Enhancing outdoor long-distance matching in mobile AR: A continuous and real-time geo-registration approach

Abstract

Geo-registration is a fundamental process seamlessly integrating digital information within the physical world in Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR). Achieving high precision, real-time capability, and strong adaptability in geo-registration is crucial for the effective functioning of MAR applications, especially in outdoor environments. However, existing methods frequently struggle with inaccuracies in long-distance positioning and latency of pose estimation, compounded by their sensitivity to scale changes of outdoor environment. This study addresses these challenges by proposing a novel continuous and real-time MAR geo-registration method for outdoor applications. Our approach integrates real-time kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) fusion with geodesic equations and rotation invariance estimation. This method substantially surpasses traditional methods, achieving 0.05 m virtual-real position accuracy (approximately six times better) and under 0.2° pose accuracy (nearly a fivefold improvement). Additionally, it exhibits superior robustness in complex MAR scenarios. Beyond improved accuracy, this method reduces the reliance on high-quality sensor hardware and precise calibration, making it suitable for various AR systems, including smartphones and tablets.