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Abstract

This paper describes Studierstube, an augmented reality system developed over the past four years at Vienna University of Technology, Austria, in extensive collaboration with Fraunhofer CRCG, Inc. in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. Our starting point for developing the Studierstube system was the belief that augmented reality, the less obtrusive cousin of virtual reality, has a better chance of becoming a viable user interface for applications requiring manipulation of complex three-dimensional information as a daily routine. In essence, we are searching for a 3D user interface metaphor as powerful as the desktop metaphor for 2D. At the heart of the Studierstube system, collaborative augmented reality is used to embed computer-generated images into the real work environment. In the first part of this paper, we review the user interface of the initial Studierstube system, in particular the implementation of collaborative augmented reality, and the Personal Interaction Panel, a two-handed interface for interaction with the system. In the second part, an extended Studierstube system based on a heterogeneous distributed architecture is presented. This system allows the user to combine multiple approaches--augmented reality, projection displays, ubiquitous computing--to the interface as needed. The environment is controlled by the Personal Interaction Panel, a two-handed pen-and-pad interface, which has versatile uses for interacting with the virtual environment. Studierstube also borrows elements from the desktop, such as multi-tasking and multi-windowing. The resulting software architecture resembles in some ways what could be called an augmented reality operating system. The presentation is complemented by selected application examples.

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@techreport{Schm-2000-Stb,
  title =      "The Studierstube Augmented Reality Project",
  author =     "Dieter Schmalstieg and Anton Fuhrmann and Gerd Hesina and
               Zsolt Szalav{\'a}ri and L. Miguel
               Encarna{\c c}{\~a}o and Michael Gervautz and Werner
               Purgathofer",
  year =       "2000",
  abstract =   "This paper describes Studierstube, an augmented reality
               system developed over the past four years at Vienna
               University of Technology, Austria, in extensive
               collaboration with Fraunhofer CRCG, Inc. in Providence,
               Rhode Island, U.S. Our starting point for developing the
               Studierstube system was the belief that augmented reality,
               the less obtrusive cousin of virtual reality, has a better
               chance of becoming a viable user interface for applications
               requiring manipulation of complex three-dimensional
               information as a daily routine. In essence, we are searching
               for a 3D user interface metaphor as powerful as the desktop
               metaphor for 2D. At the heart of the Studierstube system,
               collaborative augmented reality is used to embed
               computer-generated images into the real work environment. In
               the first part of this paper, we review the user interface
               of the initial Studierstube system, in particular the
               implementation of collaborative augmented reality, and the
               Personal Interaction Panel, a two-handed interface for
               interaction with the system. In the second part, an extended
               Studierstube system based on a heterogeneous distributed
               architecture is presented. This system allows the user to
               combine multiple approaches--augmented reality, projection
               displays, ubiquitous computing--to the interface as needed.
               The environment is controlled by the Personal Interaction
               Panel, a two-handed pen-and-pad interface, which has
               versatile uses for interacting with the virtual environment.
               Studierstube also borrows elements from the desktop, such as
               multi-tasking and multi-windowing. The resulting software
               architecture resembles in some ways what could be called an
               augmented reality operating system. The presentation is
               complemented by                  selected application
               examples.",
  address =    "Favoritenstrasse 9-11/186, A-1040 Vienna, Austria",
  institution = "Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms, Vienna
               University of Technology",
  note =       "human contact: technical-report@cg.tuwien.ac.at",
  month =      dec,
  number =     "TR-186-2-00-22",
  keywords =   "three-dimensional user interface, two-handed interaction,
               computer supported cooperative work, distributed virtual
               environment, ubiquitious computing, user interface,
               augmented reality",
  URL =        "http://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2000/Schm-2000-Stb/",
}