This thesis is dedicated to understanding the augmentation of our ambient, using mixed reality technology. The introductory sections cover different methods of displaying virtual objects onto physical surroundings, examples of real world use cases and development platforms. The core part of the thesis covers the mixed reality application I developed for the Microsoft Hololens. It includes best practices for developing, explanations of the key components and architecture along with a presentation of the application in use.
Mixed reality adds virtual elements to the real world. These can be rendered indirectly on a screen of a smart device or shown directly to the user via a mixed reality headset. The latter offers a much higher degree of usability, as it is considerably more intuitive and leaves the user’s hand free for other tasks. The technology improves various solutions tied to the real world, such as navigation, visualization of complex systems, simulations and displaying relevant data.
When developing applications for the Hololens headset, it is necessary to account for the device’s limitations. These include its narrow field of view and the additive nature of display lenses. The applications are driven by components that handle mixed reality tasks, such as mapping and anchoring. I developed an application, which displays contextual information on virtual info-boards that are placed in various indoor locations. The application also plays ambient sounds at specific physical locations. These features enhance the guest’s experience in applicable facilities. Currently the application’s usability is limited, due to the occasional mapping issues and a rather narrow FOV. These issues will be addressed in future hardware iterations.
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