State of the art in Mobile Augmented Reality Development Tools/API Literature Survey Report Assignment Advanced Computer Graphics and Gaming Course

1. MCS3109 Advanced Computer Graphics
and Gaming
Literature Survey Report
U. V Vandebona
Index No: 13440722
2015 January
State-of-the-Art in Mobile Augmented
Reality Development Tools/APIs

2. 01. Introduction
As for today, goal of augmented reality (AR) is to add some value to real world environments by
incorporating more information and meaning to it. It enables the users of the AR to explore the
physical world without acquiring prior knowledge. With the current technology used in mobile
devices or the handheld devices, this goal becomes a practical reality to achieve. Mobile
augmentation is the easiest, fastest and affordable way to fulfill the expectations of the AR users.
Nowadays augmented reality uniquely changing the way of how a person uses a mobile device. It
provides mobile app designers and developers with new opportunities to start think more deeply
about mobile users’ context and situations. So the mobile AR is starting to drive innovation within the
areas such like education, gaming, medical, automotive, and manufacturing markets.
So this literature survey focuses on identifying the tools and APIs that can be used to build state of the
art mobile AR applications on those areas. Widely popular ones are explained in more detail.
02. End-to-end Branded App Solutions
When there is huge number of mobile augmented reality apps available to users to download, there
are also augmented reality authoring systems emerging like end-to-end branded app solutions. This
enables users to create their own augmented reality experiences within a limited boundary. Some of
most common augmented reality authoring systems of this type are listed below.
• Aurasma: Its image recognition technology uses a smartphone's or tablet's camera to
recognize real world images and then overlay rich media on top of them in the form of
animations, videos, 3D models and web pages. (http://aurasma.com)
• Junaio: It is an Augmented Reality browser designed for 3G and 4G mobile devices. Junaio is
the first augmented reality browser that has overcome the accuracy limitations of GPS
navigation through LLA Markers (latitude, longitude, altitude). (http://junaio.com)
• Layar: The browser allows users to find various items based upon augmented reality
technology. It got this name due to Data in the browser comes in the form of layers.
(http://layar.com)
• Augment: It is a mobile app that lets people to visualize 3D models in Augmented Reality,
integrated in real time in actual size and environment (http://augmentedev.com)

3. Figure 1: Logo of Layer
Figure 2: Logo of Augment
Layar
The “Layar” makes use of the accelerometer, built-in camera, compass and GPS features of the mobile
device. These can be used in combination to identify the user’s location and field of view (FOV). From
the geographical position, the various forms of data are laid over the camera view, as if inserting an
additional layer.
The major driving force of the “Layar” is, it using AR as a means of bringing ‘print to life’. Catalogs,
brochures, business cards and magazines are enabled with augmented videos, active web links,
images and audio. “Layar” is one of the easiest apps for a novice to build their own AR without prior
experience of AR.
Augment
“Augment” allows AR to be created on top of printed images or in static environments. By selecting a
2D image as in a magazine or postcard, a 3D object can be superimposed and manipulated. Not only
that a user can interact with 3D objects to see the visual impact of positioning it in different places of
the static environment. “Augment” is totally for sales and marketing industry to grow merchandise
businesses. It simulates the 3D products and projects in customers' environment, in real size and real
time. In addition “Augment” reduces the need for prototypes.
03. Open Source AR Build Toolkits
Following are few of open source augmented reality tools that are widely being used among the AR
developers. Some of them are also commercially available.

4. • Argon: Augmented reality web browser that uses a mix of KML (Keyhole Markup Language)
and HTML/JavaScript/CSS to allow developing AR applications for iPhone.
(http://ael.gatech.edu/argon/)
• ARToolKit: Include libraries to create augmented reality applications that can ported into
many different languages and platforms like Flash or Silverlight. The product includes marker-
based and Natural Feature tracking libraries for both iOS and Android.
(http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/)
• DroidAR: It is a framework for Augmented Reality on Android. Both location based AR and
marker based AR are possible. (http://bitstars.github.io/droidar/)
ARToolKit
ARToolKit uses computer vision algorithms to solve the problems of tracking users’ viewpoint. In order
to know from what viewpoint to draw the virtual imagery, the application needs to know where the
user is looking in the real world. For that ARToolKit video tracking libraries calculate the real camera
position and orientation relative to physical markers in real time. This enables the easy development
of a wide range of Augmented Reality applications. Applications developed using ARToolKit involve an
overlay of virtual imagery on the real world.
04. Proprietary AR Build Toolkits
Following are few of proprietary augmented reality tool kits that are widely being used among the AR
developers for larger projects.
• Metaio SDK: It empowers to augment more of the world with 3D and SLAM (Simultaneous
Localization and Mapping) tracking options. Track any object, whether it is a toy, a car engine
or features of a landscape that is available for Android, iOS and Microsoft Windows.
(http://metaio.com)
• Vuforia Augmented Reality SDK: It recognizes and track complex 3D objects like toys and
other consumer products as well as images. (https://www.qualcomm.com/products/vuforia)
• VYZAR: It is a cross-platform SDK for iOS and Android, with both augmented reality and 3D
engine (https://limitlesscomputing.com/SightSpace/custom)
• Wikitude: The Wikitude SDK is a freeware library which was the first publicly available
application that used a location-based approach to augmented reality. (http://wikitude.com)

5. Figure 5: Metaio Logo
Wikitude
It is an all-in-one AR solution that includes image recognition & tracking, 3D model rendering, video
overlay, and location based AR and so much more. Wikitude displays information about the users'
surroundings in a mobile camera view in multiple platforms and devices such like Android, iOS and AR
smart glasses.
Vuforia
It uses Computer Vision technology to recognize and track images and 3D objects in real-time. This
image registration capability enables developers to position and orient virtual objects, such as 3D
models and other media, in relation to real world images when these are viewed through the camera
of a mobile device. The virtual object then tracks the position and orientation of the image in real-
time so that the viewer’s perspective on the object corresponds with their perspective on the Image
target, so that it appears that the virtual object is a part of the real world scene.
Metaio
Figure 3: Wikitude Logo
Figure 4: Vuforia Logo

6. Metaio is the creator of Junaio, a free mobile AR browser available for Android and iOS devices. The
metaio SDK allows developers to use content without prior encryption. No offline tools or server side
encryption is needed when generating and deploying 3D assets and tracking patterns. The SDK is
currently supported on Android, iOS and Windows with an additional plug-in for development in
Unity3D for Android, iOS, Windows and OS X platforms. The Metaio Creator is augmented reality
software that allows users to create a complete AR scenario without specialized programming
knowledge through a drag and drop interface.
05. Comparison of few Popular AR Tools
Following table gives a comparison of features provided by few of the popular AR tools
Tool Platform Ease of
Use
Use of Overlay
markers images locations 2D 3D video
Layer iOS, Android Low      
Augment iOS, Android Low      
Wikitude iOS, Android Middle      
Metaio iOS,
Android, PC,
web
High      
Vuforia iOS, Android High      
Aurasma iOS, Android Middle      
ARToolKit iOS, Android For
Beginners
     
06. Reference
1. Wikipedia. [Online] [Cited: Feb 2015, 23.]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_augmented_reality_software.
2. Macquarie University. [Online] David Grover, Mar 7, 2014. [Cited: Feb 23, 2015.]
https://wiki.mq.edu.au/display/ar/Augmented+reality+development+systems.
3. Social Compare. [Online] [Cited: Feb 23, 2015.]
http://socialcompare.com/en/w/augmented-reality-sdks.