LasAR: Laser pointer based mobile augmented reality for E-commerce services

Abstract

Advances in mobile network and computing technologies enabled transformations of markets to the form of E-commerce. However, current E-commerce technologies may not provide enough information on the physical dimension of the product and harmonization with the environments. A buyer may not determine if the product fits in his office, or it appears well in her room environment. There exists fundamental discrepancy between the internet-based cyber world and the user's real environment. Augmented Reality (AR) technologies may be used to fill this gap by superimposing virtual products in the users' real environments. However, most AR systems rely on pre-calibrated markers/images or pre-installed infra-structures. In this paper, we present a marker-free, easy-to-use, and stand-alone AR system (LasAR), which is based on laser pointer tracking. Laser pointers were installed in the corners of a mobile phone, calibrated with the mobile phone camera, and then used for pose computation between the mobile phone and the projected planar structure. Using this system, untrained users can just "Point & feel a product" in the real environment context for E-commerce applications. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.