Audio Augmented Reality Outdoors

Audio Augmented Reality (AAR) is a novel and unexplored area of AR representing the augmentation of reality with auditory as well as visual content. AAR’s interaction affordances as well as accurate real-world registration of visual as well as sound elements are challenging issues, especially in noisy, bright and busy environments outdoors. This paper presents a novel, mobile AAR experience that is deployed in a city environment while walking past six archaeological excavation sites in the city of Chania, Crete, Greece. The proposed AAR experience utilizes cutting-edge gamification techniques, non-linear storytelling, precise AR visualization and spatial audio, offering innovative AAR interaction while exploring the city’s archaeological sites and history, outdoors.