Deformable 3D CAD models in mobile augmented reality for tele-assistance

Tele-assistance facilitated by Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) has been suggested as a powerful way to interact and collaborate while providing remote services. In such scenarios, one has to cater for uncontrolled environments with little or no prior information about the scene is available. This poses significant challenges towards rendering accurate augmented graphics. In this paper, we propose a framework, where the necessary scene information extracted from a single image of the scene, is used for tracking and augmenting the graphics. We have focused on the use of deformable models for object detection and tracking with a particular case of vehicles as objects of interest. The proposed framework is demonstrated with the help of a fully functioning prototype for interaction between user and remote expert. Apart from providing the relevant technical details, the paper also presents some promising and useful results achieved during the process.