Augmented Viewport: An action at a distance technique for outdoor AR using distant and zoom lens cameras

In this paper, we describe the Augmented Viewport, a new action at a distance technique for outdoor augmented reality using wearable computers. Augmented viewport is inspired by the virtual viewport window that has been widely used in virtual reality systems. Our technique utilizes a physical camera, which either is placed at a distant location or can zoom closer to a distant location, to provide the physical world information for the viewport window. Using the augmented viewport, the user can perform selection and affine transformations of distant virtual objects, using techniques that are more effective from a close distance, such as ray casting or image plane. We conducted a user study with results showing that the augmented viewport technique enhances the precision of object manipulations, and reduces time and effort.