvc.berlios.de/
· libwebcam revision 22 http://www.quickcamteam.net/software/libwebcam

HIT Lab
The Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ) is developing and commercializing technology that improves human computer interaction and by doing so unlocks the power of human intelligence.The HIT Lab NZ conducts research with new emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality, Next Generation Video Conferencing, Immersive Visualization and Perceptual User Interfaces. Interaction Design techniques are used to adapt these technologies to the needs of end users and solve real world problems.

ARToolKit from HIT Lab NZ http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/
Development for the ARToolKit library (originally design by Hirokazu Kato and Mark Billinghurst). It's a low-level AR Library for the tracking and the visual integration of real and virtual content. Widely used internationally by the community (GPL Licence), the software is now available commercially from ARToolWorks.

OSGART From HIT Lab NZ http://www.artoolworks.com/community/osgart/index.html
OSGART is a library that simplifies the development of Augmented Reality or Mixed Reality applications by combining the well-known ARToolKit tracking library with OpenSceneGraph. But rather than acting just as a simple nodekit, the library offers 3 main functionalities: high level integration of video input (video object, shaders), spatial registration (marker-based, multiple trackers), and photometric registration (occlusion, shadow).
With OSGART, users gain the benefit of all the features of OpenSceneGraph (high quality renderer, multiple file type loaders, community nodekits like osgAL, etc.) directly in their augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) or mediated reality applications. As with the standard ARToolKit, the user can thus develop and prototype interactive applications that can use tangible interaction (in C++, Python, Lua, Ruby etc.).

AR-media™ Plugin v1.0 for Google SkecthUp™
With ARplug-in, Google Sketch-Up users are allowed to visualize their 3D models directly in the real physical space which sorrounds them. In a very precise sense, through ARplug-in, Sketch-Up 3D models can be visualized out of the digital workspace directly on users' desktop, by connecting a simple webcam and by printing a suitable code. The Plug-in provides users with an advanced visualization functionality which serves two main purposes:
Study and analize scaled virtual prototypes in real environments
Communicate 3D projects immersively and astonishingly
All you need to make ARplug-in work is a personal computer, a webcam and a printed code attached to the software. For optimal functioning, a Dual-core PC with a standard graphic card for 3D videogames are recommended. The price of a one seat License amounts to 99 eur.

Augmented reality on your desktop, thanks to Sketchup



Augmented Reality is a new technology that is starting to spread. Basically, it consists on mixing 3D model with live footage in real time. This concept has been applied to futuristic interfaces, and it can be very helpful for architects as it allows you to take 3D Models a step further, placed on the real world and show it to your clients.
Thanks to the AR-media Plugin for Sketchup, you can start playing with Augmented Reality. This plugin allows you to place the 3D Model over live video from your webcam, and move it around as you can see on the above video. The plugin calculates the planes on the live footage thanks to a sheet you need to print out, which allows the software to calculate the distance and inclination.