Goal
The purpose of this project is making a combination of SoccerGame provided by ML-Agents Toolkit from unity and Augmented Reality technology using Vuforia. Through this project, I want to think about how the virtual elements engage in our physical space when they can move base on the artificial intelligence algorithm. On the video below, we can find that we can control the blue goalie playing this soccer game with another agent on our phone screen and they are targeted on a physical paper with grass texture printing.
All the project file include Android APK can be downloaded on here.
Process
Firstly, I went to Vuforia’s website and create my target, make sure the image we use has as many as features so the system can recognize it. ThenI created my target and clicked download database, and I got unitypackage of this target.
Secondly, I import this package to unity and add the essential element for an AR project. On the Hierarchy, I deleted the main camera and the direction light, right click and navigate to Vuforia to add ARCamera and Image Target. Click to the Image Target, set its Database match our target in what we create in vuforia’s website. Make sure the setting of World Centre Mode switch to SPECIAL_TARGET in ARCamera and drag our Image Target to World Centre, or we will suffer from the direction of the gravity when we play the game.
Lastly, I import a free Asset in the store call Simple TouchController to create a bottom in order to move my goalie.
Experiment
In my perspective, the experiment in augmented reality is better than the 2d game and virtual reality experiment. On the one hand, it brings the 2d elements to our physical space, and these elements engage to the physical target and player can move their phone to see the whole views of the virtual elements. When I play this AR game, I can hold my phone with my hand to control the goalie with a bottom, and I feel I play a game in the real world. On the other hand, I think augmented reality is not clear the border between the real space and virtual elements like virtual reality, although the technology of VR developed fast, I do not think I will use widely in the future. I believe that mix the virtual element and the real world have more potential than immerse in a virtual world.
Reflection
This project I integrated the soccer game example andAugmenter Reality using Vuforia, I make the Artificial Intelligent strikers and goalie engage in the physical to our physical space. Through this project, I learnt how to create a target in Vuforia and import it into unity, and how to set the position of my virtual elements to fit in the target. Then, I find the simplest way to create a virtual bottom in my phone screen to control my game object. Although set up the environment in Windows to install APK for android is not easy, I have already down this last year, so I will not go into detail in this report. When we play this game, we need to face the camera of our cell phone to the print target, the virtual elements such as goalies, strikers and gate will show up atomically to target our print. There is a virtual bottom on the screen, and we can use it to control our goalie to avoid the red striker to kick the ball to our gate. In the future, I attempt to control a physical robot to interact with the physical element. I just bought an Arduino car and will spend some time on how to transfer data between Arduino and unity, and maybe scan the car as a 3d targeting Vuforia and target my GameObject on it.
