Magic Meeting, or collaborative, augmented reality system--
this application is suited for design evaluation sessions
with collocated and remote participants.
With our current setup, up to four people
can use the system at the same time.
The users wear head-mounted displays with built-in cameras.
Integrated into the system is a conventional projection screen.
For design reviews, a so-called cake platter
in the middle of the table and annotation cards
are the main elements of the interaction.
Extra monitors show the users' views to non-immersed visitors.
The cake platter in the center of the table
holds the virtual models to be discussed by the participants.
The tracking is done by markers attached to the platter.
Each user has his own personal view onto the augmented model.
Rotating the virtual object about its main axis
is done by simply turning the cake platter.
This is an outside view recorded by an extra camera.
We assume that even in the future, traditional 2D
presentation techniques will be used in meetings.
That's why we have linked the 2D world
to the three-dimensional space.
In our design review scenario, model annotations
with different colors are used to indicate various design
stages.
For instance, red stands for this is an unacceptable part.
And green means this model part passes the quality gate.
The Personal Digital Assistant, here a Palm Pilot,
is used for model selection and model transfer.
Markers are displayed on the PDA and are recognized
by the Magic Meeting software.
Bringing the PDA close to the cake platter
will exchange the models between the PDA and the platter.
The exchange of models between users
can be done by using the inherent functionality
of the PDA.
Via the infrared link between the two PDAs,
markers can be transmitted.
With this method, markers are virtually transferred.
To see what is inside a virtual model,
clipping planes are used.
The plane is controlled by a tangible utensil.
A real office lamp or flashlight is
used to control a virtual light source.
Conventional 2D Windows desktops can
be shown at a marker-related position in 3D.
3D interactions are mapped to 2D mouse events.
With this functionality, the user
is able to use his or her standard working
environment for checking emails, surfing the internet,
and so on.
To demonstrate possible interactions
between 2D applications and 3D environments,
we have connected a Microsoft Access database
to our augmented reality system.
This allows us to transfer models
from the database to the cake platter and back.
Right now, Magic Meeting is under evaluation.
We will perform usability tests to prove our concept
and to improve the system.