Transparent exhibitions with smartphones: KAIST develops AR Magic Lens WonderScope

WonderScope uses augmented reality technology to show what’s beneath the surface of an object.

– A KAIST research team led by Professor Woohun Lee from the Department of Industrial Design and Professor Geehyuk Lee from the School of Computing has developed a smartphone “appcessory” called WonderScope that simply adds an augmented reality perspective to the surface of exhibits (AR) can add

– The research was awarded an honorable mention for Emerging Technologies Best in Show at ACM SIGGRAPH, one of the largest international conferences dedicated to computer graphics and interactions

The technology has been enhanced and validated through real-world applications in three special exhibitions, including one at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) Geological Museum in 2020 and two at the National Science Museum in 2021 and 2022 respectively

– The technology will be used for public science exhibitions and museums, as well as interactive educational materials to stimulate children’s curiosity

A KAIST research team led by Professor Woohun Lee from the Department of Industrial Design and Professor Geehyuk Lee from the School of Computing developed a novel augmented reality (AR) device, WonderScope, that displays the interior of an object directly from its surface. By installing and connecting WonderScope to a mobile device via Bluetooth, users can see through exhibits as if they were looking through a magical lens.

Many science museums these days have integrated the use of AR apps for mobile devices. Such apps add digital information to the exhibition and create a unique experience. However, visitors have to look at the screen from a certain distance from the objects on display, which means that they often focus more on the digital content than on the exhibits themselves. In other words, the distance and distractions that exist between the exhibit and the mobile device can actually make visitors feel detached from the exhibit. To solve this problem, museums needed a magic AR lens that could be used directly from the object’s surface.

To do this, smartphones need to know exactly where on an object’s surface it is placed. This usually requires an additional detection device either on the inside or on the surface of the item, or a special pattern printed on its surface. Realistically, these are impractical solutions as the exhibits either appear too complex or would be spatially restricted.

WonderScope, on the other hand, uses a much more practical method to identify a smartphone’s location on an exhibit’s surface. First, it reads a small RFID tag attached to an object’s surface and calculates the moving smartphone’s position by adding its relative movements based on readings from an optical displacement sensor and an accelerometer. The research team also took into account the smartphone’s height and surface profile characteristics to more accurately calculate the device’s location. By attaching or embedding RFID tags to exhibits, visitors can easily experience the effects of a magic AR lens via their smartphone.

For its wider use, WonderScope needs to be able to locate itself from different types of exhibition surfaces. To do this, WooderScope uses the readings of an optical displacement sensor and an accelerometer sensor with complementary properties that enable stable localization capabilities on various textures including paper, stone, wood, plastic, acrylic and glass, as well as surfaces with physical patterns or irregularities. This allows WonderScope to identify its location from up to 4 centimeters away from an object and also enables easy three-dimensional interactions close to the surface of the exhibits.

The research team developed various case project templates and WonderScope support tools to enable easy production of smartphone apps that use universal virtual reality (VR) and the Unity game engine. WonderScope is also compatible with various types of devices running on the Android operating system, including smartwatches, smartphones and tablets, so it can be applied to exhibitions in many forms.

The research team developed WonderScope with funding from the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Support Project for the Improvement of Science and Culture Exhibitions. Between October 27, 2020 and February 28, 2021, WonderScope was used to observe underground volcanic activity and the interior of volcanic rocks at There Once Was a Volcano, a special exhibition being held at the Geological Museum of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral resources (KIGAM). From September 28 to October 3, 2021, it was used to observe the surface of Jung-moon-kyung (a bronze mirror with a delicate linear design) at the special exhibition “A Bronze Mirror Shines on Science” at the National Science Museum. And from August 2 to October 3, 2022, it was applied to a moon landing simulation at The Special Exhibition on Moon Exploration, also at the National Science Museum. Through various field demonstrations over the years, the research team has improved WonderScope’s performance and usability.

The research team demonstrated WonderScope at the Emerging Technologies Forum during ACM SIGGRAPH 2022, a computer graphics and interaction technology conference held August 8-11 this year in Vancouver, Canada. At this conference, which showcases the latest interactive technologies, the team received an honorable mention for “Best in Show”. The judges commented, “WonderScope will be a new technology that offers audiences a unique enjoyment of participating in exhibition and museum visits.”

WonderScope is a cylindrical “accessory” module with a diameter of 5 cm and a height of 4.5 cm. It’s small enough to be easily attached to a smartphone and embedded in most exhibits. Professor Woohun Lee of KAIST’s Industrial Design Department, who oversaw the research, said, “WonderScope can be applied in a variety of ways to various applications, including not only educational but also industrial exhibitions.” He added, “We also expect that it will be used as an interactive teaching tool that stimulates children’s curiosity.”