AR技術による原爆ドームの実地投影装置の開発

We developed a projection device with Head Mounted Display through which visitors to Atomic Bomb Dome can see the 3D image of what the dome used to be before the dropping of the bomb. This wearable device, based on the technology of augmented reality (AR), enables wearers to have a clear understanding of the effect of the bomb by showing the difference before and after the catastrophe, because the 3D image of Hiroshima prefectural products museum is projected exactly where Atomic Bomb Dome is seen in the wearer's field of view.

This development was carried out in the wake of our field interview for foreign visitors. Many hoped that they would learn about Hiroshima prefectural products museum and some suggested that we build its life-size replica just beside the dome. Since building it physically is out of the question, we struck on the idea of building it virtually utilizing AR technology.

Technically, our device is composed of a Head Mounted Display available on the market and an original application we programed. The difficulty of the development lay in the way of programing and installing the original software because its built-in installer could install only a few official applications for the hardware and therefore it might not execute any other original applications. Even if it could, controlling built-in hardware devices, a camera in this particular case, was not guaranteed. Through trial and error we found a way to install our software and execute it. Controlling the camera was also successful.