04 December 2007

Handheld Mixed Reality

A few months ago, I have ported MRGIS into VAIO UX Handheld PC which is an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC). Similarly to the laptop version, three visualization domains are supported including: virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality in order to get the best possible representation for visual exploration. On each domain, four different types of geovisualisation and navigation aids can be superimposed such as geo-referenced 3D maps, 2D digital maps, spatial 3D sound and 3D/2D textual annotations.

In the above example, a three-dimensional map of City University campus is superimposed onto a marker card using the augmented reality domain. Interactions can be performed using the mouse or the keyboard of the UMPC, the MRGIS user-centered graphical user-interface or by natural ways (by manipulating the card). However, the greatest advantage of the handheld mixed reality system is that it can be used in outdoor environments much more effectively than third-generation mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).