증강현실 기반 휴대용 전자제품 설계품평을 위한 사실적 시각화 및 감각형 상호작용 방안

Abstract

본 연구의 목적은 휴대용 전자제품의 개발 참여자(개발자, 잠재고객, 일반 사용자)가 고가의 장비를 사용하지 않고 제품에 대한 디자인을 쉽고, 직관적이고, 실감나게 제품을 체험할 수 있도록 하는 증강현실 기반 사실적인 시각화 및 감각형 상호작용 방안을 연구 개발하는 것이다. 연구목적 달성을 위해 일반적인 증강현실 환경에서 감각형 오브젝트를 조작할 때 발생하는 손 가림 문제를 해결하여 보다 사실적인 가상 환경을 사용자에게 제공하는 방안을 연구하였고, 상호작용에 이용될 감각형 오브젝트의 용이한 제작 방안과 사용자-가상모델 간의 효율적인 상호작용 방안을 연구하였다. 이를 바탕으로 제품의 외관, 기능, 사용자인터페이스를 실감나게 체험하게 하고, 사용자의 의견을 효과적으로 수렴할 수 있는 가상디자인 품평 테스트베드를 구현하였다 본 연구에 의해 개발된 가상디자인품평 시스템을 통해 손으로 제품을 만지고 조작하는 것과 같은 감각적인 상호작용과 사실적인 시각화로 제품에 대한 사용자 의견 및 요구사항을 신속 정확히 수렴함으로써 기존 가상현실(VR) 기반 디자인 품평 시스템의 단점을 극복할 수 있으리라 사료된다.|Virtual reality (VR) techniques can be combined to support virtual prototyping of digital handheld products, but conventional VR-based prototyping still suffers from lack of reality and presence in spite of a significant amount of time and effort, and costly investment in equipments necessary to construct a decent virtual environment. Moreover, it is not easy to acquire tangible user interaction with low cost VR devices. Recently, augmented reality (AR) approaches have been applied as alternatives for developing VP solutions to overcome the shortcomings of VR based prototyping.

This dissertation presents a new approach to AR-based realistic visualization and tangible interaction for virtual prototyping of digital handheld products, which does not require high cost devices, makes the user experience product design with ease, and provides a feeling like manipulating products with human hands. Especially, it gives focus on two issues on realistic visualization and tangible interaction with sense of touch.

First, to realize realistic visualization, we have investigated and solved the problem of hand region occlusion occurring in a typical AR environment. In AR environments for virtual prototyping, the user interacts with virtual products by manipulating tangible objects with his or her hands, but the user often encounter awkward situations in which his or her hands are occluded by augmented virtual objects, which reduces both immersion and ease of interaction. To solve this problem, we first detected hand region in a real image and refined the rendered image of the virtual object by subtracting the hand region from the rendered image. Then, we superimpose the refined image onto the real image to obtain an image in which the occlusion is resolved.

Second, to realize tangible interaction between a user and a product in AR environment, we use two types of tangible objects: one is a RP model for the product, and the other is a paper model or a finger fixture for the pointer. The product type tangible object is used to acquire the position and orientation of the product. Combined with the product type tangible object, the pointer type tangible object is used as a tool to create the human machine interaction (HMI) events. The user creates HMI events by touching specified regions of the product type tangible object with pointer type tangible object.

Finally, we implemented a product design evaluation system based on the proposed approach to AR-based realistic visualization and tangible interaction, and performed a preliminary user study to investigate the usefulness and quality of the approach. From the user study, we found that it obtained highly encouraging feedback from users, and that the system can be used as a good tool for design review and evaluation of digital handheld products.