Abstract:
We present an approach that makes any real object a true touch interface for
mobile Augmented Reality applications. Using infrared thermography, we detect
residual heat resulting from a warm fingertip touching the colder surface of
an object. This approach can clearly distinguish if a surface has actually
been touched, or if a finger only approached it without any physical contact,
and hence significantly less heat transfer. Once a touch has been detected in
the thermal image, we determine the corresponding 3D position on the touched
object based on visual object tracking using a visible light camera. Finally
the 3D position of the touch is used by human machine interfaces for
Augmented Reality providing natural means to interact with real and virtual
objects. The emergence of wearable computers and head-mounted displays
desires for alternatives to a touch screen, which is the primary user
interface in handheld Augmented Reality applications. Voice control and
touchpads provide a useful alternative to interact with wearables for certain
tasks, but particularly common interaction tasks in Augmented Reality require
to accurately select or define 3D points on real surfaces. We propose to
enable this kind of interaction by simply touching the respective surface
with a fingertip. Based on tests with a variety of different materials and
different users, we show that our method enables intuitive interaction for
mobile Augmented Reality with most common objects.