Design team members: Nelson Ho, Rob Krajcarski, Micah Zarnke
Supervisor: Professor P. Fieguth
Astronomy background
Amateur astronomy is a popular and engaging pastime. From the casual observer to the committed expert, the sky holds endless fascination. The sheer volume of information available ensures there is always something new to discover. This volume of information can, however, also seem intimidating to the novice astronomer. Even experienced observers can have some difficulty relating to the standard geocentric frame of reference used in astronomy. Field guides and sky atlases can provide some limited guidance, but it is often difficult to transfer information from the written page to the sky above. Also, the dark remote conditions under which astronomy is best suited make referring to literature difficult. The ideal observational setting would include an interactive expert guide. An interactive guide could point out features of interest or help demonstrate why things move and behave the way they do.
Over the years the field of astronomy has evolved from relying solely on the naked human eye to a science deeply rooted in technology. In a sense, an interactive field-guide represents another step in this evolutionary process. It would unite many technologies that have so far remained outside of the realm of astronomy and provide a vital resource for enhancing the naked eye viewing and understanding of the universe.
Enhanced reality astronomy
The Enhanced Reality Astronomy (ERA) group intends to design and build such an interactive astronomy guide. The initial prototype will aid amateur astronomers in identifying a host of celestial objects.
The prototype will make use of a light sensitive camera, an enhanced reality head-mounted display, and a laptop computer. Mounted to the side of the user’s head, the camera will allow the system to calculate where in the night sky the user is looking. The head-mounted display will allow information on the particular region of the sky to be integrated over top of a live view of the stars.
When completed, the prototype will incorporate many exciting technologies including enhanced reality, 3D graphics rendering, real time image processing, and pattern matching, all implemented using a multithreaded, object-oriented architecture.
Prototype features include:
· An enhanced reality head-mounted display for integrating information with a view of the real sky.
· A database of celestial objects including key stars, constellation formations and boundaries, Messier objects, and planets
· The ability to display information on all objects in the database as well as additional celestial features such as the lines of right ascension or the celestial poles.
· An intuitive graphical interface providing users with a full range of dynamic capabilities including highlighting stars, outlining planet trajectories, and drawing the individual constellations.
Potential head-mounted display designed by Virtual Vision
Delving deeper
Designing the ERA prototype will require a true systems design approach. The prototype can be broken down into a series of smaller components all interacting to perform a common task. These components exist both at the hardware and at the software level.
With respect to hardware, decisions must be made on what type of camera and head-mounted display to use. Examining various criteria and constraints yields a series of comparison matrices. These matrices can then be used to identify the most suitable products for use with ERA.
In terms of software, design begins with an analysis of just what the prototype is meant to do. Exact functionality must be determined and translated into software requirements. Concerns such as performance, reliability, and integration with the hardware must all be taken into account. Finally, sound software design methods should be employed to produce a solid specification on the exact roles and interfaces for each module.
A final word
The Enhanced Reality Astronomy group is extremely excited about the work ahead. The project is really pushing new ground in both astronomy and enhanced reality. To the group’s knowledge the project is the first of its kind anywhere. The group welcomes and encourages any and all feedback.