A Tangible Object for General Purposes in Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

Abstract

Smartphones and tablets are common technologies within today's private living environments. They are well-suited to serve as a platform for mobile Augmented Reality (AR). Tangible AR is a subclass of AR which includes tangible objects and can make interactions intuitive. With this, new options for human-computer interaction become available at home. Based on literature research and design rationale, we identify requirements that help to develop a tangible object which can intuitively be used as tangible user interface (TUI) for mobile AR applications. Users should be able to handle the tangible object comfortably. Additionally, it needs to be reliably trackable with today's tracking algorithms. The tangible object should also offer affordances to the users. We strive to develop a single, versatile object that is usable in different application scenarios at home. Our approach is to design a tangible object that combines different surfaces and shapes to offer various affordances and interaction possibilities. A physical instance of this object can be created with a 3D printer. We argue that this allows users to trigger actions intuitively in an AR environment or to manipulate virtual content.