Quick links to videos: Modelling1, Modelling2, Modelling3, Walk-Thru1, Walk-Thru2

We have written a number of applications which use Tinmith technology in order to perform outdoor augmented reality tasks. The Tinmith-Metro application is our main application, demonstrating the capture and creation of 3D geometry outdoors in real time, leveraging the user's physical presence in the world.

The first example is what we call street furniture. The user can place down objects such as trees, tables, light posts, and other outdoor items. Using the gloves, the user can manipulate these objects into the correct position, and then scale and rotate them as well. This application is useful for performing landscape gardening type tasks, and allows designers to place down objects, and see what they look like in the environment before using a real shovel and purchasing real items.

The second example is what we call construction at a distance. Using this technique, the user can place down simple primitives (such as large planes) and use these to form the shapes of buildings, either existing already, or creating them from scratch. Once these primitives are in place, users can perform carving operations and texture mapping to increase the complexity of the model. This technique can be used to model structures such as buildings, automobiles, and trees.

By combining these operations with street furniture, it is possible to build complete worlds, either to model the existing world, or to create new worlds from scratch. For existing buildings, builders and architects can capture the geometry of existing buildings, and then make modifications to see what they will look like in the real world. For new buildings, designers can walk around outside creating objects, and then show them to potential customers before having to physically build any objects. The customer can then make changes and observe these in real time to build the perfect house and garden, and see these in the exact real world location.

We have captured numerous videos of the system in action outdoors. The video which is displayed on the HMD was also recorded to analogue tape, and then captured offline, edited, and compressed indoors. This allows others to see exactly what the user of the system sees when in use.

Tinmith 3D Modelling - May 2006

This demonstrates the Tinmith-Metro modelling system running on our 2006 backpack system

Tinmith 3D City Walk-Through - May 2006

This demonstrates the Tinmith system being used to preview the model of a small virtual town

Tinmith-Metro Videos October 2002

This is the highest quality video using the October 2002 version of Tinmith-evo5

Tinmith-Metro Videos May 2002

These are the some modelling videos using the May 2002 version of Tinmith-evo5

To play the following videos, you will need to install the DivX codec. Download it from the DivX site, or use my mirrored copy here. Also, the larger videos come in two quality levels - the small ones are highly compressed for viewers with slow modem connections.

Right click on the videos and save them to disk before viewing if you have any problems downloading them.

Tinmith-Metro Videos May 2001

These were captured using the 2001 version of Tinmith-evo5, along with a slow 3D graphics laptop and a low quality USB camera. At the time it was not possible to buy portable equipment which was fast enough for the task.

First Primitive Tinmith Video 1998

This video was filmed in 1998, using very primitive 486 hardware, and a small video camera mounted inside a HMD to capture footage. The display refresh rate was about 2 Hz due to problems with the hardware in the machine we were using. The software was a very simple navigation system indicating to users how to walk to a ground target. Things have changed a lot since then but it is interesting footage to compare quality against!

We have been covered in the media in a number of newspaper and magazine articles, and television appearances. If you would like to write an article about us, please contact Wayne Piekarski for further information.