Syllabus

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DM-GY 6133 - A

Syllabus

Mobile Augmented Reality Studio

Fall 2018

Professor: Mark Skwarek

Fr 12:30 PM - 3:20 PM

Bldg: 2 MetroTech Ctr Rm: 817

contact: mls386@nyu.edu

Office hours Thurs 12:30 - 2:30 or by appointment

Office location - 2 Metrotech, 8th floor, Room 880

Phone: (718) 260 3768

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Course Description:

Augmented reality [AR] is poised to revolutionize the way we understand the world by overlaying physical reality with real-time, interactive virtual content. AR will completely change the way users understand the world and their digital experience. AR will overlay the real world with games, adds, knowledge and much more. Some developers will make the world a better, safer, and smarter place with AR. Sadly, AR technology is also ripe for abuse. Other people will undoubtedly exploit the tech to fill our world with spam and worse. This class hopes to create students who will create the next-generation user experience, a fully 3d virtual overlay of the real world.

This course looks at what’s possible today with mobile AR. The class will work with the latest development tools in the ever-changing world of AR. Students will work w GPS based AR, marker tracking, markerless tracking, depth map tracking, and point cloud tracking. The class will look at AR’s present and future impact on society.

This is a project-based class, supported by lab sessions, lectures, and critiques. A large portion of class time will be spent developing the student’s final projects. Each class will start with a mini-critique followed by a lecture and will finish with a tutorial and or “student project time”. Students must come prepared to work and remain focused throughout the entire class. Students who finish this class will be able to think critically about what makes AR unique as a technology. Students will gain a strong understanding of the AR industry’s past, present, and especially its future areas of opportunity. This knowledge will let students create new AR works that push the field forward. AR has just come into the public’s consciousness and it will be today’s developers who shape the way the public understands it, for better or worse.

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Course Objectives:

Students will gain a solid understanding of augmented reality technology, its’ history, and future potential. Students will understand augmented reality's strengths and weaknesses, and learn to create AR experiences that work with current hardware. The goal will be to make work that makes the world a better place.

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Requirements

Basic programming experience and experience with 3D graphics software is highly recommended, yet students do not need to be at an advanced level to attend. Techniques such as the appropriation of pre-made models will be used to streamline the project pipeline. This will allow students to focus on their concept instead of getting bogged down in the content creation process.

Students will complete a series of projects, focusing on one, in the lead up to a final project. The final project needs to show skills learned throughout the class with an emphasis on creative thought.

Students must write and present a five-page paper (not including images). The paper should site 3 scholarly sources of information. As student begin working on their final projects they should look for an area of interest which they can explore in some depth in the paper. At midterm students will present their final project ideas as well as focus of their paper to the class and Prof for approval. Once the student has the go-ahead they may start working on the project and paper.   

Projects may be collaborations with other groups and or classes. If the student chooses

to do a collaboration they must notify the professor and a plan will be formulated.

Students are also required to complete homework for each and every class without exception.

Students must produce a final project that will mainly exist as professional documentation. Students must create a video documentation of their project. The video should look professional, voiceovers and text and needed if something is unclear. Title and credits [the class name/ etc] should be in the video. The documentation is the largest part of a student’s grade so save lots of time to document. Its best to always document whenever testing. Creation of a storyboard for the documentation should show a narrative flow, leading the viewer through the student’s project. After a new viewer has seen the final version of the documentation they should have a clear understanding of what the student’s project is and how it works. Good projects will leave viewers excited and hungry to use the project. In the weeks leading up to the final project, students will make mini documentations of their homework. Students should be self-critical and continuously improve their documentation throughout the class.

All class work (everything done for the class) must be turned in before final grading on flash drive, CD, or DVD.

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Absences and the Lateness

Students are required to be on time for class. Being late will affect the student’s grade.

○             Arriving ten minutes after the class begins will be considered late.

○             Arriving twenty minutes is considered absent.

○             Each student may have one unexcused absence.

○             Students are responsible for all homework including all missed classes.

○             The second unexcused absence will lower the student’s final grade by one point. Each additional absence will lower the student’s final grade by one point.

○             A third unexcused absence may be considered failing.

○             A doctor's note or letter from Human Resources is required to clear an unexcused absence.  Exceptions may be made for other reasons but will also need some type of official note.

Please contact “Judith Simonsen” from Human Resources to clear any missed classes.

js6244@nyu.edu

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Homework

Homework is due at the start of class. Students will receive a homework grade every class. Coming to class without homework will result in a zero. The homework grade is 50% of a student’s final grade. Homework should always be dated and posted to the student’s class blog page prior to the start of class, unless otherwise stated. Homework will be critiqued by the group at the start of class. Once a student begins their final project they must show progress on the project every week to count for homework. Students are required to do four hours of homework every week without exception.

Frequently the homework will rely on ideas the student is required to develop outside of class. If the student has not come to class with a "graduate quality" idea the student will work on a class project of the instructor's choosing.

In the past, students have cited lack of access to Maya or other software as an excuse for not having done homework. This is not an excuse. If the student is not able to get access to a computer with the necessary software for no less than four hours every week they should not take this class.

Work done during class does not count as homework.

Questions should be e-mailed to the professor at mls386@nyu.edu.

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Presentations

Students will present in mini-critiques every week. They will present at midterms. And, students will present at finals.

A professional PowerPoint presentation is expected at the least. The quality of the presentation will factor into the student's grade. Students must practice their presentations for timing before the final critique. Each presentation will have a set time and students will not be allowed to go beyond that time.  

Every semester leading professionals from the AR industry, VC’s, and famous artists have come to our critiques. Take all presentations very seriously.

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Class Participation

Class participation will be factored into the student's grade. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in class discussion. Giving feedback to one another’s peers is an important part of the educational process. Also, negative participation will also be factored into the student’s grade. Talking quietly among friends about MAYA is permitted, if the student is talking loudly enough to distract the professor, one grade point will be subtracted from the student’s homework. If the student continues, grade points will continue to be subtracted.

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Grading

Students need to be very aware that this class is not an easy and “A”. They must complete all of the requirements just to get a “B”. This includes the four hours of homework every week. Any grade above a “B” will be awarded to those who go above and beyond the required work. The grade of “A-“ or above will be awarded to students that produce "professional quality" work. Students concerned about getting a good grade should remain in contact with the professor throughout the semester. Getting in contact with the professor the week before finals will often not help students. IDM students getting an A are expected to show their work in the IDM School Show in the Spring.  

Grades:

Grades include on-time completion of homework and class participation and presentations.  All work should be graduate level and professional quality.

Grades: Homework = 50%  Final Project = 20% Midterm = 8% Class Participation = 5% Paper = 7%

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Guest Lectures

During guest lectures, students are required to pay attention. Students not doing so will be penalized two homework points for each offense. Be respectful or leave the class.

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Hard Drives

A dead hard drive or any other form of lost data will not be an excuse for late or

missing work. Students must backup their work to a secondary source regularly (I keep my project files in two separate geographic locations in case of a natural catastrophe). Save projects iteratively -- i.e. boatA_1_1 , boatA_1_2 , boatA_1_3 , etc. Hard drives are not eternal! Inevitably all hard drives will break. Hard drives most often break when they are being used their hardest which is around finals. Try to keep 15% of hard drive space free at all times and try to reduce any traveling external hard drives might have to do.

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Mobile Devices

Students will be working with mobile devices throughout the semester. They do not need to have a smartphone or iPad to take this class but it would be helpful. Students in the past have received A’s in this class and not had a smartphone.

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Surprises

If students are going to be making a large change on a project, considering working with different types of software, anything that was not discussed in class must be approved by the professor before starting.

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Resources

1. The Maya HELP/ tutorial section is every student’s best friend. Press F1 to access Maya's search function and type in the keywords of the problem that’s occurring. Maya's resource database is incredible and covers almost all of the functions of Maya.

2. The Internet is the second-best choice. Look at the following site for guidance:

○             https://twitter.com/arealityevent

○             http://www.creativecrash.com/

○             http://www.cgsociety.org/

○             http://www.11secondclub.com/

○             http://www.learning-maya.com/

○             http://www.3Dlinks.com/tutorials_maya.cfm

○             http://www.3D-tutorial.com/

○             http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials.html

3.  It is a great idea to have at least one fairly current book on Maya for reference.

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Readings:

The Ultimate Display, by Ivan Sutherland

Augmented Reality, An Emerging Technologies Guide to AR, by Greg Kipper, Joseph Rampolla

Inter/vention, Chapter Intervention, by Jan Rune Holmevik

Electronic Monuments (Electronic Mediations) by Gregory Ulmer

The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurtzweil

Augmented Legality, by Brian Wassom

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Spook Country by William Gibson

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal

Mirror Worlds by David Gelernter

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Finals

Final reviews must be taken very seriously and have a major impact on the student’s final grades.

Attendance is mandatory and failure to attend and present “for any reason” will automatically affect the students final grade…. Even a doctor’s note will note clear the absence.

Students must show up fully prepared and on time to final reviews.

Students will not be allowed to work in class during final reviews. During the final critique, all computers and smartphones MUST be turned off.

All students must attend the final review. Failure to attend for ANY REASON will result in a 1 point grade reduction from the student’s final grade. No exceptions will be made. For finals students must turn in all work created over the semester. This means 1) students must save all of the work that they have been doing throughout the semester for the final project and 2) students must turn in iterative versions of the work. Plan to turn in a version of the project when it was first started, a version of the project when it was half way done, and then another version of the final project. Contact the Prof with any questions.  Also please know that final deadlines are final deadlines. Do not expect to get an extension beyond the final deadline.

All students must attend the final review. Failure to attend for ANY REASON will result in a 1 point grade reduction from the student’s final grade. No exceptions will be made.

Also please know that final deadlines are final deadlines. Do not expect to get an extension beyond the final deadline.

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==== Class Rules ====

1. Students are not allowed to work on outside work during class time. This is not a study hall. If something is preventing the student from being able stay focused on 3D for VR during class and homework, the student must contact the professor to create a solution.
2. Texting / smartphones are not permitted during class time.
3. Videoing or recording in class is not permitted without approval from the instructor.
4. Talking in class is OK as long as it is not distracting and is related to 3D work. It’s OK to have a little fun, but at the end of the day the students need to remain focused of the class lessons.
5. Attendance is mandatory
6. Students “must” attend the final reviews- no excuse will be accepted on the day of the review. Final exams take place during exam week at the end of the semester [make your plane tickets around this].

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Course Layout

Class 1

What is Augmented Reality Today?

Appropriation and Ideas

• [Reading 1] The Ultimate Display, by Ivan Sutherland

Homework -

Recreate a memory with appropriated material. Choose a powerful memory and recreate it as accurately as possible. Use online sources to collect your assets for your scene.

1. Create a Layar account and install the software

https://www.layar.com/accounts/register/

       2. Create a Vuforia account and install the software

https://developer.vuforia.com/pricing

       3. Create a Unity account and install the software

https://store.unity.com/download?ref=personal

       4. Create a Maya account and install the software

http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/maya  [if the 2017 version is giving you problems try

Installing the 2016]

Students who are comfortable with other software like blender or 3d max don’t have to install Maya.

Class 2

Creating AR Print Part 1

Atheer Labs will present their work

2016 Overview of Augmented Reality

Using Layar Creator

AR and the printed media

•         [Reading 1] Esquire Magazine - AR edition

Homework- Augmented some form of current printed media like a magazine or newspaper. You must do 1 of 2 options.  

1. Create an advertisement or UX that works with the printed media. The augmentation should enhance the user’s magazine experience. Focus on the connection between print and augmented content.

or

2. Create an intervention in a current newspaper or magazine. The intervention can take all approaches, from satire to an artistic statement. Work will be judged on the connection between print and augmented content, originality, and the overall impact of the intervention.

Video document your work and upload to youtube.

Post the results on your blog page.

Class 3

GPS based AR

Working with Layar and basic server

•          [Reading 1]  Augmented Reality, An Emerging Technologies Guide to AR, by Greg Kipper, Joseph Rampolla

Chapter 2 pg 48, pg 68-71

Homework- Create an intervention with augmented reality. Works should be subversive in nature. Possibilities are works which question the nature of public and private space, works which expose something unseen or not obvious about a place, object or person that is unknown.

****CONTEST

1. Who can get documentation of their augment loading at the furthest geographic location from the class?
2. Who can get documentation of their augment loading at the coolest /weirdest location?

Upload your youtube video and post it on your blog page.

Class 4

“Reveal the Unseen” in the Physical Space with

Vuforia.

• [Reading 1] Political Activism, Social Change, and Augmented Reality pg 50

• [Reading 2] Electronic Monuments (Electronic Mediations) by Gregory Ulmer, Chapter 4 Transversal (Into Cyberspace)
Homework- “Reveal the Unseen”

Reveal things in reality that are not visible to the naked eye. Show us things that exist or have existed at a certain geographic location

Class 5

AR Kit tutorial.

• [Reading 1] The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurtzweil

Come up with a concept app for a Google Glass or wearable AR glasses. Make a working demo if possible.

• [Reading 2]  Augmented Reality, An Emerging Technologies Guide to AR, by Greg Kipper, Joseph Rampolla

Chapter 1 pg 15-17

Class 6

Midterm- Submit Final Project Proposals- Group Critique

5 min presentation and 5 mins of feedback from our guest reviewers

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No Laptops, texting, etc,   stay

Attendance is Mandatory- not attending will result in

Homework - Come up with a list of interview questions for 7 people in your target audience.
Interview these people. Record the interview sessions + take notes. Present your findings to the class.
I am planning on having the manager of a startup incubator attend the mini-crit to give feedback on your results the next class.

Class 7
Review findings from interviews. Have views posted of your interview sessions.
Talk about how your idea changed because of the feedback. Where do use see real opportunity after the interview session.
AR Core lecture.
How to make a Minimum Viable Product [MVP]

Pokemon GO and its effect on AR & Augmented Reality Gaming

Survey of Current AR Games

ARKit GPS Template

Homework - Work on Final Project >>> Develop the MVP. You will show the MVP to the class and at least 7 users who fit your target market. You may not show your friends :(.

•         [Reading 1]  Augmented Reality, An Emerging Technologies Guide to AR, by Greg Kipper, Joseph Rampolla, Chapter 3 pg 58-59,  pg 133, pg 135

Class 8
Report on MVP's. I will try to have a startup incubator attend for feedback- Be ready!

Augmented Reality Wearable.

Survey of Augmented Reality Wearables

ARKit, ARCore

•          [Reading 1] Snow Crash, by Neil Stephenson, Chapter 49

Homework- Begin work on final, final project
This is it. You should modify your idea based on the feedback now and commit.

Class 9

Creating AR Advertising campaigns Part 2

AR and the printed media
Work Class --- Come to class ready to work on your final. Tech support in class, come with questions.
You may go off-site for site-specific work. You must talk to Mark to get permission.

•         [Reading 1] Augmented Legality, by Brian Wassom. Read pgs 17-23

http://www.wassom.com/wp-content/uploads/Augmented-Legality-1.0-E-book.pdf

Homework- Create an AR advertising campaign for a type of printed media. Newspapers, magazines and books are all good choices.

Class 10

AR Core

AR for Medical and Psychotherapy

Bio-sensing and AR with the server
Work Class --- Come to class ready to work on your final. Tech support in class, come with questions.

You may go off-site for site-specific work. You must talk to Mark to get permission.

Homework- Create a work related to the biomedical field. Ideally, this work would use a biosensor and display real-time feedback.

•          [Reading 1] Virtual Reality Pain Reduction

http://www.hitl.washington.edu/projects/vrpain/

Class 11

AR Core, After Effects Part 1

Augmented Reality and the Law

Survey of the AR and the justice system.
Work Class --- Come to class ready to work on your final. Tech support in class, come with questions.

You may go off-site for site-specific work. You must talk to Mark to get permission.

•         [Reading 1]  Augmented Reality, An Emerging Technologies Guide to AR, by Greg Kipper, Joseph Rampolla

Chapter 4, The value of Augmented Reality: Public Safety, The Military and The Law

•         [Reading 2] Augmented Legality, by Brian Wassom. Chapter 9, Litigation Procedure, “V-discovery”: Litigating in Augmented Reality  Pg 54

http://www.wassom.com/wp-content/uploads/Augmented-Legality-1.0-E-book.pdf

Homework - Work on final project.

Class 12

AR Core,  After Effects Part 2

AR Legal

Survey of the AR legal field.

•         [Reading 1] Augmented Legality, by Brian Wassom. Read pgs 1-10, 23-38

http://www.wassom.com/wp-content/uploads/Augmented-Legality-1.0-E-book.pdf

Homework - Work on final project.    

Class 13

Final Critique- come to class prepared! [Final Assignment Due]
do not miss finals