Humans perceive the three-dimensional structure of the world with apparent ease. However, despite all of the recent advances in computer vision research, the dream of having a computer interpret an image at the same level as a two-year old remains elusive. Why is computer vision such a challenging problem and what is the current state of the art? Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications explores the variety of techniques commonly used to analyze and interpret images. It also describes challenging real-world applications where vision is being successfully used, both for specialized applications such as medical imaging, and for fun, consumer-level tasks such as image editing and stitching, which students can apply to their own personal photos and videos. More than just a source of recipes, this exceptionally authoritative and comprehensive textbook/reference also takes a scientific approach to basic vision problems, formulating physical models of the imaging process before inverting them to produce descriptions of a scene. These problems are also analyzed using statistical models and solved using rigorous engineering techniques Topics and features: structured to support active curricula and project-oriented courses, with tips in the Introduction for using the book in a variety of customized courses; presents exercises at the end of each chapter with a heavy emphasis on testing algorithms and containing numerous suggestions for small mid-term projects; provides additional material and more detailed mathematical topics in the Appendices, which cover linear algebra, numerical techniques, and Bayesian estimation theory; suggests additional reading at the end of each chapter, including the latest research in each sub-field, in addition to a full Bibliography at the end of the book; supplies supplementary course material for students at the associated website, http://szeliski.org/Book/. Suitable for an upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level course in computer science or engineering, this textbook focuses on basic techniques that work under real-world conditions and encourages students to push their creative boundaries. Its design and exposition also make it eminently suitable as a unique reference to the fundamental techniques and current research literature in computer vision.

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Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications

In 1997, Azuma published a survey on augmented reality (AR). Our goal is to complement, rather than replace, the original survey by presenting representative examples of the new advances. We refer one to the original survey for descriptions of potential applications (such as medical visualization, maintenance and repair of complex equipment, annotation, and path planning); summaries of AR system characteristics (such as the advantages and disadvantages of optical and video approaches to blending virtual and real, problems in display focus and contrast, and system portability); and an introduction to the crucial problem of registration, including sources of registration error and error-reduction strategies.

https://www.cc.gatech.edu/~blair/papers/ARsurveyCGA.pdf

Recent advances in augmented reality

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is an emergent architecture where cloud computing services are extended to the edge of networks leveraging mobile base stations. As a promising edge technology, it can be applied to mobile, wireless, and wireline scenarios, using software and hardware platforms, located at the network edge in the vicinity of end-users. MEC provides seamless integration of multiple application service providers and vendors toward mobile subscribers, enterprises, and other vertical segments. It is an important component in the 5G architecture which supports variety of innovative applications and services where ultralow latency is required. This paper is aimed to present a comprehensive survey of relevant research and technological developments in the area of MEC. It provides the definition of MEC, its advantages, architectures, and application areas; where we in particular highlight related research and future directions. Finally, security and privacy issues and related existing solutions are also discussed.

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Mobile Edge Computing: A Survey

We are on the verge of ubiquitously adopting Augmented Reality (AR) technologies to enhance our percep- tion and help us see, hear, and feel our environments in new and enriched ways. AR will support us in fields such as education, maintenance, design and reconnaissance, to name but a few. This paper describes the field of AR, including a brief definition and development history, the enabling technologies and their characteristics. It surveys the state of the art by reviewing some recent applications of AR technology as well as some known limitations regarding human factors in the use of AR systems that developers will need to overcome.

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A Survey of Augmented Reality Technologies, Applications and Limitations

A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Intuitive computing methods and systems

Augmented reality is a potentially powerful paradigm for annotating the (real) environment with computer-generated material. These benefits will be even greater when augmented reality systems become mobile and wearable. However, to minimize the problem of clutter and to maximize the effectiveness of the display, algorithms must be developed to select only the most important information for the user. In this paper, we describe a region-based information filtering algorithm. The algorithm takes account of the state of the user (location and intent) and the state of individual objects about which information can be presented. It can dynamically respond to changes in the environment and the user's state. We also describe how simple temporal, distance and angle cues can be used to refine the transitions between different information sets.

Information filtering for mobile augmented reality

Tracking for virtual environments is necessary to record the position and the orientation of real objects in physical space and to allow spatial consistency between real and virtual objects. This paper presents a top-down classification of tracking technologies aimed more specifically at head tracking, organized in accordance with their physical principles of operation. Six main principles were identified: time of flight (TOF), spatial scan, inertial sensing, mechanical linkages, phase-difference sensing, and direct-field sensing. We briefly describe each physical principle and present implementations of that principle. Advantages and limitations of these implementations are discussed and summarized in tabular form. A few hybrid technologies are then presented and general considerations of tracking technology are discussed.

A Survey of Tracking Technologies for Virtual Environments

: Many future military operations are expected to occur in urban environments. These complex, 3D battlefields introduce many challenges to the dismounted warfighter. Better situational awareness is required for effective operation in urban environments. However, delivering this information to the dismounted warfighter is extremely difficult. For example, maps draw a user's attention away from the environment and cannot directly represent the three-dimensional nature of the terrain. To overcome these difficulties, we are developing the Battlefield Augmented Reality System (BARS). The system consists of a wearable computer, a wireless network system, and a tracked see-through head-mounted display (HMD). The computer generates graphics that, from the user's perspective, appear to be aligned with the actual environment. For example, a building could be augmented to show its name, a plan of its interior, icons to represent reported sniper locations, and the names of adjacent streets. This paper surveys the current state of development of BARS and describes ongoing research efforts. We describe four major research areas. The first is the development of an effective, efficient user interface for displaying data and processing user inputs. The second is the capability for collaboration between multiple BARS users and other systems. Third, we describe the current hardware for both a mobile and indoor prototype system. Finally, we describe initial efforts to formally evaluate the capabilities of the system from a user's perspective through scenario analysis. We also will discuss the use of the BARS system in STRICOM's Embedded Training initiative.

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An Augmented Reality System for Military Operations in Urban Terrain

: Situational awareness needs cannot be met using traditional approaches such as radios, maps and handheld displays and more powerful display paradigms are needed. We are researching mobile augmented reality (AR) through the development of the Battlefield Augmented Reality System (BARS) in collaboration with Columbia University. The system consists of a wearable computer a wireless network system and a tracked see-through Head Mounted Display (HMD). The user's perception of the environment is enhanced by superimposing graphics onto the user's field of view. The graphics are registered (aligned) with the actual environment. For example an augmented view of a building could include a wireframe plan of its interior icons to represent reported locations of snipers and the names of adjacent streets.

Yohan Baillot

Papers

Recent advances in augmented reality

Information filtering for mobile augmented reality

A Survey of Tracking Technologies for Virtual Environments

An Augmented Reality System for Military Operations in Urban Terrain

BARS: Battlefield Augmented Reality System