Roadmap for augmented reality (AR)
Description and state of the art
Augmented Reality (AR) is the real-time use of information in
the form of text, graphics, audio, video, GPS data and other
virtual enhancements integrated with real-world objects,
whose elements are thus augmented.[33] It is this ‘real world’
Definition element that differentiates AR from virtual reality, which in
contrast replaces the real world with a simulated one.
Augmentation is conventionally in real time and in semantic
context with environmental elements.
With the help of advanced AR technology, the information
about the surrounding real world of the user becomes
interactive and digitally responsive. Information about the
environment and its objects is overlaid on the real world. This
information can be virtual or real. Overall, AR brings out the
components of the digital world into a person's perceived real
world and enhances one’s perception of reality.[34]
Societal need:
Experiential education and training
Addressed
societal
/business or
public sector
need
The technology for visual augmentation is already in use,
especially by private persons for gaming purposes
There are several databases of augmented reality apps
for the classroom in the internet, e.g. [35–37] – some
Existing examples are:[38]
solutions o Quiver (get 3d-pictures from textbooks)
/applications o Elements 4 D (visualisation in chemistry)
/services o Blippar (visualisation of the Brainspace
magazine)
o Arloon Plants (watch growing plants)
o Aurasma (create ones one augmented reality
experience)
o Math alive (visualization of mathematics)
In general the following forms of AR are used in the
classroom:[37]
o AR technology has an ability to render in 3D
model anything that may be hardly visualized
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in a classroom, at a computer, in minds of
students.
o Including AR into lessons may help educators
directly involve students into the studying
process by interacting 3D model. Taking part in
such kind of things helps motivate students
o AR books provide deeper understanding of
complex content. It also helps making the
process of learning brighter and engaging.
The French Ministry of National Education was also
expressing their support of augmented reality technologies
in the classroom. In their revised national curriculum, the
Ministry included AR as a recommended technology to be
used in middle school technology courses.[39]
AR training is also already in use the automotive
industry (BMW, VW [40]) or in the printing industry
[40]. Other educational apps are Construct3D for
students of mechanical engineering or AR apps for students
of chemistry, anatomy or astronomy.[34]
Fire Departments are using a mobile Augmented Reality
Training Unit made by Resolve Fire & Hazard Response,
Inc. to train participants to fight fires.[41]
Brain Power[42] is working to teach life skills to children
and adults on the autism spectrum
Eye Decide[43] allows healthcare professionals to
demonstrate how certain conditions impede eyesight
VR Dentist[44] is a dental app that uses virtual and
augmented reality for educational purposes
The “Augment” augmented reality (AR) app and
platform enables students and teachers to visualize 3D
models (e.g. used in career tracks like architecture,
engineering, 3D animation and design, medical
sciences)[39]
AR is also used in military training: In 2009 the first
augmented reality training system was demonstrated for
US Warfighters in what the military calls its Future
Immersive Training Environment (FITE) Joint Capability
Technology Demonstration (JCTD).The 36 Million dollar
experiment allowed soldiers to train at home to prepare for
small, urban and borderless conflicts around the world.[41]
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten
Forschung e.V.
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Ethniko Kentro Erevnas Kai Technologikis Anaptyxis,
Main actors Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT
regarding R&D Technische Universität Graz
of this Technische Universiteit Delft
technology
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Research activities for AR applications in education:
ARISE[45]
MOBILE AUGMENTER[46]
Current research Current Research activities for AR in general:
activities
REALITY (eyewear), VOSTARS (medical domain), LARA (for
Galileo and EGNOS), AEROGLASS (aviation), Augmented
Commerce (e-commerce), iMARECULTURE (cultural heritage),
TARGET (e.g counterterrorism), SPARK (prototyping), DBRLive
(cameras), INSITER (energy-efficient buildings), Wear3D
(wearables), ARVisS (medical domain), MARWIN (for welding
installations), MARCUS (urban settings)
National projects: Overview – virtual technologies
(BMBF)[47], AVILUS, AVILUSplus[48], ViERforES[49],
AR4DOC [50], ARVIDA [51], AUGUR [52], MIRACLE [53],
SMART Vidente [54], MARIN2 [55],
BMBF:[56]
AR-UROLO, VIERforES II, Kognit, ENDOGUIDE, E! 5547,
TOUAREG, ARinFLEX, ERANET,
MANUNET, ARSGuide, itsowl, MMI, SPIRIT, THIN but Great
Silicon 2 Design Objects, Professionelles Wireless Industrie
LAN,EFA2014/2
BMWi:[56]CRUMBS, EXIST research transfer
EUREKA projects: COMINDED[57], MOVAR[58], HIVIP[59],
AR-LEAN[60], HDF DOR CSF[61, 62], Pocket Pet[16]
EUROSTARS projects: [63], TouAREG[64], HISARTOUR[65],
CAMILIS[66], ORBIPS[67], LBSAAS[61],
Public sector modernization:
o Efficiency and productivity
Public sector as innovation driver:
Impact o Quality of education
assessment o Equity & inclusiveness
o Public safety
o Transport infrastructure
Necessary technological modifications
Surgeon could use AR to learn e.g. open-heart surgery
without risking patient’s life[68]
AR could simulate hazardous workplace conditions (e.g. in
the construction industry)[68]
Potential use
cases
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Marker-based AR as mentioned in the results section is the
most used approach for supporting the development of AR
learning experience, followed by the location-based AR. A
possible explanation for this result is that currently the
Technological tracking process of markers is better and more stable
challenges compared to the marker-less tracking techniques.
Besides that one of the advantages of marker-based AR is the
facility of implementation due to the available libraries which
support the development process. There is a challenge
around the improvement of recognition algorithms for
human forms as a promising feature in the process of
achieving more immersive and not intrusive AR learning
experiences.[69, 70]
Accessibility and usability of the AR learning
experiences are two important issues to be addressed in
future research since few studies have reported research on
this field. Further research need to be undertaken in usability
studies for AR applications in education as well as guidelines
for designing AR-based educational settings.[70]
The evolution of AR environment development tools in the last
decade has been considerable; today there is a range of
solutions available. Nevertheless, these solutions still require
a high technical knowledge and/or considerable time to
generate content, which makes it a challenge to create AR
educational environment and to generate content in an easy
and effective way. [71]
Necessary activities (in or for the public sector)
The advantage of Augmented Reality is that the
learning experiences can be as easy or as
complex as one wants. It is possible to create
own apps or download the numerous already-
Development of made apps connected to various content.[72]
a specific But although AR is very attractive, it is quite
training complicated to introduce it in the educational
necessary system and adapting it, because most of the
people are accustomed to a traditional way of
teaching; a change is needed, but above all,
training is needed, because with it, the use of all
these devices will come to better meet the needs
of education that we have right now.[73]
Modern mobile computing devices like
smartphones and tablet computers contain
these elements which often include a camera and
MEMS sensors such as accelerometer, GPS, and
Advanced or solid state compass, making them suitable AR
adapted ICT platforms.[74]
infrastructure Other more advanced displays of AR information
needed are e.g.-head-mounted displays, eyeglasses or
contact lenses.[74]
Thus it depends on the form of education or
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training needed. For basic education in the
classroom smartphones or tablets are sufficient,
but for a more specialised training for e.g.
medical students more advanced displays are
needed.
AR-enhanced content has to be developed as part
of a unified pedagogical philosophy and teaching
strategy. AR is not something you can simply
patch to existing curricula as a way of making
Change of children and teenagers more excited about going
(public sector to class. A proper introduction of AR in the world
internal) of education will force a lot of programs to be
processes redesigned from scratch and re-developed
necessary with the possibilities of the technology fully in
mind.[75]
A recent survey by Gfk and Samsung found 85%
of teachers agree that virtual reality would have
a positive effect on their pupils. They believe it
would be an asset to help students better
understand learning concepts and collaborate in
Promotion /
the classroom, and see it as a way to allow
information of students to engage in new experiences related to
stakeholders course content via virtual field trips to faraway
necessary
places or historical events. Eighty-four percent
of teachers believe that virtual reality would
increase student motivation too.[76]
For example the following issues have to be dealt
with when using AR for education and training:
Illegal recording and theft of user
behaviour data – hackers recording users’
Need to deal behaviour in their VR/AR environment and
with cyber threaten to publicly release the recording
security issues unless a ransom is paid
Interjection of information or data into VR/AR
to mislead or entice users into selecting items
that exfiltrate personal identifiable
information
Using fake VR/AR applications that steal
personal information or exfiltrate
behavioural data
Replacing learning or training content with
malicious content or malicious applications
to deceive users about the real world
Always-on cameras and other sensors will also
create a privacy risk for bystanders [77, 78]
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Especially when dealing with geospatial data the
following areas have to be covered by regulations
or a legal framework:
Privacy
New or Intellectual Property Rights (e.g copyright
modified aspects)
legislative Data Quality/Liability
framework or National Security
regulations
necessary
There is no common standard on how to deploy
AR applications for education and training.
However, there are some common approaches
that are followed by a large number of studies.
Development of One of the most common approaches is to use AR
a common to augment the content of books where traditional
standard educational or training material is explained in the
necessary form of text and images. The content used for the
augmentation may cover a wide range of
multimedia elements (3D models, animations,
videos, webpages, etc.) and also several means
of interaction that provide an added value to the
books.[79]
Chen and Tsai[80] in particular highlight the low
cost in executing manpower and moderate costs
for de-signing and renewing the courses. Andujar
et al.[81] agree on this benefit, especially for
Need for a virtual laboratories. They add that AR
more applications not only reduce direct costs,
economical such as needed materials, but also time for
solution preparing classes. While AR technology is
accompanied with high acquisition cost, this
investment is most likely to pay off in the long
term.[82]
Dealing with challenges
There are some (individual) privacy concerns –
probability of access to information that one
should not readily possess about a given person.
Ethical issues
No literature regarding societal issues and the
use of augmented reality in education has been
found. However, there might be issues regarding
the technologisation and digitalisation of society
Societal issues in general.
It is also necessary that the students do not
become too dependent on technology.[71]
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No issues identified in this area.
Health issues
A nationwide survey conducted by Samsung (US)
in June of 2016 found that the education industry
is more than ready for virtual reality and
augmented reality learning. According to the
Public survey, teachers and students alike had very
acceptance positive notion about this technology
68% of Teachers who would like to use the
Technology
86% of Teachers find it challenging in
keeping students engaged and interested
in the topic
93% of teachers surveyed believe that
their students would be excited to use VR
The findings of a recent study[83] suggest that
the parents see that there are a lot of benefits in
using a technological competitive tool based on
AR.
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