An evaluation of graphical context when the graphics are outside of the task area

An ongoing research problem in Augmented Reality (AR) is to improve tracking and display technology in order to minimize registration errors. However, perfect registration is not always necessary for users to understand the intent of an augmentation. This paper describes the results of an experiment to evaluate the effects of graphical context in a Lego block placement task when the graphics are located outside of the task area. Four conditions were compared: fully registered AR; non-registered AR; a heads-up display (HUD) with the graphics always visible in the field of view; and a HUD with the graphics not always visible in the field of view. The results of this experiment indicated that registered AR outperforms both non-registered AR and graphics displayed on a HUD. The results also indicated that non-registered AR does not offer any significant performance advantages over a HUD, but is rated as less intrusive and can keep non-registered graphics from cluttering the task space.