Augmented Reality at The University of Idaho

The goal of the project is to use Augmented Reality (AR) to provide information about the computer science department at U of I by attaching multimedia to objects around the department in augmented reality.

=Problem Definition= Use AR to provide information to students around the CS Department about Faculty, the program, History, the CS department, etc. This is to provide the Students with a more immersive experience throughout their endeavors in the CS building. To let Students know Staff schedules simply by looking through their camera at a name plate, or provide information about the History of computer, and even to show students a glimpse into some of the classes that they might take.

Background
Augmented Reality is an interactive view placed on objects/people/places, through a camera, to enhance the users experience. We will use an app on your phone to recognize objects through your camera lens, and place AR throughout the CS department to supply students with additional information about Teachers and the CS department itself. The two pictures below, demonstrate an AR effect in use, using the Zapworks Studio. The picture on the left is the original image without any AR applied to it. And on the right is the image with a few effects added through the Zapworks application. It isn't just 2D images that are placed on the original image, but you can click the effects, and you will be redirected to a faculty website, or you can click a different one and add their phone number to your contacts. These are some of the AR effects we will be applying throughout the CS department. Other effects can include: music, 3D objects, and lots of other fun stuff.

Deliverables
 The design/app ideally shall work on both android and IOS devices.   All objects shall be able to be recognized by the phone’s camera from at least front view, and hopefully from any angle that is possible.   The final product shall have a dozen objects that have an augmented reality applied and associated with them throughout the CS department or objects.   The AR app we choose to use may be free but is not limited to being free. 

Specifications
Functional: User Interface Requirements: The user needs to be able to look at an object through their phone’s camera and be able to see or reach the augmented reality we design for said object.

Mechanical: Strength Requirements: The design/app shall work on both android and IOS devices. Reliability: All objects shall be able to be recognized by the phone’s camera from at least front view, and hopefully from any angle that is possible.

Software: Functionality: The final product shall have a dozen objects that have an augmented reality applied and associated with them throughout the CS department or objects. User Interface: As we are using a software that already exists the user interface will depend on the app that we choose to use. Depending on said software, we may be able to change the user interface to a liking agreed upon by both authors. Cost:

The AR app we choose to use may be free but is not limited to being free. We may also create our own objects that we want to augment through 3D printing, purchasing, etc. but are not required to.

=Design Considerations=

=Project Learning= Below is a list of the existing AR applications we have looked at to complete our AR project, and a brief list of pros and cons:

Blippar:  Quick AR development   Cost $ per blip, depending on how many AR effects you have   Easy use and testing  SMACAR:  Cannot test for free, not a viable option  ROAR:  Quick AR development </li>  Cost $ for us to develop, very expensive </li>  Easy use and testing </li> Snapchat Lens Studio:  Used for facial recognition and AR drops rather than object identification, not a viable option. </li> Sumerian:  Used for facial recognition and AR drops rather than object identification, not a viable option. </li> Google Lens:  Cannot create your own AR effect, not a viable option. </li> Zapworks:  Quick AR development </li>  It does cost money, but not much. </li>  Easy use and testing </li>  Only one picture for object identification </li>  Uses Zapcodes (QR codes) </li> We have decided to go with Zapworks as our initial AR app. We will populate the CS department with AR effects, using the Zapworks app to get a working product out there. We will also be developing our own AR app while populating the CS department with AR effects. We will be using Android Studio to create our own AR app, as it has a lot of compatibility with AR and supports it well.

=Final Design=

=Validation=

=Team Members=

=Additional Documentation=

Project Schedule



Meeting Minutes

Presentations



Client Interview