Seedmarkers: Embeddable Visual Markers for Physical Objects

What is it about?

Seedmarkers are shape-independent visual markers that can be embedded in physical objects manufactured with common rapid-prototyping techniques such as 3D printing. Based on our analysis of the aesthetic properties of a wide range of existing markers, we design SeedMarkers based on biological principles while making sure they can be created from technical drawings during the design process to fill arbitrary shapes on any surface, enabling camera-based tracking without visually obtrusive patterns. Examples include 3D printed tangibles, laser-cut plates, and functional markers on printed circuit boards.

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Why is it important?

Interaction with everyday objects through augmented reality is getting more and more common, but often requires comparatively ugly visual markers on the individual objects. SeedMarkers embed the necessary information into the design of the object itself and can be easily fabricated with common prototyping methods such as 3D printing or lasercutting.