The Studierstube augmented reality project

Our starting point for developing the Studierstube system was the belief that augmented reality, the less obtrusive cousin of virtual reality, has a better chance of becoming a viable user interface for applications requiring manipulation of complex three-dimensional information as a daily routine. In essence, we are searching for a 3-D user interface metaphor as powerful as the desk-top metaphor for 2-D. At the heart of the Studierstube system, collaborative augmented reality is used to embed computer-generated images into the real work environment. In the first part of this paper, we review the user interface of the initial Studierstube system, in particular the implementation of collaborative augmented reality, and the Personal Interaction Panel, a two-handed interface for interaction with the system. In the second part, an extended Studierstube system based on a heterogeneous distributed architecture is presented. This system allows the user to combine multiple approaches-augmented reality, projection displays, and ubiquitous computing-to the interface as needed. The environment is controlled by the Personal Interaction Panel, a two-handed, pen-and-pad interface that has versatile uses for interacting with the virtual environment. Studierstube also borrows elements from the desktop, such as multi-tasking and multi-windowing. The resulting software architecture is a user interface management system for complex augmented reality applications. The presentation is complemented by selected application examples.