Wearable Augmented Reality for sports training assistance

Project Title

Wearable Augmented Reality for sports training assistance

Project Area of Specialization Augmented and Virtual RealityProject Summary

The revolutionary advancement of the current era has led us to numerous new ways to achieve our desires and has altered the vary ways to perform our daily tasks in an efficient manner with ease. Augmented reality is one the key examples of this advancements; which lets user to experience the computer generated imagery or can say virtual elements on to the user’s real world view and making it seems like those elements are really present there. For the past decade or so the AR tech has been evolved so much that these days there are being used in many ways and in many departments to help society such as in education for teaching by visualizing the concepts and phenomenon that’s can be seen otherwise, in equipment repair training where it guide the user to repair the actual equipment by overlaying the visual instructions on to the user’s view, in advertisements and sport training and so on.

My goal and approach with this project is similar by making a wearable augmented reality that could be used to train the professional sportsmen manly focusing the runners. My main aim is to reduce the reliance on the physical trainer for sports training and provide an alternate solution by AR which is modular, affordable and efficient.

Project Objectives

1. To obtain the accurate 3d maps of the surrounding environment by using PTAM (visual SLAM technique).
2. To Design and animate the computer generated imagery/virtual elements of the sports trainer by using 3D development software like Blender and Unreal Engine.
3. Integrate the hardware and make sure everything every parts communicates perfectly.
4. To load and place the CGI elements on to the generated 3D map accurately.
5. Display the programmed virtual elements on the transparent screen for the AR experience.

Project Implementation Method

SOFTWARE: Apart from the hardware the main crucial part of this project is its software aspects. From the point of detecting surrounding to generate a 3D surface over it and placing CGI elements on to the 3D surface is all software has to handle. The technique that I am using to achieve these result is by using Parallel tracking And Mapping (PTAM) which is a visual SLAM algorithm to achieve the AR experience; it only uses cameras and its algorithms to achieve AR rather than LIDAR or depth cameras hence it cuts out some cost in overall.

PTAM is advantageous in caring out the procedures of AR the tracking of environment and mapping of the 3D surface in two different threads of the CPU hence it is less computing intensive too. Mapping and tracking both process are performed in parallel; tracking of the environment is done by using the images acquired by the camera by using 5-Point Algorithm on to each image/frame from there the point of the two adjacent frames are compared and the point present having same polarity are meant to be planner and then thousands of point are placed on to the frame based on that. By using bundle adjustment algorithm on to these tracked planes Mapping is done then 3D surface is formed and CGI elements is placed on to the 3D surface from the directory.   

HARDWARE: Hardware for this projects contains:

1. Cameras for the real time video acquisition.
2. Jetson Nano as the base computing device.
3. 4 inch (diagonal) PMOLED transparent displays for the CGI element presentation.
4. Li-ion battery for power source.
5. A 3D printed chasee for holding all the hardware.     

Benefits of the Project

AR is being used in a lot of places where the experts for some reasons are not available and apart from that it provide an interactive opportunity to learn stuff and for this reason AR is being used in several training programs like repairing equipment, education, partial hologram for product advertisements and so on.

My aim with this project is similar which is to help sportsmen to train effectively without the need of a physical trainer and wherever and whenever they. The hardware that I am designing can be used to for any wearable AR application like if requirement is for educational purpose or gaming or repair guides all there is to do is to swap the software and same hardware can be used which makes this project modular and eco-friendly.

Additionally the techniques that I am using bring down the cost of the project in both software and hardware sections which also makes it affordable approach for the users.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The final product will be a wearable device like goggles, or a chasee like VR headsets comprising all the hardware in to it. Once the system is powered ON or initialized first the camera will capture the live footage of the scene that will be sent to the software which is comprised on PTAM algorithms for Augmented Reality this algorithm will convert the video footage into frames then by using 5-Point algorithm mark points on to the individual frames and compare those frames to get the location where the 3D plane has to be set up and then by using buddle adjustment algorithm map the 3D surface. Then it will load the provided CGI element on to that acquired 3D surface.

Once all the software part is done the CGI element is to be place on to the visor or user’s display the software will then send the transparent CGI element that has been accurately place on to the 3D surface to the Jetson Nano (the 3D surface will not be shown to the user) which will then project this imagery on to the transparent displays. The final result that are displayed on the screen and the real world view of the user will be aligned so that true AR experience can be achieved

Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry HealthOther Industries Education Core Technology Augmented & Virtual RealityOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	54000
Camera	Equipment	2	7000	14000
Transparent PMOLED displays	Equipment	2	5000	10000
Jetson Nano	Equipment	1	30000	30000