Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) employs data projectors to superimpose computer generated virtual objects directly onto physical objects’ surfaces. The user then views and interacts with the digital information directly projected onto the surfaces within a workspace in a natural manner. SAR has been employed in a number of application domains, such as design, entertainment, and museums. SAR is now aviable option for use in an industrial setting.

In automotive manufacturing, the quality of spot welding on car bodies needs to be inspected frequently. The manual inspection process suffers from inefficiencies and potential mistakes. This research describes a Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) based system that projects visual data onto arbitrary surfaces for providing just-in-time information to a user in-situ within a physical work-cell. SAR facilitates presentation of projected digital Augmented Reality (AR) information on surfaces of car bodies.

Selected Publications

  1. Jianlong Zhou, Ivan Lee, Bruce Thomas, Roland Menassa, Anthony Farrant and Andrew Sansome. In-Situ Support for Automotive Manufacturing Using Spatial Augmented Reality. International Journal of Virtual Reality. 11(1): 33-41, 2012. (PDF) (BibTex)
  2. Jianlong Zhou, Ivan Lee, Bruce Thomas and Andrew Sansome. Facilitating Collaboration with Laser Projector-Based Spatial Augmented Reality in Industrial Applications. In Mobile Collaborative Augmented Reality: Recent Trends, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4419-9844-6, pages 149-160, Springer. (PDF)
  3. Jianlong Zhou, Ivan Lee, Bruce Thomas, Roland Menassa, Anthony Farrant and Andrew Sansome. Applying Spatial Augmented Reality to Facilitate In-Situ Support for Automotive Spot Welding Inspection. Proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH The 10th International Conference on Virtual Reality Continuum and Its Applications in Industry 2011, pages 195-200, Hongkong, China. (PDF)