unidroid, augmented reality applications for android at ...

IADIS International Conference Mobile Learning 2011

UNIDROID, AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATIONS FOR ANDROID AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OVIEDO Gustavo Valero Simancas, Víctor Manuel Alvarez García, Juan Ramón Pérez Pérez and MPuerto Paule Ruiz Dpto. Computer Science, University of Oviedo

ABSTRACT Personal mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, are now easily found amongst college students, but few of the applications available for these devices are used in academic or educational settings. UniDroid is an academic research project for Android intended to help understanding how mobile computing and augmented reality technologies can positively affect the learning environment and campus life. This paper describes the background and development of five prototypes to address the integration of mobile augmented reality technologies at the University of Oviedo. KEYWORDS Mobile learning, augmented reality, context awareness, mobile applications, higher education.

1. INTRODUCTION E-learning and the enabling learning technologies are concerned with making learning experiences in all types of settings more effective, efficient, attractive and accessible for learners (Koper and van Es, 2004). Research in mobile learning brings us innovative learning opportunities and addresses students requirements for flexibility and ubiquity, enabling an 'anytime, anywhere, from any device' dimension to e-learning. The augmented reality (Azuma, et al. 2001) is an innovative tool for the educational mobile environment (Basogain, Izakar and Borro 2007). Academic and educational organisations are slowly incorporating applications of mobile augmented reality to favour students’ mobility and allow them to navigate through the augmented information, incorporating new presentation formats within the learning process and enhancing understanding (Liarokapis, et al. 2004). The research hereby presented focuses on the mobility and context awareness provided by the use of smartphones and augmented reality in university settings. Although some universities have already incorporated AR related technologies, in particular GPS-based information retrieval, the potential of augmented reality at universities has not been explored in depth. In our opinion, campus life can be technology enhanced, and learning areas such as laboratories classes and language learning can benefit from using augmented reality applications. In our study, mobile augmented reality systems are categorised as follows: 1. Software applications covering situations in the life of college students where the use of smartphones and augmented reality may be useful, such as geographical localisation and public transport information services. 2. Mobile augmented reality applications involved in learning processes, making use of sensors and context-awareness in academic activities. On the basis of this classification, our research proposes the development of five prototypes for mobile augmented reality at the University of Oviedo. This contribution is intended to help understanding how wireless and mobile technologies can positively affect campus life and the learning environment (Alexander 2004), and provide a step forward towards the integration of mobile computing and AR technologies in academic and educational settings.

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2. BACKGROUND: MOBILE LEARNING AND AUGMENTED REALITY AT UNIVERSITIES Augmented Reality as a user interface for mobile computing is particularly powerful when the device has access to information on location and situation, so that it can provide contextual information (H. Kaufmann 2004). In academics, students’ location and situation are being used to provide means for geographical orientation. Examples of these applications are: Vuphone and MSU Mobile, developed by the Vanderbilt University (2010) and Missouri State University (2010) respectively, which provide a map including information about campus restaurants and buildings; University Maps (LoCode, n.d.) and UK Universities (Damon, 2010) use the GPS to show the location of the universities; and AnyStop (Blink Tag Inc, 2010) uses geolocation to show the nearest train or bus station in different universities of the United States. Besides providing location-based services, augmented reality can also be used to enhance the teaching and learning processes, complementing classic methodologies of learning. For example, we can mention the research being done in mobile game-based learning (Liarokapis, et al. 2002), language learning (Liu, et al. 2007) and laboratories of technical classes (Liarokapis, et al. 2004). Advanced technologies, both software and hardware, developed for the use of augmented reality are increasingly being used in e-learning. Software frameworks like Studierstube (Schmalstieg, et al. 2002) are designed for the development of augmented reality and virtual reality applications. ARiSE (Bogen, Wind and Giuliano 2006), Construct3D (Kaufmann and Schmalstieg 2003), as well as an interactive system that uses pattern recognition (Lee, Choi and Park 2009), are examples of augmented reality tools used in e-learning. Among augmented reality enabled devices we can find computers, web cams, mobile phones, tablets, headmounted displays (Azuma, et al., 2001; Ginters, et al., 2007) and Spinnstube, a display system for collaborative work environments (Bogen, Wind, & Giuliano, 2006). From the previous list we wish to highlight mobile devices, due to their portability, weight and affordability. Nowadays, mobile devices deliver a greater number of sensors that provide richer contextual data. Among them we can mention the accelerometer, which measures tilt and movement; the camera, which is able to capture either still photographs or video, barcodes and QR –Quick Response– codes; and the digital compass. An example of an augmented reality learning application that uses different sensors and technologies can be found in ARLearn (OpenU, 2010). This mobile application, developed by the Open University of Netherlands, can play audio samples relevant to users’ geolocation, and enables users to write or record their own location based annotations and share it with other users.

3. OUR PROPOSAL: UNIDROID AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OVIEDO Technologies themselves do not directly cause learning to occur, but can afford certain tasks that themselves may result in learning or give rise to certain learning benefits (Dalgarno and Lee, 2010). Learning technologies support pedagogical scenarios otherwise inaccesible to traditional forms of learning. UniDroid is an academic project for Android undertaken at the University of Oviedo which defines a set of software applications allowing the incorporation of mobile computing and augmented reality technologies in students' academic life (Figure 1). From this definition, we have initiated the development of five different prototypes that benefit from using device sensors and context awareness information, and which are explained in the following.

3.1 Prototype 1: Location on Campus The purpose of this application is to identify any place in the campus that might be interesting for a student. This protoype makes use of geolocation sensors (digital compass and GPS) to show the position and orientation of university buildings around the student, indicating information such as distance to buildings, directions or a brief description of a particular place. The current user location and direction is taken to display selected information in a superimposed layer over the actual image captured by the camera. Additionally students can send an email, make a phone call, visit the website or listen to a brief audio

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description on the building. The use of this application has allowed the location of buildings for people who do not know the campus, such as first-year or non-local students.

Figure 1. Prototypes developed for UniDroid.

3.2 Prototype 2: Schedule Information in Classrooms and Offices The second application provides updated information of interest to a student about teachers (email, tutoring availability or personal page), examinations or class schedules. This prototype makes use of camera sensors to scan QR codes inside a university faculty or school building. QR codes are used for tracking the schedule of activities taking place in classrooms or professors’ academic activities. As a result, students increase their context awareness inside academic buildings, obtaining information about the purpose and events happening in the different rooms without having to interrupt the activities.

3.3 Prototype 3: Musical Instrument Lessons This prototype focuses on a laboratory class on musical instruments, where students can make use of mobile devices and augmented reality during class time. This prototype uses QR codes to identify the different musical instruments and motion sensors (accelerometer) to simulate the act of playing the instruments. Additionally, it includes video, images and audio recordings of the music played by each one of the instruments, and an offline evaluation consisting in a questionnaire about the lessons learned. This application can be used to help students learn basic concepts on musical instruments.

3.4 Prototype 4: Bibliographic Management This application provides augmented information about books, including degrees and courses from which the books are part of their bibliography, as well as their status on the university library. The information is obtained by taking a picture of the book cover with the device camera, or alternatively using QR codes which

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include the ISBN number, title and author. This prototype allows students to obtain extra data from a book cover and link that information with academic activities. The aim of this prototype is enhance perceived values of learning material, educational illustration and better understanding of text material (Dias, 2009).

3.5 Prototype 5: Language Lessons This prototype takes the learning process outside the classroom, contributing to language learning by providing information about real world situations in different languages. This application combines geolocation sensors with the digital compass and camera images to capture the location and situation of the user and render the suitable visual and audio content (vocabulary and helpful sentences). As a result, students can learn languages chosing what, where and when they learn, beyond classroom settings and making mobile augmented reality learning integral part of daily activities.

4. CONCLUSIONS Emerging technologies of augmented reality are providing new meanings for mobility and context awareness. The raising interest in using mobile device sensors broadens the possibilities of AR-enabled devices in educational and academic settings, and can enhance students' experiences, learning and daily activities. Although many aspects of the usage of AR in e-learning are yet to be explored, and much research remains to be done, this paper contributes to understand how augmented reality can be used in higher education to retrieve campus and faculty-related information and engage students in learning experiences inside and outside the classrooms. This proposal can be extended and adapted to find application in a variety of educational and professional scenarios.

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Liarokapis, F., Petridis, P., Lister, P.F. and White, M., 2002. Multimedia Augmented Reality Interface for E-learning (MARIE). World Trans. on Engng. and Technology Educ., 1, 2, 173-176. Liu, T.-Y., Tan, T.-H., Chu, Y.-L., 2007. 2D Barcode and Augmented Reality Supported English Learning System, Computer and Information Science. ICIS 2007. 6th IEEE/ACIS International Conference on, 2007. LoCode, n.d. University Maps. [online] Available at: [Acc: 09 Dec 2010]. Missouri State University, 2010. Introducing Missouri State Mobile. [online] (Updated 25 August 2010). Available at: [Accessed: 08 December 2010]. OpenU, 2010. ARLearn: Augmented Reality Learning for android. [online] (Updated 18 Oct 2010). Available at: [Accessed 09 Dec 2010]. Schalstieg, D., et al., 2002. The Studierstube Augmented Reality Project. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 11, Nº 1. Vanderbilt University, 2010. Project Home. [online] (Updated 02 November 2010). Available at: [Accessed: 09 December 2010].

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