An empirical assessment of tabletop augmented reality interfaces for analytical hydrographic data use versus conventional desktop 3D visualization

This paper explores hydrographic practitioners’ ability to perceive the spatial structure and relationships of 3D bathymetric visualizations in tabletop augmented reality (AR) interfaces versus similar 3D data visualized using conventional desktop computer monitors. A two-phased experiment was carried out to compare the performance of two groups of participants, where both used a tabletop AR interface and a desktop monitor to view and perform a set of perceptual and interpretation tasks with identical visualizations of bathymetric datasets. The findings of this intentionally exploratory study are that the AR interface has the potential to offer advantages regarding spatial perception and depth of understanding.