Tackling problems of marker-based augmented reality under water
This work addresses the challenge of marker-based augmented reality in harsh underwater conditions, such as poor visibility, for applications in marine environments, but it is incremental as it combines existing methods.
The paper tackled the problem of localizing devices underwater for augmented reality using markers, showing that image-improving algorithms with specific parameters reduce visibility issues and improve marker detection, with the best results from algorithms designed for underwater environments.
Underwater sites are a harsh environment for augmented reality applications. Obstacles that must be battled include poor visibility conditions, difficult navigation, and hard manipulation with devices under water. This chapter focuses on the problem of localizing a device under water using markers. It discusses various filters that enhance and improve images recorded under water, and their impact on marker-based tracking. It presents various combinations of 10 image improving algorithms and 4 marker detecting algorithms, and tests their performance in real situations. All solutions are designed to run real-time on mobile devices to provide a solid basis for augmented reality. Usability of this solution is evaluated on locations in Mediterranean Sea. It is shown that image improving algorithms with carefully chosen parameters can reduce the problems with visibility under water and improve the detection of markers. The best results are obtained with marker detecting algorithms that are specifically designed for underwater environments.