Exploring the use of smart glasses, gesture control, and environmental data in augmented reality games

• Main Author: Mazouzi, M. (Mounib)
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Oulu 2017
• Online Access: http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/nbnfioulu-201803061300

Abstract. In the last decade, augmented reality has become a popular trend. Big corporations like Microsoft, Facebook, and Google started to invest in augmented reality because they saw the potential that it has especially with the rising of the consumer version of the head mounted displays such as Microsoft’s HoloLens and the ODG’s R7. However, there is a gap in the knowledge about the interaction with such devices since they are fairly new and an average consumer cannot yet afford them due to their relatively high prices. In this thesis, the Ghost Hunters game is described. The game is a mobile augmented reality pervasive game that uses the environment light data to charge the in-game “goggles”. The game has two different versions, a smartphone and smart glasses version. The Ghost Hunters game was implemented for exploring the use of two different types of interactions methods, buttons and natural hand gestures for both smartphones and smart glasses. In addition to that, the thesis sought to explore the use of ambient light in augmented reality games. First, the thesis defines the essential concepts related to games and augmented reality based on the literature and then describes the current state of the art of pervasive games and smart glasses. Second, both the design and implementation of the Ghost Hunters game are described in detail. Afterwards, the three rounds of field trials that were conducted to investigate the suitability of the two previously mentioned interaction methods are described and discussed. The findings suggest that smart glasses are more immersive than smartphones in context of pervasive AR games. Moreover, prior AR experience has a significant positive impact on the immersion of smart glasses users. Similarly, males were more immersed in the game than females. Hand gestures were proven to be more usable than the buttons on both devices. However, the interaction method did not affect the game engagement at all, but surprisingly it did affect the way users perceive the UI with smart glasses. Users that used the physical buttons were more likely to notice the UI elements than the users who used the hand gestures.