SSTT - (Simplified Spatial Target Tracker) is a computer vision based tracking library for Augmented and Mixed Reality applications. It is a versatile and lean system suitable for desktop and embedded systems such as mobile phones. The basic variant implements numerous model based computer vision tracking algorithms with approaches ranging from traditional markers, ID based frames, rectangular textured targets to natural feature recognition (sometimes wrongly referred to as marker-less tracking). SSTT also allows for occlusion based interaction with tracking targets to provide higher interactivity in AR based user interfaces. Newer versions of SSTT add skin, face and shape recognition in order to make SSTT more versatile.
osgART is a cross platform toolkit for developing AR applications with the OpenSceneGraph API. osgART was invented by Julian Looser and then made by Raphael Grasset and Hartmut Seichter into a robust software framework with hundreds of useful features. The current working version is 2.x and is available from the osgART Website. osgART is been used in hundreds if not thousands of AR applications in research, education and commercial applications. It is most likely the most used open source AR application framework.
This was a consulting project for a company in the AR industry. The goal was to demonstrate the capabilities of SLAM based tracking even on rather low powered hardware. For this purpose a port of MiniPTAM targeting the N900 was created. The goal was to demonstrate if PTAM runs sufficiently fast on the N900 and optimized to the point of running at similar frame rates as on the iPhone. Additionally some effort was put into the project to paralellize the tracking to free up more time per frame for more advanced rendering and other interface enhancements.
Fusior is a software framework for development and distribution of multi-touch enabled applications on a wide variety of systems. Goal of the development was to create a unified multi-touch API and to overcome the existing restrictions of operating systems in regards to multiple cursors. The system used a cascading system starting with capturing touch data from a device such as a NextWindow frame, process it in order to label touches and finally output an provide debugging facilities.
OpenSceneGraph implements a comprehensive scenegraph API for OpenGL. This project utilises SWIG to generate various bindings for Python, Ruby, Java and Lua. This toolkit came to live while working on various projects around AR and VR at the HITLabNZ.
PresentAR was developed to shorten the development cycle for AR based advertising. At that time desktop based novelty AR became quite popular and the HIT Lab NZ company, now Motim Technologies needed a quick way to satisfy their customers needs for presenting content such as animated characters, video and the like on tracking targets. Additionally, it was required that the application will have to run on Windows and Mac OS X. Based on that I developed PresentAR which is a conglomerate of OpenSceneGraph, osgART and wxWidgets hold together by a number of auxiliary libraries.
Rovio Augmented Reality was a project in close collaboration with wowwee. In the early stages of the development of the Rovio platform the good guys at wowwee approached the HIT Lab NZ to build Augmented Reality games. This project went from the drafting phase of Rovio to the very final version of the robot. However, it is still not clear how to build compelling AR games with AR mediated telepresence as other projects later have shown.
osgVerse is an integration of the Verse protocol into OpenSceneGraph as a node kit done by my student Pedro Cervantes. We used this node kit to enable the virtual environment software VisionSpace to be shared with the 3D content creation tool blender between two universities.
ComposAR is a framework for developing desktop Augmented Reality applications. The framework consist of a wrapper around OpenSceneGraph and osgART called osgSWIG. ComposAR allows to be adapted into a variety of end user application, spanning from a stand-alone editor and viewer up to an integrated system inside of Pure Data.
Benchworks is a collaborative Augmented Reality application that facilitates in-situ and remote collaboration on urban design proposals. Two users can seamlessly observe virtual and real objects for design purposes. The system was created to test the feasibility of Augmented Reality aided design collaborations in a studio setting.
This was part of a consulting project for Plugin Creations and Kajima Technical Research Institute - KATRI building a cross-platform 3D editor and engine for simulating a robot aided construction system. The method used is based on the concept of a Kit of Parts, hence the name PART. The underlying system is based on my TAP engine and the code is now merged in the tacitpixel engine.
sketchand+ is the outcome of my final Diplom project as an Architect with Specialization in CAAD at the Bauhaus University, Weimar. My vision was to integrate an emerging technology with the existing workflow in order to support the early stages of design, in particular sketching. Following through with this vision I developed a collaborative augmented reality application for sketching and formal investigation.
The IllusionHoleStation is an interactive, stereoscopic display system, providing multiple users a perspective correct visualization experience. Multiuser interaction was a main priority for this prototype. The IllusionHoleStation is based on the idea of the Illusion Hole developed at Human Interface Lab at the Osaka University. Based on this the team around Prof. Dr. Bernd Fröhlich developed this idea further and the IllusionHoleStation was created.
