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Augmented Reality: Trends, Challenges and Prospects

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 January 2022) | Viewed by 12639

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jiro Tanaka

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Guest Editor

Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, WASEDA University 2-7 Hibikino, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0135, Japan
Interests: human–computer interaction; augmented reality; gesture interface; fusion of real world and virtual world; next generation e-commerce service
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Augmented reality (AR)/mixed reality (MR), which adds virtual stuff to our real world environment, is expected to become a big part of our future life. AR overlays digital information on real-world elements. MR brings real-world and digital elements together. AR/MR technology bridges the gap between the cyber-physical IoT and the real world. With AR/MR, we can interact with the physical and virtual world, using next-generation sensing and imaging technologies. AR/MR allows us to see and immerse ourselves in the world around us even as we interact with a virtual environment.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to bring together state-of-the-art achievements on augmented reality and its applications. We encourage authors to submit original research articles, case studies, reviews, theoretical and critical perspectives, and viewpoint articles on (but not limited to) the following topics:

Multimedia and sensory input, including affective computing and human behavior sensing for AR/MR, multisensory analysis, integration, and synchronization;
Speech, gestures, tracking techniques for AR/MR;
Multisensory experiences and improved immersion, including audiovisual installations, haptics/tactile, etc.;
Interaction design and new approaches for interaction in AR/MR, including tangible interfaces, multimodal communication, and collaborative experiences;
Applications, such as healthcare, virtual travel, lifelogging, e-sports, games, etc.; use cases, prototypes, or proofs of concept;
Social aspects of AR/MR interaction, etc.

Prof. Jiro Tanaka
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Multimedia and sensory input for AR/MR;
Affective computing;
Human behavior sensing;
Gesture interface;
Machine learning techniques for input recognition;
New interaction design for AR/MR;
AR/MR applications: healthcare, virtual travel, lifelogging, e-sports, games, etc.;
Issues on real world and virtual world integration;
Social aspects in AR/MR interaction…

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mathematical Algorithm for Risk Assessment of Police Officer in VR Training Simulation

by Marzena Fejdyś, Sylwia Wlazeł, Edyta Kusiak, Katarzyna Kaczmarek, Mariusz Nepelski, Paweł Lubiewski, Ewa Kuczyńska, Rafał Jakubczyk, Grzegorz Kamiński, Łukasz Foryś and Maciej Petniunas

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 2169; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12042169 - 18 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1762

Abstract

Conducting safe coaching is essential for training police officers, who very often face a variety of unexpected and dangerous incidents. Their reaction to situations must be rapid and appropriate. To prepare officers for dangerous situations, but those that cannot be practiced in real life due to high costs, danger, time, or effort, virtual training seems to be the obvious choice. This article deals with the development of a calculation algorithm to assess the risk of actions taken on the site of a traffic incident, which was implemented into the training version of a virtual reality (VR) simulation. It includes a number of factors and elements that form a scenario of simulations that affect the degree of its difficulty and the assessment of the performance of each exercise. The different components of the algorithm that make it possible to assess the skills of the students of police specialist courses are presented. The acceptance criterion for the developed algorithm shall be the correct assessment of the student’s skills during the course of the training. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Augmented Reality: Trends, Challenges and Prospects)

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9 pages, 4012 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Single Evaluation of Use of a Mixed Reality Headset for Intra-Procedural Image-Guidance during a Mock Laparoscopic Myomectomy on an Ex-Vivo Fibroid Model

by Matin Torabinia, Alexandre Caprio, Tamatha B. Fenster and Bobak Mosadegh

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 563; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12020563 - 07 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1657

Abstract

Uterine fibroids represent the highest prevalence of benign tumors in women, with reports ranging from 4.5% to 68.6%, with a significant bias towards African American women. For uterine fibroids, a significant decision is determining whether fibroids can be successfully removed using minimally invasive (MI) techniques or their removal requires open surgery. Currently, the standard-of-care for intra-procedural visualization for myomectomies is ultrasound, which has low image quality and requires a specially trained assistant. Currently, the state-of-the-art is to obtain a pre-procedural MRI scan of the patient, which can be used for diagnosis and pre-procedural planning. Although proven incredibly useful pre-procedurally, MRI scans are not often used intra-procedurally due to the inconvenient visualization as 2D slices, which are seen on 2D monitors that do not intuitively convey the depth or orientation of the fibroids, as needed to effectively perform myomectomies. To address this limitation, herein, we present the use of a mixed reality headset (i.e., Microsoft HoloLens 2), as a tool for intra-procedural image-guidance during a mock myomectomy of an ex vivo animal uterus. In this work, we created a patient-specific holographic rendering by performing image segmentation of an MRI scan of a custom-made uterine fibroid animal model. A physician qualitatively assessed the usefulness of the renderings for fibroid localization, as compared to the same visualization on a 2D monitor. In conclusion, the use of mixed reality as an intra-procedural image guidance tool for myomectomies was perceived as a better visualization technique that could lead to improvements in MI approaches and make them accessible to patients from lower socioeconomic populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Augmented Reality: Trends, Challenges and Prospects)

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18 pages, 5361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on Interaction Prediction for Reducing Interaction Latency in Remote Mixed Reality Collaboration

by Yujin Choi, Wookho Son and Yoon Sang Kim

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 10693; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112210693 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1523

Abstract

Various studies on latency in remote mixed reality collaborations (remote MR collaboration) have been conducted, but studies related to interaction latency are scarce. Interaction latency in a remote MR collaboration occurs because action detection (such as contact or collision) between a human and a virtual object is required for finding the interaction performed. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method based on interaction prediction to reduce the time for detecting the action between humans and virtual objects. The proposed method predicts an interaction based on consecutive joint angles. To examine the effectiveness of the proposed method, an experiment was conducted and the results were given. From the experimental results, it was confirmed that the proposed method could reduce the interaction latency compared to the one obtained by conventional methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Augmented Reality: Trends, Challenges and Prospects)

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15 pages, 2365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Network Analysis for Learners’ Concept Maps While Using Mobile Augmented Reality Gaming

by Konstantina Sdravopoulou, Juan Manuel Muñoz González and María Dolores Hidalgo-Ariza

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 9929; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11219929 - 24 Oct 2021

Viewed by 1494

Abstract

Using mobile augmented reality games in education combines situated and active learning with pleasure. The aim of this research is to analyze the responses expressed by young, middle-aged, and elderly adults about the location-based mobile augmented reality (MAR) games using methods of content analysis, concept maps, and social network analysis (SNA). The responses to questions related to MAR game Ingress were collected from 36 adult players, aged 20–60, from Greece, and subsequently analyzed by means of content analysis, concept maps, and social network analysis. Our findings show that for question 1 (How do you feel when you endow the geographical space with personal preferences?), there was a differentiation of the answers between age groups with age groups agreeing in pairs, the first two and the last two, while for question 2 (Do you think that the game offers opportunities for learning and teaching geography, building on your previous geographical knowledge?), there was an overlap in responses of participants among age groups. It was also revealed that the MAR games foster a constructivism approach of learning, as their use learning becomes an active, socially supported process of knowledge construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Augmented Reality: Trends, Challenges and Prospects)

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Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 3204 KiB

Open AccessReview

Augmented Reality in Professional Training: A Review of the Literature from 2001 to 2020

by Xu Han, Ying Chen, Qinna Feng and Heng Luo

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 1024; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12031024 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4416

Abstract

This study presents a systematic review of literature on the application of augmented reality (AR) in professional training contexts published between 2001 and 2020. A total of 49 articles were selected after a two-stage screening process, and key research findings were analyzed and synthesized using a coding scheme comprising five inter-related aspects: basic information, instructional contexts, technology features, instructional design, and research results. The review results depict the trend patterns in AR-supported professional training in terms of publication, research paradigm, and technological affordances, and report the contextual differences in AR pedagogies and instructional functions over time. Furthermore, a meta-analysis was conducted in the present study to examine the overall effectiveness of AR application in professional training, with the results indicating an overall small effect size (g = 0.268) and nine significant moderating factors. Informed by the review and meta-analysis results, a set of implications for facilitating and investigating AR-supported professional training are proposed and discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Augmented Reality: Trends, Challenges and Prospects)

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