Nicholas Carpenetti and Bobby Damore
May 2018

Abstract

This project seeks to explore the concept of portals, and how they can be applied in a networked, VR/AR context. The resulting portal system was developed using Unity and the Augmented Space Library (ASL) as a base, and extends the concept of portals beyond simply connecting two virtual spaces.

The resulting portal system provides a flexible framework for creating a portal with any mixture of space and view types, such as a virtual space with a virtual view, a virtual space with a physical  view, or even potentially a physical space with a physical view.

With this system, a virtual space/physical view portal was created. This was accomplished with the aid of a web camera and 3D scans of a room created using a Tango phone. In this case, the web camera was used to display a live feed of a room on a portal surface, and upon entering the portal, the user would be presented with a 3D model that matches the camera live feed.

Objectives

• Develop a system in Unity that Uses ASL to create portals
• This system will allow users to
  • Create portals at-will
  • Dynamically set portal destinations
  • Seamlessly view a space on one end of the portal from the other end
  • Seamlessly view and travel between two spaces:
    • Virtual to Virtual
    • Virtual to Mixed
  • Share portals with other, networked users
• The portal system shall be well documented for future students to use
• The portal system shall be extensible for use in more portal scenarios (i.e. Virtual to Physical)