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ABSTRACT

The availability of a suitable framework is of vital importance for the development of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) projects. While features such as scalability, platform independence, support of multiple users, distribution of components, and an efficient and sophisticated rendering are the key requirements of current and future applications, existing frameworks often address these issues only partially. In our paper we present MORGAN --- an extensible component-based AR/VR framework, enabling sophisticated dynamic multi-user AR and VR projects. Core components include the MORGAN API, providing developers access to various input devices, including common tracking devices, as well as a modular render engine concept, allowing us to provide native support for individual scene graph concepts. The MORGAN framework has already been successfully deployed in several national and international research and development projects.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.4 Distributed Systems

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.2 Graphics Systems
      I.3.6 Methodology and Techniques
      I.3.7 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism

General Terms:
Design, Performance, Reliability

Keywords:
augmented reality, distributed system design, framework, render engine, tracking, virtual reality