Chapter Five

Augmented Reality (AR)

 Learning outcomes
After completing this lesson you should be able to
● Explain augmented reality
● Explain the features of augmented reality
● Explain the difference between AR, VR, and MR
● Explain the architecture of augmented reality systems
● Describe the application areas of augmented reality
 Overview of Augmented reality (AR)
● The fundamental idea of AR is to combine, or mix, the view of
the real environment with additional, virtual content that is
presented through computer graphics.
● AR is a form of emerging technology that allows users to
overlay computer-generated content in the real world.
● AR refers to a live view of a physical real-world environment
whose elements are merged with augmented computer-generated
images creating a mixed reality.
● Augmented reality is the integration of digital information with
the user's environment in real-time.
Virtual reality , Augmented Reality vs Mixed reality
 Virtual Reality (VR)
● VR is fully immersive, which tricks your senses into thinking
you’re in a different environment or world apart from the real
world.
● Using a head-mounted display (HMD) or headset, you’ll
experience a computer-generated world of imagery and
sounds in which you can manipulate objects and move around
using haptic controllers while tethered to a console or PC.
● It is also called a computer-simulated reality.
Example of Immersive VR Case that Inserts a
Technology Smartphone
 Augmented Reality (AR)
● In AR, users see and interact with the real world while
digital content is added to it. If you own a modern smart
phone, you can easily download an AR app and try this
technology.
● There’s a different way to experience augmented reality,
though – with special AR headsets, such as Google Glass,
where digital content is displayed on a tiny screen in front of
a user’s eye.
● AR adds digital elements to a live view often by using the
camera on a smart phone. Examples of augmented reality
experiences include Snapchat lenses and the game Pokemon
Go.
Direct and Indirect Augmentation of Objects
 Mixed Reality (MR)
● MR, sometimes referred to as hybrid reality, is the merging
of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and
visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist
and interact in real-time.
● In mixed reality, you interact with and manipulate both
physical and virtual items and environments, using next-
generation sensing and imaging technologies.
● The key characteristic of MR is that the synthetic content
and the real-world content are able to react to each other in a
real-time.
Mixed Reality in Engineering and Medicine
Mixed Reality in Entertainment
The architecture of AR Systems
The first Augmented Reality Systems (ARS) were usually
designed with a basis on THREE main blocks:
(1) Infrastructure Tracker Unit
(2) Processing Unit
(3) Visual Unit.
1. Tracker Unit : Collecting data from the real world, sending
them to the Processing Unit .
2. Processing Unit : Mix up the virtual content with the real
content and sent the result to the Video Out module of the
Visual Unit .
3. Visual Unit : Visualize the content.
Augmented Reality Systems (ARS) standard architecture
 Cont’d….
● The Visual Unit can be classified into two types of system,
depending on the followed visualization technology:
1. Video see-through:
 It uses a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) that employs a
video-mixing and displays the merged images on a closed-
view HMD.
2. Optical see-through:
 It uses an HMD that employs optical combiners to merge
the images within an open-view HMD.
 HMDs are currently the dominant display technology in the
AR field.
 Applications of AR Systems
AR In education :
● Affordable learning materials
✓ Posters, digital illustrations, physical models, prototypes
are very expensive and impossible for schools to purchase.
✓ AR technology allows for avoiding investments in
physical materials.
● Interactive lessons
✓ when AR technology is used in classrooms, students can
view models on their own smart phones and get a better
idea of the concepts they are studying.
✓ That increases engagements and reinforces the learning.
 Applications of AR
● Higher engagement
✓ when teachers integrate augmented reality into their lectures,
they attract the attention of their students and make lessons
more effective.
✓ When students are interested, it is much easier to make them
work more productively.
● Higher retention
✓ Using the AR app, students can get access to augmented
models that represent any real objects from a famous
monument or work of art to a molecule.
● with AR technology, students use different senses and
retain more knowledge for a long time.
Applications of AR Cont. .
●Boost intellectual curiosity
✓ Augmented reality makes students more excited about
learning certain subjects.
✓ Modern students were born in a digital era so they will
always be excited with innovative technologies that can
help them learn new ideas and develop their critical
thinking skills.
Applications of AR Cont. .
AR In Medicine :
● Describing symptoms
✓ when it was hard to describe to the doctor what was
bothering you.
✓ Medical app AyeDecide is using augmented reality to
show the simulation of the vision, harmed by the different
diseases.
✓ It helps patients to understand their conditions and
describe correctly their symptoms.
 Applications of AR Cont. .
● Nursing care
✓ About 40% of the first intravenous injections fail, and this ratio
is even higher in the case of children and elderly patients.
✓ The AccuVein uses augmented reality to cope with this negative
statistic.
● Surgery
✓ In no sphere augmented reality does not have such practical
application as in the medicine, especially in surgery, where it
literally helps to save lives.
✓ Three-dimensional reconstructions of organs or tumors will help
surgeons become more efficient at surgery operations.
 Applications of AR Cont. .
● Ultrasounds
✓ A few AR software companies developed handy
ultrasound scanner, which with the help of smart glasses
works as a traditional one.
● Diabetes management
✓ In 2017, the number of people struggle with diabetes
reached up to 425 million adults worldwide.
● In 2014, Google revealed the plans for creating a smart
contact lens (Google 92 Contact Lens), in which the
main function will be to measure the glucose levels in the
tears.
 Applications of AR Cont. .

●Navigation
✓ The using AR in navigation apps has already become a
“traditional” way.
✓ AR can be useful to provide information about the nearest
hospitals.
 Applications of AR Cont. .
AR In Entertainment
● AR in games
✓ The AR games were praised for increasing physical
activity in people – you actually have to move around to
find your target, Ex: Pokémon Go.
● AR in music
✓ Augmented reality can providing complete information on
the track or its performer including the performers’ bios,
the lyrics of the song, the making of the recording or the
music video.
.
Applications of AR Cont. .
● AR on TV
✓ One way of integrating augmented reality in television is
adding supplementary information to what is going on the
TV screen – such as match scores, betting options, and the
like.
● AR in eSports
✓ Augmented reality turns eSports shows into interactive
experiences allowing the watchers to become participants.
Applications of AR Cont. .
● AR in the theater
✓ Augmented reality can serve not only for entertainment
purposes but also for the purposes of accessibility.
✓ The possibility to overlay virtual objects over the real
environment can be used, for example, for subtitling in
various theater shows.
✓ Now, many theaters use LED displays either to provide
subtitles for translation or to assist hearing-impaired
visitors.
Review Questions
● Briefly explain AR, VR and MR?
● What is the difference between AR, VR and MR?
● Briefly explain the architecture of AR?
● Write down the characteristics of AR?
● How is augmented, virtual and mixed reality achieved?
● What is the benefit of augmented, virtual and mixed reality?
● How Can AR, VR, and MR improve engineering instructions?
● Can VR be a substitute for Real Life Experience?
● What is the impact of VR on Educational Learning rather than games?
● What is the most technical challenge for MR?
● Write down some applications of AR system in education,
entertainment and medicine?
1) What is the difference between AR, VR and MR?
2) Augmented reality refers to
A) Our increased ability to better understand our situations

thanks to easy Internet search.

B) How we lose track of time when we are engrossed in video

games.
C) Digital overlays of information onto a screen that is

showing the real world

D) Increased capacities for the disabled thanks to digital

technologies
3) Define the term 'virtual reality'
A)
Where parts of a person's body are used for identification
purposes. They are unique
B)
A software environment that recreates a real-world or
imaginary scenario like a game
C)
The use of computers to encrypt data so that messages
can be sent with complete privacy
D)
Where images are made to appear three-dimensional and
have 'depth'
4. _____ overlay digital information onto the real world.
A. Augmented Reality C. Virtual Reality
B. Mixed Reality D. BCI
5. _____means computer-generated environments for you
to interact with, and be immersed in.
A. Augmented Reality C. Virtual Reality
B. Mixed Reality D. BCI
6. Pokémon Go is an example of
A. AR B. VR C.MR D.BCI
 1. What is the difference between AR, VR and
MR?
2. Which one of the following statements not true?
A. Virtual Reality help to access the internet.

B. Virtual reality stimulates environment of reality.

C. VR and AR have the remarkable ability to alter

our perception of the world.

D. None of the above