Using augmented reality technology, researchers have designed two systems that project graphical instructions from an automated inspection system onto birds on a processing line. These symbols tell workers how to trim or whether to discard defective products (Industrial Engineer, 2005).
The topic of “augmented reality, ” which can be thought of as an advanced human–computer interface technology that attempts to blend or fuse computer-generated information with our sensations of the natural world has been a subject of many persons’ and organizations’ interest. For example, using a see-through head-mounted display (HMD), one may project computer-generated graphics into the environment surrounding the user to enhance the visual aspects of the environment.
The main differences between what researcher's term “a wearable computer” versus “augmented reality” is twofold: (1) augmented reality is primarily a technology used to augment our senses and (2) wearable computers are far more mobile than augmented reality systems. With augmented reality, the range of mobility is dependent on the length of the cable connecting the wearable computer system to the computing platform. However, with a wearable computer, the computer and output devices are actually worn on the human's body, allowing a much broader range of mobility. Because of the close association between wearable computers and augmented reality, one can refer to both types of computing technology generically as “wearware” or simply as wearable computer systems. Throughout this book we will describe the integration of HMD, digital technology, auditory displays, and body tracking technologies with augmented reality and wearable computing hardware and software. These technologies have the potential of improving the efficiency and quality of human labors, particularly in their performance of engineering, manufacturing, construction, diagnostic, maintenance, monitoring, and transactional activities (Barfield & Caudell, 2001).
Augmented reality is said to be having wider applications than pure virtual reality. How do you use virtual reality for anything other than training [in simulators]? Most people have to still interact with the real world, and this system allows you to see both (Dawson, 1996). In the succeeding section, these uses will be listed and explained.
USES
Augmented reality was also motivated by providing information overlays on the real world. The user sees information on head-up displays or glasses that are placed by appropriate objects. Thus, in an aircraft maintenance application, the engineer can see the identity of an electrical component aligned with the real-world object while viewing fault-finding instructions (Sutcliffe, 2003).
Technology that transfers computer-generated information onto the physical world is being tested for use in poultry plants to improve communication between computers and workers using two approaches. The first approach uses a location-tracked, see-through, head-mounted display worn by a trimmer. It directly overlays graphical instructions on a trimmer's view of the birds. A second solution uses a laser scanner mounted in a fixed location near the processing line to project graphical instructions directly onto each bird that requires some action, such as trimming. In this approach, the product, but not the user, must be tracked for the instructions to appear on the product. One of the greatest benefits that both solutions provide is the potential for advance warning to trimmers of the workload coming down the line. Current practices don't provide this advantage (Industrial Engineer, 2005).
There is also a case report that describes a new technology developed to be used in the clinic to augment the rehabilitation of patients with diminished upper-extremity function. Each patient showed improvement in a subset of variables, with transfer of this improvement to function on the Jebsen Test of Hand Function, on which they were not trained. Two of the 3 patients showed improvement in the use of their hand in several functional ADL tasks as well as on the .Jebsen Test of Hand Function after this intervention, and 1 of the patients did not transfer this improvement to functional activities (Poizner, 2002).
Activities were performed in a computerized virtual reality environment, alternating with hand activities performed in a real-world environment. Several studies have shown that in patients without disabilities, training in a virtual reality environment is beneficial for learning a complex motor task. The literature on the use of virtual reality training for the rehabilitation of people with brain damage is limited, however, and relatively few studies have investigated the use of virtual reality training for movement re-education. Virtual reality training has been reported to be helpful in overcoming gait akinesia in patients with PD, to enhance spatial awareness in children with cerebral palsy, and to successfully teach these children to operate motorized wheelchairs. Holden et al described the use of virtual reality training for the rehabilitation of people with upper-extremity motor dysfunction resulting from a stroke (Poizner, 2002).
There are also art exhibits which were augmented by virtual environments. For example, a panorama showing the bones found at a tar pit, depicted a virtual reconstruction of the dinosaurs that were trapped at that prehistoric location on a handheld device. In the virtual environment, the viewer could assume the perspective of each species and walk or fly or swim through its typical habitat. Other types of exhibit-linked virtual environments enabled "time travel" to show how a particular spot on the earth's surface had changed over the eons. For each epoch, a viewer can use virtual probes on his handheld device to collect data about temperature, air pressure, elevation, and pollutants (Dede, 2002).
Augmented reality is also used in the aircraft industry. When Airbus Industrie, Blagnac, France, Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer, began looking at virtual reality, it wanted to display new aircraft interior designs at the Paris Airshow. The Airbus virtual environment features a "walk" through a futuristic airport departure lounge before potential customers enter the crew and seating areas of a future-generation double-deck 500-seat Airbus aircraft. Tomorrow's potential customers may even be able to visualize their own customized interiors using the same system (R & D, 1997).
In 1990, the team at Boeing introduced augmented reality to the worker adding a natural interface to manufacturing, construction, testing, and maintenance information, without the use of physical artifacts. The general concept was to provide a “see-thru” virtual reality type head-mounted computer display to the worker, and to use this device to overlay his or her visual field of view with useful and dynamically changing information, (hence the name augmented reality). The enabling technologies for this access interface are head-up display headsets combined with head position sensing, work place coordinate registration systems, data management systems, and wearable computing. A working hypothesis of the field of augmented reality is that if access to engineering and manufacturing information is appropriately enhanced, then people will be able to perform their tasks with greater ease and accuracy (Barfield & Caudell, 2001).
At Computing Devices International in Bloomington, Steve Case, the engineer in charge of "wearable computers," is working with augmented reality, as part of his development of a powerful, small computer that you can strap around your waist. It's about the size of a fanny pack, except thinner, and when hooked up to a small eyepiece, it lets you merge virtual, or computerized, images with the real world. Flip down the eyepiece from a frame not much bigger than a pair of glasses and you can superimpose animated, virtual images over real objects with which you're working.
An electronics worker wearing both the computer and the eyepiece can look at a real circuit board, as well as a virtual image of how the wiring is supposed to be done. The virtual image superimposes itself over the real thing, making the wiring job simpler. The same system could be used by surgeons, jet engine maintenance workers - just about anyone who could benefit from having precise images of how things are supposed to be displayed in front of them as they work (Dawson, 1996).
Augmented reality is also considered as another approach with potential for medical imaging. During surgery, an anesthesiologist has to continuously monitor vital life signs from various instruments whilst also observing the patient and adjusting or administering various medications. The Nomad Personal Display Systems produced by Microvision accomplishes this by taking that essential data and delivering it through a small head-mounted display that superimposes the information in their field of view (Law, 2002).
Taking that idea a step further, some interesting research is being done at the University of North Carolina by Dr. Henry Fuchs. About to undergo clinical trials, they are working on a new device that uses augmented reality to place ultrasound images of the needle placement in breast biopsy over actual views of the breast being tested. It's a challenging task to be looking in one direction to see the sonogram images while your hands are working on positioning the needle from a different angle; this technology could make the task significantly easier for the physician and presumably a faster and safer procedure for the patient (Law, 2002).
While current medical-imaging techniques such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance (MR), and computer tomography (CT) harvest a wealth of data from inside our bodies, the resulting images can be viewed only on light boards and computer screens. To a neurosurgeon plunging a seven-inch needle into a patient's brain, that's clearly an imperfect solution: He has to take his eye off the incision to see where he's headed. Siemens's response, called "augmented reality," starts with a headset that overlays prerecorded ultrasound, MR, or CT images with real-time video captured by a pair of cameras just above the physician's eyes. A third infrared camera, also mounted on the headset, spatially orients the video in relation to a set of optical tracking markers placed around the patient's body. The resulting picture is projected onto two tiny screens positioned directly in front of the physician's eyes. Presto! X-ray vision -- or the next best thing (Conley, 2005).
Most astonishing results in the field of medicine have come from the “augmented reality“ of the virtual helmet. Doctors believe this has great potential in the rehabilitation of brain- injured patients. The system is based on a helmet, like an air force pilot's. Within the visor are placed half-silvered optical surfaces, one in front of each eye. This "screen effect" means the person wearing the helmet can perceive the real world but also see virtual objects placed in it by the doctors and computer operator (Mclean, 1998).
A subdivision of virtual reality, augmented reality has therefore paved way for the improvement of many things – ranging from the area of medicine, research and development, to businesses among many other things. Blending reality into virtual environments through the use of augmented reality has taken the understanding of many concepts to great heights.
REPORT
For this paper, the information used was gathered with the use of another kind of technology – the Internet. Search engines such as Yahoo and Google were used to search for information regarding augmented reality. The words ‘virtual reality, ’ ‘augmented reality,’ and ‘information technology’ were used as keywords to search for relevant information regarding the background of augmented reality and its uses. However, although there are many sites that present information regarding augmented reality, the author does not feel that most of them are credible to be used for the essay. Given the unsupervised nature of the Internet, it is hard to trust websites with regards to information posted.
Websites that serve as libraries were also used for gathering information about augmented reality, such as Highbeam and Questia. As before, the words ‘virtual reality, ’ ‘augmented reality,’ and ‘information technology’ were used as keywords to search for relevant information regarding the background of augmented reality and its uses. Both online libraries were able to provide useful information that could contribute to the essay. Compared to searching the whole Internet archives, using online libraries seem to be more appropriate as the materials used in the libraries are online copies of printed articles and books.
Search in the libraries also reveal many results regarding augmented reality. Thus it was a proper thing to do to check which books and journals are more appropriate for use. Not all the books and articles that contain the keywords are useful in the paper. Some results that match the keywords used merely mention augmented reality in passing while some are very complicated to even understand.
During the gathering of information, it is important to select which information is more suitable for the essay and which are not. The author has to read through volumes of information before deciding which books and articles can be used for the essay discussion. All the necessary and useful information gathered are combined together in a paper.
After the process of searching and gathering comes the writing proper of the essay itself. The author has to check the paper regarding use of proper grammar, referencing, and the whole structure and sequence of the essay. It is very important that the paper should follow a logical structure so as not to confuse readers about the whole idea being presented and discussed in the paper. After the paper is finished, the author has to reread the paper again to check for some flaws as well as proofread it.
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