Abstract:
Alignment between the real and the virtual has been a defining quality of
mixed and augmented reality. With the emergence of Indirect Augmented Reality
the problem of alignment is no longer primarily concerned with the
relationship between a live video feed and a 3D graphics layer at the level
of the screen, but with the relationship between the visual information on
the display and the real world perspective outside the display of the device.
Experiments show that users easily connect the perspective into the 3D
virtual environment on the full screen with their parallel perspective in the
real world. It also turns out that although congruence and alignment between
the two perspectives is fundamental to the user experience, in certain
contexts it may be transcended. This paper describes and discusses
applications of Indirect Augmented Reality where we explore how the
discrepancy between the virtual and the real perspectives in a variety of
ways can be used to improve the user experience. We call these features
views. The views will be exemplified with several Indirect Augmented Reality
applications: reconstructions of Augustus' Forum and the Republican Forum in
Rome and a preconstruction of the planned National Museum in Oslo. The
applications have been tested with users on location, and their feedback and
evaluation is included in the discussion. Finally, we relate the experiential
value of the views to some epistemological and pedagogical perspectives.
Social Program