MILES O'BRIEN: Augmented
reality, or AR, is technology
that superimposes computer
generated virtual objects on our
view of the real world. You can
get an idea of how it works with
this simple game.
J. EDWARD SWAN II: Gerjot's
pieces are going to be these
virtual objects here and this
tic-tac-toe grid is virtual as
well. I'm going to use real
objects, these quarters
as my pieces.
MILES O'BRIEN: With support from
the National Science Foundation,
Computer Scientist Ed Swan and
his team at Mississippi State
University are working to
improve depth perception in the
augmented reality environment.
J. EDWARD SWAN II: We can mix
the virtual object with the real
object. So here's the real
object.
MILES O'BRIEN: A big challenge
is precisely lining up real
objects with virtual objects.
Why is that so important? Think
about a doctor using this
technology in an operating room.
J. EDWARD SWAN II: If you can
imagine a medical application,
where you have a surgeon trying
to align a real object such as a
scalpel or something, in
relationship to graphical
objects that are also in view.
MILES O'BRIEN: The ultimate goal
is effectively x-ray vision.
J. EDWARD SWAN II: A surgeon
would look at the patient, and
be able to see into their skin.
So instead of looking to one
side and seeing the scanned
information on a monitor or
something, they would look at
the patient as if the patient
has become somewhat transparent
at that spot.
MILES O'BRIEN: In Swan's lab,
volunteers experiment with
positioning real objects against
virtual ones.
GURJOT: Now we're gonna use a
real object to judge distance.
MILES O'BRIEN: On a battlefield,
soldiers must quickly assess
what's happening on the ground.
As AR improves, they will
increasingly need to combine
that situational awareness with
commands or warnings, sent
through their goggles or helmet.
J. EDWARD SWAN II: You don't
want to fill someone's field of
view with graphics that are
going to block, too much, their
view of the real world.
MILES O'BRIEN: From combat to
open heart surgery, augmented
reality can literally provide a
heads up in life or death
situations. For Science Nation,
I'm Miles O'Brien.
