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As one of the most promising technologies for next-generation mobile platforms, Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to radically change the way users interact with real environments enriched with various digital information. To achieve this potential, it is of fundamental importance to track and maintain accurate registration between real and computer-generated objects. Thus, it is crucially important to assess tracking capabilities. In this paper, we present a benchmark evaluation of the tracking performances of some of the most popular AR handheld devices, which can be regarded as a representative set of devices for sale in the global market. In particular, eight different next-gen devices including smartphones and tablets were considered. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory by adopting an external tracking system. The experimental methodology consisted of three main stages: calibration, data acquisition, and data evaluation. The results of the experimentation showed that the selected devices, in combination with the AR SDKs, have different tracking performances depending on the covered trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented Reality (AR) is one of the nine key technologies of Industry 4.0 and one of the most promising innovation accelerators that in the next years will bring smart factories to a higher level of efficiency. In this context, the paper presents an AR tool that improves and increases the efficiency of data collection and exchange of information among different professional figures involved in the design and production processes of products for the oil and gas sector. In fact, prototyping and labour-intensive activities usually require modifications and improvements to be made on-site that should be sent as feedback to the technical office. To this end, the proposed AR tool supports workers at the workplace to easily detect and annotate design variations made during their working activities and furthermore to formalize and automate the collecting and transferring of this data to the designers in order to prevent loss of information. Field experimentation has been carried out with end-users to evaluate their acceptance by means usability studies, based on objective and subjective metrics, and personal interviews. Experimental results show that the proposed AR tool provides medium-to-high levels of usability and has been positively accepted by all the participants involved in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Underwater manipulation is a key technology for marine industries and exploration that can be efficiently adopted in other application fields, such as underwater archaeology, biological manipulation, scientific expedition, as well as offshore construction in the Oil and Gas industry. It is performed remotely by expert pilots thanks to the visual feedbacks provided by one or more cameras but without any information about the distance between the end-effector and the target. To this end, the paper presents a novel system based on a sensorized robotic arm, stereoscopic 3D perception and augmented reality visualization to support ROV's pilots in underwater manipulation tasks. The system, thanks to the adoption of an optical-stereo camera, provides a visual feedback of the underwater scene on which a depth map of the underwater workspace is augmented on. In particular, combining the kinematics of the robotic arm and the standard photogrammetric model of the stereo camera, it is possible to generate a depth map that shows to the pilots the distances of the surface of the scene objects from the end-effector's pose. Experimental tests carried out in the context of the CoMAS (In-situ conservation planning of Underwater Archaeological Artefacts) project have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AI, VR and AR have a lot of unexploited potential in the peculiar underwater environment. Photogrammetry-based approaches coupled with virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) applications are becoming infused in interdisciplinary research in topics such as archeology, biology, industry. The Special Issue "Underwater 3D recording and modelling" is focused on challenges for 3D modeling and ways to overcome them in the underwater environment. [Extracted from the article]

Industries are increasingly integrating innovative technologies to enhance productivity, ensure high-quality products, and reduce costs and time. Augmented reality (AR) plays a key role in this transition, especially in supporting assembly procedures, which are major contributors to production costs and time constraints. Despite advancements, existing practices often lack effective, user-centric applications that fully address usability, user acceptance, and operator experience, particularly in complex industrial environments. This highlights the urgent need for adaptable assembly guidance solutions that offer intuitive, real-time support throughout the assembly process, from sequence definition to deployment of AR systems. This paper introduces an innovative AR assembly guidance tool (ARAGT) designed for industrial assembly in smart factories. ARAGT integrates virtual information into the physical workspace, providing real-time 3D models and assembly instructions to guide operators. Developed through a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach and refined based on user feedback, ARAGT includes functionalities such as assembly sequence definition, customization of graphical elements for clarity, and virtual annotations for issue reporting. Implemented using Unity® and the AR Foundation library, it is compatible with mobile devices, offering flexibility in diverse industrial settings. The paper presents results from a user evaluation conducted in a real facility, assessing usability and acceptance through SUS and TAM standard questionnaires. The findings suggest that ARAGT effectively addresses the challenges of increasing complexity and efficiency demands in manufacturing assembly, providing a user-centric solution aligned with the Industry 5.0 paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean Sea has a vast maritime heritage which exploitation is made difficult because of the many limitations imposed by the submerged environment. Archaeological diving tours, in fact, suffer from the impossibility to provide underwater an exhaustive explanation of the submerged remains. Furthermore, low visibility conditions, due to water turbidity and biological colonization, sometimes make very confusing for tourists to find their way around in the underwater archaeological site. To this end, the paper investigates the feasibility and potentials of the underwater Augmented Reality (UWAR) technologies developed in the iMARECulture project for improving the experience of the divers that visit the Underwater Archaeological Park of Baiae (Naples). In particular, the paper presents two UWAR technologies that adopt hybrid tracking techniques to perform an augmented visualization of the actual conditions and of a hypothetical 3D reconstruction of the archaeological remains as appeared in the past. The first one integrates a marker-based tracking with inertial sensors, while the second one adopts a markerless approach that integrates acoustic localization and visual-inertial odometry. The experimentations show that the proposed UWAR technologies could contribute to have a better comprehension of the underwater site and its archaeological remains. • UWAR to improve the diving experience of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. • UWAR based on a marker-based tracking with inertial sensors. • Markerless UWAR that integrates acoustic localization and visual inertial odometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality can be deployed in various application domains, such as enhancing human vision, manufacturing, medicine, military, entertainment, and archeology. One of the least explored areas is the underwater environment. The main benefit of augmented reality in these environments is that it can help divers navigate to points of interest or present interesting information about archaeological and touristic sites (e.g., ruins of buildings, shipwrecks). However, the harsh sea environment affects computer vision algorithms and complicates the detection of objects, which is essential for augmented reality. This paper presents a new algorithm for the detection of fiducial markers that is tailored to underwater environments. It also proposes a method that generates synthetic images with such markers in these environments. This new detector is compared with existing solutions using synthetic images and images taken in the real world, showing that it performs better than other detectors: it finds more markers than faster algorithms and runs faster than robust algorithms that detect the same amount of markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]