Visualizing the Sensed Environment in the Real World

Abstract

Human vision is often incapable of detecting the impact of environmental conditions or perceiving the different environmental factors in the three-dimensional geometry of the work place. Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging new human-computer interface paradigm that has the potential to solve such problems. AR augments a user's view of the real world with virtual objects superimposed upon or composite with the real object. Over the past two years, a computational model has been developed to help implement an augmented reality system for building thermal design. The model allows users to manipulate building envelope parameters and materials, invoke a simulation model and display the heat transfer information and comfort conditions in a virtual environment. The model contains a Java module and an interface module. The Java module contains the simulation engine and functions that manipulate the interface and has been implemented as an object oriented module. The goal is to test the applicability of the representation of the thermal simulation and the visualization techniques before fully integrating them with the augmented reality system. The system will allow users to remedy problems on site by enabling them to try various combinations of building components and to test their impact within an interior space.