Development of an Augmented Reality (AR) application for android mobiles

Written by Sanjiv Udash

The project is based on the development of an Augmented Reality (AR) application for android mobiles that focuses on combing all the benefits of technology advancements in the field to provide users with the AR experience in an outdoor as well as indoor environment. The application was divided into two modes. The first mode called the Wikitude mode focuses on the outdoor environment by making use of the Wikitude API to allow users to view different points of interests (POI) around the Newton building. Users are provided with a live view of the real world, a compass displaying the POIs, and different icons representing the POIs. These POIs can be clicked to gain detailed information about them and links them related websites.

 

As seen in the figure above, the user upon selecting the Wikitude mode is presented with a live camera view. The live view comes with the addition of different POIs displayed as clickable icons and radar displaying the different POIs around the user in form of dots. The user can click the POIs which in turn displays the information below the POI. The view also provides users with three buttons. Button1 allows user to return back to the main menu. The second button allows user to change the distance of the POI from the user’s current location, allowing user to filter the number of POIs around. The third button is only displayed when one of the POI is selected and provides with a more detailed web page of the selected POI.

The second mode called the 3D mode focuses on the indoor environment by making use of the Andar framework. The mode allows user to choose different 3D models that can be viewed upon different marker patters.

                        

The first image in the sequence displays the choice of models that users can select from. The second image displays the marker upon which the model will be displayed upon and the last image shows the 3D model being displayed upon the user bringing the mobile device above the marker. The application is still in beta version with possible features like search option and auto correction to be added in the near future.

Computing Courses

BSc and HND Computing Provision (click on the links below for more details of the courses)

• BEng/MEng Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• BEng/MEng Computing (Computer Systems Engineering) 

• BSc (Hons) Computing (also available part-time)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Mobile Computing)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Software Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing - One Year Top-Up 
• BSc  Computer Games Development
• HND Computing (Compute​r Net​works Engineering)
• HND Computing (Computer Systems Engineering)
• HND Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• HND Computing (Internet Tech​nolog​y and Security)
• HND Computing (Mobile Computing)
• HND Computing (Software Engine​ering) 
• HND Com​puting

The University of Northampton's, Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies offers five courses within the MSc Computing postgraduate provision (shown below) all available either part-time or full-time. 

• MSc Computing
• MSc Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• MSc Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Software Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Immersive Technologies)

The contents are the opinion of the author(s) and not necessarily the view of the University of Northampton.