Final Year Project : Augmented Reality in Preschool Education

Hello friend!

I'm Izwah a.k.a missizss. How are you guys today? I am a bit exhausted actually! Doing my FYP, figuring out how do this and that ... banging my keyboard, cursing my laptop ... one after another problem occurred. Phew! I love doing this, but it is not as smooth as I aspected it to be, at times, I couldn't find my desired information about things that I want to do in the internet. But, my fav. forum for my project is here : http://www.hitlabnz.org/wiki/Forum, eventually I can find my support there. Other infromation, I usually browse through my Safari.

To be honest, I started doing this project last trimester. Then up till today it is my 2nd phase already. The first phase, I manage to finish it in time. The next phase ... which is 2nd phase I need to improvise what I have done so far, and I also need to add up new features to make this more interesting. Actually, in MMU, we have to do FYP Phase 1 & FYP Phase 2, it is a continous project and need to finish up everything within this trimester (2nd Phase)

Well, I choose one simple title, supervised by Dr. Cheah Wooi Ping, Augmented Reality in Preschool Education. Why I choose this title? simple, I love kids, and I want to do a project under my Major (Artificial Intelligence) So, simple this title suit me well! haha, After go through the information about this title, I realized, it is not as simple as I thought ... yet, I realized that "Nothing in this world are easy." So, I discussed with my Ex-AA (Academic Advisor), current AA and Asst. Dean Ms. Hafiza about this matter, and they encourage me to do so. I figured, I wouldn't know about this if I never start to do it, there is nothing in this world that we can do with eyes shut! so, I open up my eyes and read up about this.

First thing, last trimester, I need to familiar with the software that I am going to use. It is ARToolKit, I encounter the first problem ever, to install it to my laptop. All the information I found are for Windows operating system, I am quite in trouble back then ... since I am using Mac OS. Feel like crying that time .. Yet finally, after this and that, I manage to use ARToolKit in my Mac OS. Thanks to my friend who help me a lot! Anyway, you can find information how to install ARToolKit in Mac OS here: http://pascalg.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/artoolkit-with-vrml-on-macosx/

So, last semester I manage to install everything and run the program using the normal set-up using my Macbook Pro + internal webcam, At early stage of my 1 over 5 success mission, I encounter problem to detect my marker. It is something like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=958A5E1csok

My internal webcam, can't even detect the marker, that is why the redline come out, instead of the object.

then later on, I manage to figure out the problem and the webcam manage to capture the marker : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-tCU0hHrKY

Both videos are my first-first-first set up, I think it a bit messy and not user-friendly :P

So, the following week, I upgraded to external webcam, and my job be a lot more easier!

above is my new setup after using internal webcam. I am still planning for a proper hardware.

Let's check out my Project, here is some of the demo:

the cube can change the size to small size.

children can turn the object, to see at different angle, it is a 3D object.

It can do arithmetic. Just right for a small kid, to learn about plus or minus or summation

A lot more to do now, This is a new age of education system, to help children in their understanding during school time. Augmented reality can help them imagine and visualize the subject.

Okey, I think this is it for now.

ENJOY!

missizss