Situated documentaries: embedding multimedia presentations in the real world

Abstract

We describe an experimental wearable augmented reality system that enables users to experience hypermedia presentations that are integrated with the actual outdoor locations to which they are relevant. Our mobile prototype uses a tracked see-through head-worn display to overlay 3D graphics, imagery, and sound on top of the real world, and presents additional, coordinated material on a hand-held pen computer. We have used these facilities to create several situated documentaries that tell the stories of events that took place on our campus. We describe the software and hardware that underly our prototype system and explain the user interface that we have developed for it.