GHAR: GeoPose-based Handheld Augmented Reality for Architectural Positioning, Manipulation and Visual Exploration

Abstract: Handheld Augmented Reality (HAR) is revolutionizing the civil infrastructure application domain. The current trend in HAR relies on marker tracking technology. However, marker-based systems have several limitations, such as difficulty in use and installation, sensitivity to light, and marker design. In this paper, we propose a markerless HAR framework with GeoPose-based tracking. We use different gestures for manipulation and achieve 7 DOF (3 DOF each for translation and rotation, and 1 DOF for scaling). The proposed framework, called GHAR, is implemented for architectural building models. It augments virtual CAD models of buildings on the ground, enabling users to manipulate and visualize an architectural model before actual construction. The system offers a quick view of the building infrastructure, playing a vital role in requirement analysis and planning in construction technology. We evaluated the usability, manipulability, and comprehensibility of the proposed system using a standard user study with the System Usability Scale (SUS) and Handheld Augmented Reality User Study (HARUS). We compared our GeoPose-based markerless HAR framework with a marker-based HAR framework, finding significant improvement in the aforementioned three parameters with the markerless framework.