Handheld Projector
This work is on the use of handheld projectors for projected augmented reality, and on user interaction with the projection. The prototype device in the picture includes a projector, a camera, attached laser pointers for motion recovery, and a hand-grip with mouse buttons for interaction. The main application is projected augmented reality for task guidance, for example guidance of a maintenance task on a piece of equipment. The work also addresses projection of ordinary desktop applications, and mouse interaction with the projected application.
Background & Objective: Handheld projection has the potential for new and versatile types of display. Projectors have traditionally been fixed devices requiring manual intervention for setup. Recent innovations have replaced the manual setup with automatic calibration via a camera. The next stage in projector evolution will be towards handheld projectors. The goal of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of a handheld projector, and to develop innovative methods and applications.
Technical Discussion: The main technical requirement for handheld projection is to detect device motion, so that the projection can be stabilized on the display surface e.g. under hand-jitter. We attach laser pointers to the device, and observe the laser spots with the camera, to reliably recover device motion relative to the display surface. The second requirement for the device to be truly useful is a method to allow the user to interact with the projection. We provide a method that allows pointing motion of the projector to control a cursor, plus mouse buttons on the device to support the usual types of interaction. We are investigating three classes of application (i) projected augmented reality, (ii) projected desktop applications, (iii) guided computer vision in which the user employs the device to do a visible selection in the physical world, and then invokes an image processing or computer vision algorithm on the selected area.
Contact: Clifton Forlines
| Technical Reports: | |
| A Self Correcting Projector | |
Technology Area: Off the Desktop Interaction and Display
Modification Date: July 7, 2008
