POMAR 3D

Module for determining position and orientation of a mobile augmented reality client for a real-time 3D-visualization of subsurface infrastructure lines

Aims

The main result of POMAR 3D is the development of an integrated module for high precision measurement of position and orientation. An AR-client will be equipped with this module, which is developed to the needs of the VIDENTE project.

Brief Description

VIDENTE, which is a research project in the area of Augmented Reality (AR), describes a prototype for three-dimensional visualization of subsurface infrastructure in real time. The end user will carry a mobile Augmented Reality based client, which is able to provide the user with additional graphical information like supply pipelines (e.g. gas, electricity etc.) depending on his position and orientation. A major issue in this project is determining the position and orientation of the mobile AR-client in real time. This is necessary to properly superimpose the additional three-dimensional features on the real scene.

In this context, the aim of POMAR 3D is the development of an integrated positioning and orientation module, which fits the high requirements of the VIDENTE AR-Client. Integrating GNSS like GPS, EGNOS or GLONASS and an inertial measurement unit with the AR-client assures to accomplish the essential precision of position and orientation. Furthermore, high availability of the sensor data is of high interest, this is necessary to achieve a correct overlay of virtual pipelines with the real word scenes. Additionally, the form factor of the AR-client plays a very important role as well. Therefore besides delivering high precision data the positioning and orientation module has high demands for size and weight.

At the beginning of POMAR 3D the VIDENTE project team performs an efficient analysis of the necessary precision of position and orientation of the AR-client. Having finished this step suited hardware will be acquired. This mainly consists of a GNSS receiver and an inertial measurement unit. Parts of the module planned in POMAR 3D will then be implemented either in hardware or in software. Having performed the system integration with the AR-client, the system can be verified and tested under different conditions.