Week 14: FINAL SUBMISSION

It's finally week 14 and we have done everything from the posters, to the videos to the markers and also the user testing.

We'll start with the posters.
Posters are now changed to have a perfect square look as ARMedia markers has to be a perfect square and should also have a white border for it to be detectable.
Therefore our generic A3 sized poster idea cannot be used.
Our video is also resized, we did not completely change the whole layout of the poster but just created an extra black space at the side so that the ratio is compatible with ARMedia.

We've also added another 2 scenes for the room markers. The markers are the same which is our Horr(AR)Haus logo with different contents when loaded.
We've tested out the markers in a dark room using a torch light and thankfully it worked!
We only used the torch app from our smartphones and I think that is great and can be used together with the ARMedia Player as well.
So on the day of the event, we do not need torchlight, just install the torch app onto our Ipad and launch the ARMedia Player together. Works together like a charm!

Speaking of Ipads. We had tested out the video on an android device and currently there are no audio playback on android. It only works on IOS.
Therefore until that issue is resolved, our idea would go on with IOS devices which is Ipad.

We've gone through the user testing and it's safe to say that our idea will work and this event project would be a success if is held.


CONCLUSION:

From this project I have learnt so many things about Augmented Reality. My speculations from the start was proven true that AR is still very new and developing an idea for AR is very challenging as not many people are aware and is developing things that are AR related.

On the software side, ARMedia in my opinion is still fairly new with lots of bugs and glitches needed to fixed but it is constantly being developed and improved on as we can see on their official website. ARMedia Player is new therefore there are a lot of downside to it. But I believe Inglobe Technologies is working on it.

Working together with my group mates had it challenges but that is normal when in any situation. But I truly enjoyed working on this project and it was by far one of the most experimental and interesting project to work on.

But if asked again whether or not I would work on Augmented Reality, I would say no because of the reasons stated before. It is not practical and unless these apps are embedded in smart devices upon purchase, perhaps a feature available in the phone cameras then yes, I might consider dwelling with AR again.
Until then, it is a no for me.

Week 12: Finalizing Everything and Final Progression Check

Over the past weeks we've been trying out with the markers. Our original plan is to print out an A3 sized poster with the normal A3 dimension. We had also done this for our video, with a composition size of an A3.
But when we imported the video into ARMedia, the dimensions are messed up due to it's ratio. The video ended up being squashed.

It was a little too late to change because the representatives of ROAR Studios, Mr. Liew is back again for one last progression check.
We went on ahead with what we have.
We showed our posters and videos as well as 2 clips that is intended to be placed around the room to be scanned.

The feedbacks received was not a negative one, just some constructive feedback to further improve our project.

1. The poster videos are too fast that it might be a little difficult to take pictures with. But we stated that the posters are just meant to be scanned and not to be taken a picture with although it is still up to them. And the 2 videos that are meant to be placed in the room will be lengthened.
2. The gameplay should be more exciting not just going into the room and scan the markers. So we have decided to hide the markers around the room and allow the players to find and look through the room. They must also take a picture with at least 2 of the 4 markers that is hidden in the room to be able to participate in the competition and win the prize. 
3. Can the markers be scanned in a dark room. We have yet to test it out so we needed to do that as soon as possible. 

Week 8: Posters

The days have passed and we're almost done with the rotoscoping and poster design.

Here is my part for the poster

The concept of all three posters is to have a blank setting and when scanned would load a video that shows the ghost behind the posters. 

Mine is a setting of an old prison. 

The video played: 

That is my part of the poster. 

Video were done using Adobe After Effects and the design was done in Adobe Photoshop. 

I also designed another layout for the poster: 

Foong Yann then created the video to complete the posters.

Besides that I also completed the rotoscping of a video from a scene in the horror game hotel 626.

Unfortunately the clip involves a hand flashing his camera to the ghost so it wouldn't be appropriate to use as the hand is there and would not be realistic. 

Week 6: Get working!

Finally with the plan truly finalized, we've decided to take the feedbacks we received add AR posters for this project.
3 posters are discussed agreed on. I was in charge of it and came up with sketches for the posters.

I gave ruth the last sketch to be done and Yann the second one to handle and myself the first one to complete. 

Yann on the other hand has been looking for some horror scene footages to be used.
We came up with a solution to the problem of green screen, what we can do now is rotoscope the background for the clips and create our very own setting.

Week 5: Troubles and Presentation

For the past few days we have been working on the green screen/ chroma key feature of ARMedia. But nothing so far has been working! 

Our presentation was hours away and we still can't seem to figure out what the problem was. 

We asked Mr.Mike for help and we were all trying to figure things out at the very last minute. 

It was purely bad time management. We should have been done with this days before the presentation. 

In the end, we found out that ARMedia's chroma key is faulty and is unable to function with it's child which is ARMedia Player. 

Thus we thought if it only works when scanned through the computer's web camera, then it is redundant as  this Horr(AR) Haus needs to use a smart device as it is portable and has the snap camera feature. 

We went on ahead and presented our ideas to the representatives of ROAR Studios. 

Our idea was just to keep the event in one room as a game for the annual Taylor's Halloween night by ADP club. 

The feedback that we received are stated below: 

• Expand the idea throughout the whole campus
• Find something more interesting like a poster that can be scanned to promote the event.
• Since it is a university level, there aren't any high expectations so it's ok.
• Would love to see some prototype for the presentation but it's ok.

Week 4: Discussions/ Locking down the plan

    This week we spent the time in class doing research after research on AR and the types of softwares that are in the market and what are the differences and their pros and con


For today, we've been working on the tracking attribute of metaio. Our issue at the moment is we need something that is fast in terms of loading the animation. To be able to scare people, there cannot be any room for lagging (people will get bored and it wouldn't work as well).
Therefore, cloud-based app are not suitable for this project as it would time to load and play the video. 

Since Metaio is cloud-based, it is dropped from the options. 

The other options that we have are Vuforia, Dfusion and ARMedia. 

We've tried out D'fusion and also ARMedia.
D'fusion has a more complex and advanced feature compared to Metaio and ARMedia that it can be coded for specific functions. It is a little hard to navigate along compared to the other 2 software and I was thinking how it was not relevant to go through so much trouble to figure how it works when another software is able to do the same with little challenge.

Our plan is to model a ghost and then animate to make it seem real. 
Due to this, we have decided to use ARMedia as our preferred software as it works alongside Autodesk Maya which is also our preferred 3D software. 

Where can we get the plugin? 
Inglobe technologies offers the free version of the software from this website: http://www.inglobetechnologies.com/en/products.php

Week 4: Let's Get Started

One week to go until the proposal presentation, we've started to work things out.
Now with the finalized software selection, we are starting to produce the work.

Foong Yann was assigned a task to model the ghost whereas I was given the task to Photoshop little girls to ghosts. This is to be used by Foong Yann as reference.
This is what I have come up with.

Unfortunately I can't find the original picture before I edited but I can assure you the little girl was prettier than this. 

After Foong Yann completed the ghost's head, we went for a progression check with Mr.Mike and he suggested that we do not do modelling instead use a real footage as our modelling skills aren't that great also real footage would make it more realistic. 

A suggestion given is to use the green screen method where we take a green screen clip which are plenty on the web , Youtube etc and use it for the project.

So we proceed on to green screen and I've done some research to test whether is is applicable on ARMedia and it says on the official website that Chroma Keys functions are available and it works just like green screen. Basically, it will remove all the greens in the video clip. 

So that was good news to us. 

Thus, we tested it out. 

Tryout With Environment Tracking

To determine the software to be used, we have narrowed down 2 softwares which are Metaio and ARMedia.

The downside of Metaio that is noticed is that Metaio is cloud-based therefore it takes a longer time to load. Another issue that we would like to test out with Metaio is the the environment tracking and how it works. 

Our plan was to lock down the room and have Junaio (in case we do use Metaio) to load the AR room when the room environment is detected. 

A sudden realization, we have to prepare the room and lock it down in Metaio. Then we have to make sure that the room stays/is arranged exactly as how the room was arranged at first. 

At this, environment tracking is scratched out. 

User Experience Flowchart

To help us to progress, we've come up with the flowchart.

Basically it's the instructions on what the users/ players will have to do.

1. Users will receive a tablet which has an AR player installed in it. 
2. Users will be needed to launch the app.
3. Users will then be demonstrated on how to hold the device and how the AR works. (Users should hold the device at shoulder's length)
4. Users will then enter the AR room. 
5. Once pictures are taken and the adventure ends, users are needed to share the pictures online. 
6. Users will have to wait until the end of the event when we will announce the best picture who will then win a prize. 

That is the rough flow chart for now. Subject to changes later. 

Week 2: Idea development

For this module's project, we were broken down into groups of 3 to work together on one idea for our final project. My group consists of Foong Yann, Ruth and myself. 
Each individual members are to come up with possible AR services to work on with. 

Here are my proposed ideas:

1. Cuti-Cuti Malaysia (AR):

     Basically the idea of this is to make travelling more exciting instead of just going to historical and significant tourist sites like we've been doing for so many years. AR technology can make travelling more exciting. 

    It serves as an tourism app, it gives out information about the sites that the travelers are about to visit before going to the location as well as when they reached and at the same time has an activity that the tourist can choose to try and follow up to. 

   The additional activity involves the tourists to scan any of the historical monument, building or anything of that sort as markers and then launching the AR information regarding it and also a mascot/ character will appear and tourist are able to collect it buy touching onto the character. A collection of these mascots will receive a prize.

  For this idea, the best collaborative partner would be Tourism Malaysia. 


2. Haunted House (AR):

    For this idea I was inspired by the Korean horror comic that I read online. It is a drawing that consists of different frames and readers are to scroll down at a fast motion to be able to see the movement of the characters. 
   
   At one point, the ghost made a jump scare so close to the screen I almost wet my pants. And thus I was inspired. 

  The initial idea of the Haunted House is just jump scares. The players will be placed in an empty dark room and they are given flashlights and a mobile device, preferably a tablet. Through the tablet, they are able to see the world of horror that is in that room. They are then instructed to scan around the room and look for the ghost. Once they are scared shitless by the ghost they are have to then take a picture with it and the best pose will win a prize. These pictures will be uploaded on our Facebook page and people are then allowed to give as many likes. The most likes means the best pose. And the best pose means you stand to win a prize.

  
3. My Pet(AR):

  What I had in mind for this idea is a digital/virtual pet that you can take with you anywhere. Where will it be? In your smart device of course. 

  This idea is not new, but I've wanted to improvise and take the user experience to another level.
With Augmented Reality capabilities, the user can not only see their virtual pet in 3D state but also interact with the pet when it responds to gestures. So you can pretend like you're stroking a cat and it will respond accordingly. 

    

Week 1: Getting Started with Metaio

So for the first week, we've been exposed to a software called Metaio.
Metaio is an Augmented Reality software which is among the many in the market. It seems that this software is the most reliable and stable used in the industry today.

We tried out using AR for the first time. It was really cool how it loads and Metaio man appears onto our screen. Just awesome!

Here are same basic rules about creating Augmented Reality makers:

• High contrast colours for image tracking. 
• choose shapes that are not identical when rotated (NO CIRCLES!)
• have white spaces

We also tested out an AR comic book which comes to life after scanning and also a t-shirt line whereby you can scan the t-shirts and something pops out.

There are many new ideas that can be used for AR. It's used to indicate buildings in a bustling city, a promotional method for MCD and just another fresh way of reading storybooks and comics. 

But here are my thoughts on Augmented Reality.

Although it is different and revolutionary, I think from a user's point of view, it could be non practical at certain point. Because it is an app based, we cannot expect everyone to have the app embedded in their smart devices. What would drive them enough to go online and download the app? 

It means the product has to be really outstanding to push people to buy the app and try it out. 

But how do you produce something knowing that people can't even scan it because they don't have the app. Do we give out free apps by the street? Or is it certain that the promos would work?

Hmmm.... 

Week 1: What is Augmented Reality?

First week of class off to a good start!

Before we begin, let's give an introduction of what the class is going to be all about.

Innovation and Collaboration will be a class where we collaborate with an internal or external party.
It could be within campus grounds or even outside.

"Predict what is the need in the world?"
                                     -Innovators

We talked about "blue oceans" and "red oceans" which basically defines the fields in the market. Blue Oceans defines the areas which are not ventured often by people and red ocean defines the areas that are swarming with innovators trying to outshine each other.
One perfect example is the smart phone field. It's either Samsung or IPhone.
IPhone one minute and then Samsung the next.
Augmented reality in my option is definitely swimming in the blue ocean as I don't see it being used a lot.

Something which is pretty interesting is the Google Glass.

It's unreal, I wonder if it is even real or just one of those scams you see online. But then I found out that is out for sale already. O.O

So I guess it is real then. 

Since it has voice recognition, I don't know how accurate the Google Glass would be. 

Here's a much realistic parody of Google Glass which basically sums up my concern. 

It's hilarious but I think it's realistic. No technology is perfect. Especially those that relies on voice recognition. We all know how wrong it can go. Just try it out with your smartphones and see. 

So what is AUGMENTED REALITY? 

AR is a layer of CGI that is triggered in by the real world (AKA Markers) . It is mostly used for marketing and advertising. 

The software used for AR are plenty and many in development.

Examples are: 

• Metaio: A standalone app.
• ARMedia: A plugin used with other bigger software such as Autodesk Maya and 3DSMAX, trimble SketchUp and many more. 
• Aurasma
• Layar
• Vuforia

AR is also used in games today. Some good examples can be seen through consoles such as Playstation Eye, Kinect, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Portable and Playstation Vita.

These consoles uses camera to augment computer graphics into live footage. 

So that sums up day one of class. Tune it for more!