In this augmented reality (AR) system users can reach out with their virtual arm and move around actuated furniture in their physical environment. The virtual arm can extend to super-natural length, allowing the user to access objects that are otherwise out of reach.
This interactive system was built in Unity3D, where the virtual body representation (avatar) is superimposed on the user’s real environment, seen in a video-see-through head mounted display (Oculus Rift + RGB camera). The user’s real hand (covered by a green glove) is subsequently masked out of the camera feed. The user’s motions are tracked with a camera-based motion tracking system (OptiTrack) and the actuated devices are controlled through Arduinos.
This system served as prototype for the experiments presented in the publication Extending the Body for Interaction with Reality.
