Live texturing of augmented reality characters from colored drawings

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Computer Graphics
• Digital Media

Background:

• Traditional coloring books engage children creatively but face declining interest due to digital device popularity.
• Augmented reality (AR) offers a novel approach to merge physical activities with digital enhancements, potentially revitalizing engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an augmented reality coloring book application that enhances children's creative expression.
• To present technical innovations enabling real-time texturing and tracking of 2D colored drawings in AR.

Main Methods:

• Developed an AR application where children color 2D characters, which are then tracked and augmented in real-time.
• Implemented a novel texturing process to apply 2D colors to 3D models, including occluded areas.
• Created a deformable surface tracking method with outlier rejection for robust real-time performance.
• Established a content creation pipeline for efficient 2D and 3D asset generation.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated real-time augmentation of 2D colored drawings into animated 3D models.
• Validated the effectiveness of the texturing algorithm and tracking method through user studies.
• User studies confirmed the quality of the texturing and the overall positive app experience.

Conclusions:

• The AR coloring book app effectively bridges the gap between physical coloring and digital interaction.
• The presented technical contributions enable novel applications in interactive digital media and creative play.
• This technology has the potential to re-engage children in traditional activities through innovative digital enhancements.