Augmented Reality Visualization and Registration for Ground Penetrating Radar

Ground penetrating radar(GPR) is a non-destructive evaluation technique utilized to gain understanding of subsurface conditions with minimal disturbance to the material. Traditional GPR surveys incorporate wheel odometry or global positioning system (GPS) measurements to provide target registration, however these methods rely on rigid structure in the case of wheel odometry or low precision in the case of GPS. By creating a precision local positioning system from off the shelf components, the structure requirement can be lifted allowing for free-form scanning and target localization. Careful integration of GPS measurements within this local reference frame allows registration of these free-form scans in a global scope aiding their combination with existing mappings. Furthermore, this refined position data allows for the creation of holographic scans providing new modes of interaction and information sharing through augmented reality. Bench-top testing of the positioning system will show satisfactory accuracy results while field testing will demonstrate the efficacy of the augmented reality workflow.