AR can be seen as the entry level of tracked virtual environments. it is easier to implement then xR and comes without the challenges of live-green-keys. in our world of digital brand communication the term AR does not refer to device-based apps that let you check out furniture before you buy it. for us, AR is mostly used for front-plate graphics that are rendered over the feed of a broadcast camera in live communication or television.
to achieve this, we need to know the cameras position in 3D space in dependency to the overall physical 3D space that our stage with talents is in. In addition we need to know the lens data such as Field of View, focus and lens distortion parameters. this tracking information is usually gathered by optical tracking systems feeding their data into a data handling software like Stage Precision. from there, the information is used in a 3D engine like Unreal to generate a perspective-perfect picture matching the underlying camera feed. you can think of this like a street artist painting a 3D illusion picture onto the floor of a shopping mall. like the street artist that is defining the perspective of the picture from one special vanishing point, we set a virtual camera in our 3D engine to match all parameters of the real camera. as a camera is usually processing images at a specific framerate, e.g. 50fps in european productions, meaning that the camera records or transmits 50 images per second, we need to adjust the perspective or respectively render a new image with every new frame of the camera. this leads to the possibilty of moving in 3D space accordingly to the movement of the real camera. objects or virtual environments become „real objects“ that we can film from all perspectives as if they were built into the set physically.
// set extensions and virtual props
with the help of AR we can add objects such as decorative ceiling structures, floor patterns or large typography elements or branding objects to stage sets. this brings us the possibilty of transforming sets into worlds without physical boundaries. e.g. large props can float above performers or elements that would have been to costly and would have not been able to be build withing the given timing can be displayed in virtual AR space. this gives fully new possibilities to stage designs for live events or shows that are being broadcasted.
// presentations and business data visualizations
if we have a look at one of the core needs of business events, AR can also be of help here. we can use AR to bring presentations into the third dimension and thus create a visually more appealing experience of information.
besides conventional presentations coming from tools like Power Point, Prezi or Keynote, AR can also be used to visualize business data and give presenters the possibilty to stand right next to their topics. these data visualizations can also be driven by real-time data inputs like databases, webtools or polling software.
// object visualizations
AR can really show-off its potential when it comes to deep diving into products. Basically every product can be displayed as an object in 3D space and as all objects are fully virtual we can take a look at details that would have been kept hidden when just interacting with the real product itself.
in addition to just displaying these objects, we can give presentors full control of the object visualizations.
in simple ways by sending commands to the 3D engine from a generic webpage on tablets or smartphones or in a more sophisticated way by controlling the virtual object through the position and/or rotation of a resembling real product, presentors can take control of the objects. even point-and-click or gesture can control can be applied.
// adding information or graphical styles to real-world objects
instead of just displaying full virtual objects, AR overlays can also be applied to real-world objects standing in the scene. if we know the dimensions and position of any object, we can produce 3D graphics matching the real-world objects down to the precision of a centimeter. this gives us the possibility to add virtual props to real-world objects or add-it.