Using mobile phone cameras to interact with ontological data

Abstract

In addition to being used to access data and services on the Internet, mobile phones can also be used to retrieve information about physical objects. In this paper we present a framework and a prototype implementation of a reality browsing system that exploits mobile camera phones as access points to ontological knowledge with the corresponding physical counterparts. The use of ontologies to represent the information about the objects of the domain permits for application of reasoning and querying techniques on domain elements. Users can identify a desired product by framing its logo, obtaining further information about the object in a direct, natural and intuitive way. In addition, users can perform Web 2.0 actions on objects, contributing to the creation and development of the network of objects and users. We also provide a brief description of the implemented interface and a real world user evaluation. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.