The TeamAware Augmented Reality Achievements
Interface Design
The Augmented Reality (AR) interface is, together with the mobile interface, developed targeting the First Responders (FRs) deployed in the field. The FRs will be able to use this interface to consume the data generated by the TeamAware ecosystem. The application is designed to be used in the field under extreme circumstances. Therefore, the application will be easy to use, provide the most relevant information at a quick glance and doesn’t impair the ability for the end user to do their work.
Imagine the scenario of an earthquake where the FRs need to enter a partially collapsed underground metro line to rescue people trapped in a train. The FRs include firefighters both helping with the extraction and extinguishing fires as well as medics assisting the victims. They are working in a challenging underground environment with restricted visibility and limited connectivity/communication, surrounded by changing circumstances and threats such as chemical dangers like toxic fumes, areas where the tunnel is in risk of collapse, etc.
Luciad (Hexagon) has been developing this AR interface as part of WP11 during the last 18 months. During this period, several iterations of the interface have been prototyped and feedback from the end users has been incorporated. This process culminated in the current version of the AR interface shown in the Ankara Midterm demonstration.
The AR application provides situational awareness to the first responders deployed in the field. It doesn’t require the FRs to check any additional external device as the AR headsets are equipped since the beginning of the operation with minimal obstruction of the FR’s field of view.
Thanks to the AR application, the FRs can see the results of the whole TeamAware project in real time, in an informative non-intrusive way.
The AR application will be tailored to suit the needs of each type of FR depending on their organization type (firefighter, medic, law enforcement, etc).
Features Implemented
The current version of the interface contains most of the user interface views that will be available for the final product. The majority of the remaining tasks are related to the integration with the TeamAware platform. The most important features developed so far are:
A map centered on the FR using a special symbology standard to represent other FRs and open standard icons to represent dangers on the field such as fires, chemical hazards, explosions, gunshots, building instability, etc.
A system for displaying new alerts consisting of a status bar to keep track of the new alerts in a summarized view, a “hand menu” to browse through the received alerts and a details panel to view detailed information on a specific alert.
Overlayed AR 3D information to represent critical information, in the current version the position of other team members is shown in AR 3D space once they start getting far from the FR. Additionally, dangerous areas can also be represented in AR 3D space.
During the midterm demonstration, the end users had the opportunity to try the application after a short informal training. All participants ended up being able to complete all the functions implemented in the current version. For the final version, we will prepare a complete training manual putting special emphasis on the functionalities that were more challenging to the end users such as closing menus, using both hands, etc.
With the feedback received in the Midterm demonstration we will further refine the UI design to better suit the first responders deployed in the field.
