User-Aware Rendering: Merging the Strengths of Device- and User-Perspective Rendering in Handheld AR

Abstract

In handheld AR, users have only a small screen to see the augmented scene, making decisions about scene layout and rendering techniques crucial. Traditional device-perspective rendering (DPR) uses the device camera's full field of view, enabling fast scene exploration, but ignoring what the user sees around the device screen. In contrast, user-perspective rendering (UPR) emulates the feeling of looking through the device like a glass pane, which enhances depth perception, but severely limits the field of view in which virtual objects are displayed, impeding scene exploration and search. We introduce the notion of User-Aware Rendering. By following the principles of UPR, but pretending the device is larger than it actually is, it combines the strengths of UPR and DPR. We present two studies showing that User-Aware AR imitating a 50% larger device successfully achieves both enhanced depth perception and fast scene exploration in typical search and selection tasks.