A Beginner's Guide to Augmented Reality with Unity

Want to learn how to meld the real with the virtual?  Want to create engaging applications with direct links between the physical world and computerised information, 3D models and animations?  Want to learn how to use image pattern recognition to use digital camera feeds to control and orientate the virtual world?  Then this course on augmented reality is for you.

Augmented Reality is one of the hottest topics in computer science and now with the availability of high-powered mobile devices with their top quality cameras, the technology is literally in the palm of your hand.  Add the ease of use of the Unity Game Engine and Wikitude AR SDK, making such applications for yourself is a snap.  All students enrolled in this course are entitled to a free Wikitude student license.

In this course, Penny introduces augmented reality techniques using her internationally acclaimed holistic teaching style and expertise from over 25 years of teaching, research and work in games and computer graphics. Through-out the course you will follow along with hands-on workshops designed to teach you the fundamental techniques used for designing and developing augmented reality mobile applications.

From examining its earliest origins to understanding the mash-up of computerised environments with the real world, we will be creating numerous applications for iOS, Android, Mac and PC from simple games to location detection.

Learn how to program and work with:

• iOS

• Android

• Wikitude SDK

• 2D Image Recognition and Tracking

• 3D Object Recognition and Tracking

• Shadows, Lights and Occlusion Shaders for AR

• Mobile GPS & Compass functions

• Physics in AR

• Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM)

Contents and Overview

The course begins with a quick five minute workshop that will have you up and running with your first AR application visible in the Unity Editor.  It then introduces the nuances of working and pushing apps to both iOS and Android apps, so you can create AR experiences for your own mobile device.

Following this, 2D and 3D marker recognition and tracking are examined and both types of markers created to provide the beginnings of numerous AR projects (including singing beer coasters, drivable cars, pet dinosaurs, a children's spelling game and a tabletop tower defence game).

A section explaining the GPS and Compass functionalities is then included, to provide assistance in developing augmented content that can be activated and manipulated according to physical geographical locations, as well as the direction the mobile device is facing.

The course concludes with even more projects that this time implement the functionality of SLAM, the very technology underpinning the interface of Pokemon Go.

What students are saying about Penny's courses:

• Penny is an excellent instructor and she does a great job of breaking down complex concepts into smaller, easy-to-understand topics.

• Penny's teaching style is exceptionally well-motivated and illustrated.

• This course is awesome. The lecturer explains everything you need to know and encourages you to experiment and challenge yourself.