Markers for Augmented Reality

The conversation aims to explore makers for augmented reality and how UWC Library makes use of markers for augmented reality to enhance the information retrieval process. The conversation is about the barcode marker and the image marker. The conversation makes use of an example of an international augmented book presentation. 

The fourth industrial revolution represents indeed one of the major technological revolutions (De Pace and Sanna, 2018). Augmented Reality (AR) forms part of artificial intelligence. AR has existed for over five decades but augmented reality has become more mainstream over the past few years. Despite the rapid growth of augmented reality applications, markers for augmented reality applications are not well known in library settings.

Interest developed when students came with a picture of a book on their cell phones to the reference desk and inquire about the item. Gone are the days of scraps of paper next to the online catalog. Users are using their devices to interact and collaborate in the library environment. 

Problem;

Students must be educated to use their phones to retrieve the relevant information. Notices must be displayed in the library on the use of phones to get information about resources and services in the library.

QR codes form part of augmented reality but are not actually augmented reality. QR codes are markers for augmented reality. According to Avila (2017) augmented reality can be used with library flyers. Students are not making use of the QR codes (Mohamed, 2014).

Use of markers for augmented for augmented reality in the University of the Western Cape Library are as follows orientation pamphlet, exhibition posters. This is an example of the barcode marker

The exhibition about a service point in the library highlighted the use of use of QR codes. This was to indicate the increase to digital content. The exhibition highlighted the papers in the Research Repository. QR codes on the posters connected the visitors to sub-collections in the Repository.

The visual subject exhibition used projectors to portray the visual subject against the wall in the library. The image marker can use natural color images as markers. The shortcoming is that the projector needs an expert to set up and maintain during the duration of the exhibition. The image marker was used during the visual subject exhibition. 

The marker-based toolkits: ARToolkit which is a library for creating augmented reality and ARTag the fiduciary marker system to support augmented reality.

Example: Augmented Reality presented by Ken Fujiuchi

There is a bright future for markers for augmented reality in the academic libraries. The university library is leading the way interms of research, markers for augmented reality can enhance the information retrieval process by bringing the print and digital content together. The University of the Western Cape used two markers for augmented reality: barcode maker and image marker.