Glossary

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3D Reconstruction(also: Scene Reconstruction, 3D Scene Reconstruction)

The computer vision task of recovering the 3D structure of a scene - geometry, camera positions, and sometimes object trajectories - from one or more 2D images or video frames. Techniques range from classic structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo to modern learning-based…

ARKit(also: Apple ARKit)

ARKit is Apple's augmented reality development framework for iOS that enables developers to create AR experiences for iPhone and iPad. It uses the device's camera, motion sensors, and processor to detect surfaces, track movement, and place virtual 3D objects in the real world.…

Attention Tunneling(also: Visual Tunneling, Attentional Tunneling, Cognitive Tunneling)

A phenomenon in which a user concentrates so narrowly on a primary information source - typically a visual overlay, head-up display, or instrument - that they fail to notice relevant events, objects, or hazards in their surrounding environment. In augmented and mixed reality,…

Audio Augmented Reality(also: Audio AR, Augmented Audio Reality, Audio-Augmented Environment)

The overlay of digital sound — synthesised speech, music, earcons, or spatialised audio cues — onto a user's perception of their real or virtual environment. Audio augmented reality can be head-worn (via open-ear or bone-conducting headphones) or environmental (via fixed…

Augmented Reality (AR)(also: AR, Augmented Reality)

An interactive technology that overlays digital information — such as text, images, or video — onto the real-world environment in real time. In accessibility contexts, AR has significant potential for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users by displaying captions or sign language…

Field of View(also: FoV, Viewing Angle)

The angular extent of the observable world visible at any given moment. In the context of head-mounted displays like the HoloLens 2, the field of view refers to the area in which virtual content can be displayed, which is typically narrower than natural human vision. This…

Gesture Interaction(also: Gesture-based interaction, Gestural interfaces)

An input modality in which users control digital systems through hand, arm, or body movements detected by cameras, depth sensors, IMUs, or wearable devices rather than through traditional keyboards, pointing devices, or touchscreens. Gesture interaction underpins many augmented…

Gesture-Based Interaction(also: Gesture Control, Gestural Input)

A mode of human-computer interaction where users control digital systems through hand or body movements detected by cameras or sensors, rather than through traditional input devices. In mixed reality headsets like the HoloLens 2, gesture-based interactions include touching,…

Gorilla Arm(also: Gorilla-arm effect, Gorilla arm syndrome)

A well-documented ergonomic phenomenon in which sustained unsupported arm elevation — typical of mid-air touchscreen, vertical display, or extended reality (XR) gesture interaction — produces rapid shoulder fatigue, pain, and performance decline. The term captures the ache and…

Microsoft HoloLens(also: HoloLens, HoloLens 2)

A self-contained, optical see-through mixed reality headset developed by Microsoft that overlays holographic content onto the real world. The HoloLens 2 features hand and eye tracking, spatial mapping, and gesture-based interaction, making it suitable for applications in…

Mobile AR(also: Smartphone AR, Handheld AR)

Augmented reality experiences delivered on commodity smartphones and tablets using the built-in camera, display, inertial sensors, and (increasingly) depth sensors, without specialized AR headsets. Mobile AR platforms such as Apple's ARKit and Google's ARCore provide plane…

Networked Minds Social Presence Inventory(also: Networked Minds Measure of Social Presence, NMSPI)

The Networked Minds Social Presence Inventory is a self-report questionnaire developed by Biocca, Harms and colleagues to measure social presence - the sense of 'being together' with another person - in mediated environments such as video calls, virtual reality or augmented…

Proteus Effect

The Proteus Effect is a phenomenon, first described by Yee and Bailenson (2007), in which the appearance of a person's avatar influences how they think, behave and interact in virtual or augmented environments. For example, users assigned taller or more attractive avatars tend…

See-Through Display(also: Optical See-Through Display, Transparent Display, OST Display)

A display technology that allows users to view digital content overlaid on the real world by projecting images onto a transparent or semi-transparent surface. Unlike opaque (occlusive) displays that block the user's view of the environment, see-through displays preserve direct…

Shared Augmented Reality(also: S-AR, Co-Located AR, Collaborative AR)

An augmented reality setup in which multiple users share a spatially aligned view of virtual content anchored in the same physical environment. Each user wears a head-mounted display and can see and interact with the same virtual objects in real-time. In low-vision…

Spatial Anchor(also: World Anchor, Azure Spatial Anchor)

A reference point in physical space used to precisely position and lock virtual content to real-world locations in augmented reality applications. Spatial anchors ensure that virtual objects remain consistently placed relative to the physical environment across devices and…

Spatial Computing(also: Spatial interaction)

A paradigm of computing in which digital content is rendered and interacted with in three-dimensional physical space, typically via head-worn augmented or mixed reality devices (e.g., HoloLens, Magic Leap, Apple Vision Pro, Snap Spectacles) that track head pose, hands, eyes, and…

Spatialization(also: Spatialisation, Audio Spatialization, 3D Audio Spatialization)

The process of rendering a sound so that it appears to originate from a specific location in three-dimensional space around the listener. Spatialization typically combines head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) to model how ears filter sound by direction, binaural or ambisonic…

Tactile Marker(also: Tactile Anchor, Physical Anchor)

Physical objects such as coasters, placemats, or textured stickers placed in the environment to provide tactile reference points that help bridge virtual and physical interactions. In AR-based low-vision training, tactile markers attached to virtual objects can ground digital…

USDZ(also: Universal Scene Description Zip)

A 3D file format based on Pixar's Universal Scene Description (USD), packaged as a zip archive so a single file can carry meshes, textures, materials, and animations. USDZ is the default 3D asset format on Apple platforms and powers iOS 'AR Quick Look' and many retail…

Visual Inertial Odometry(also: VIO)

A motion tracking technique that combines camera-based visual tracking with inertial sensor data (gyroscopes and accelerometers) to estimate a device’s position and orientation in 3D space with high accuracy. VIO works by tracking salient visual features across consecutive video…

Visual-Inertial Odometry(also: VIO)

A computer vision technique that combines camera imagery with motion sensor data (accelerometer and gyroscope) to track a device's position and orientation in 3D space. In accessibility applications, VIO enables smartphones to maintain awareness of object positions even when…

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