ARToolkit-Based Augmented Reality System with Integrated 1-D Barcode: Combining Colorful Markers with Remote Servers of 3D Data for Product Promotion Purposes

Abstract

In this paper we propose a color-markered augmented reality system with integrated 1-D barcode reader for product promotion purposes. The barcode on each product becomes the key used to access remote databases and retrieves designated marker pattern and 3D model data. In this way, the association between marker and 3D model data becomes decoupled from the application itself, and become linked to the barcode instead. So because of the addition of barcode reader, the number of available markers and 3D models vastly increase at runtime so now our system can be practically used for commercial advertisement and product promotions. But to truly make our system accepted by the populace, the traditional ARToolkit black-and-white marker patterns, which are not visually exciting enough, must be replaced with colorful markers. So we tested several colorful point stickers provided by convenience stores, such as 7-11, in Taiwan as alternative markers. Experiments were performed to test how these stickers can be used as colorful markers for our AR system, and our results show that even though not all colorful stickers can be used as markers in their current composition of background and foreground images, but certain stickers can already be used as stable markers without any modification. The results of our experiments are presented.