Practical Augmented Reality: A Guide to the Technologies, Applications, and Human Factors for AR and VR

This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the technologies, applications and human factors considerations of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) systems and wearable computing devices. Ideal for practitioners and students alike, it brings together comprehensive coverage of both theory and practice, emphasizing leading-edge displays, sensors, and other enabling technologies and tools that are already commercially available or will be soon.

Beginning with a Foreword by NASA research scientist Victor Luo, Practical Augmented Reality starts by explaining the mechanics of human sight, hearing and touch, showing how these perceptual mechanisms (and their performance ranges) directly dictate the design and use of wearable displays, 3-D audio systems, and tactile/force feedback devices.

The book presents revealing case studies of real-world applications from gaming, entertainment, Big Data visualization, engineering, aeronautics and aerospace, defense, medicine, telerobotics, architecture, law enforcement, and geophysics. Readers will find clear, easy-to-understand explanations, photos, and illustrations of devices including the Atheer AiR, HTC Vive, DAQRI Smart Helmet, Oculus (Facebook) CV1, Sony PlayStation VR, Vuzix M300, Google Glass, and many more. Functional diagrams and photographs clearly explain how these devices operate, and link directly to relevant theoretical and practical content.

Practical Augmented Reality thoroughly considers the human factors of these systems, including sensory and motor physiology constraints, monocular and binocular depth cues, elements contributing to visually-induced motion sickness and nausea, as well as vergence-accommodation conflicts. It concludes by assessing both the legal and societal implications of new and emerging AR, VR, and wearable technologies, as well as provides a look next generation systems.

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction to Augmented and Virtual Reality
Chapter 1 Computer-Generated Worlds
Chapter 2 Understanding Virtual Space

Part II: Understanding the Human Senses and Their Relationship to Output / Input Devices
Chapter 3 The Mechanics of Sight
Chapter 4 Component Technologies of Head-Mounted Displays
Chapter 5 Augmenting Displays
Chapter 6 Fully Immersive Displays
Chapter 7 The Mechanics of Hearing
Chapter 8 Audio Displays
Chapter 9 The Mechanics of Feeling
Chapter 10 Tactile and Force Feedback Devices
Chapter 11 Sensors for Tracking Position, Orientation, and Motion
Chapter 12 Devices to Enable Navigation and Interaction

Part III: Applications of Augmented and Virtual Reality
Chapter 13 Gaming and Entertainment
Chapter 14 Architecture and Construction
Chapter 15 Science and Engineering
Chapter 16 Health and Medicine
Chapter 17 Aerospace and Defense
Chapter 18 Education
Chapter 19 Information Control and Big Data Visualization
Chapter 20 Telerobotics and Telepresence

Part IV: Human Factors, Legal, and Social Considerations
Chapter 21 Human Factors Considerations
Chapter 22 Legal and Social Considerations
Chapter 23 The Future

Appendix A: Bibliography
Appendix B: Resources