A Distributed Augmented Reality System Using 3D Fiducial Objects

Augmented reality (AR) often makes use of a 2D fiducial marker to render computer graphics onto a video frame so that the computer-generated object appears aligned with the scene. We extend this idea to 3D where real-world objects are used as fiducial markers and propose a distributed AR system that utilizes geographically located resources to meet high computing demand, enable sustained remote operations, and support collaborative efforts. Within the distributed AR system, we present technical solutions to several key modules in AR that form a linear computing pipeline. We generalize and formulate the pipeline network mapping as optimization problems under different mapping constraints and develop heuristic algorithms that maximize the frame rate to achieve smooth data flow. Extensive simulation-based results show that the proposed mapping heuristics outperform the existing methods.