| The term user-contributed content (UCC) indicates content which is created by, collected from, distributed to, and used by users. Several types of content are currently being utilized as UCC, such as textual information from online encyclopedias and pictures from online image sites. Our goal is to demonstrate the use of live panoramas as UCC for social augmented reality (AR). To achieve this goal, we will enhance the creation, assembly, dissemination, and use of panoramas by individuals.;We first address the assembly and dissemination of data, through the creation of a network architecture to collect and distribute geographic information with an emphasis on panoramas. This architecture forms the structural support for the remainder of the work in this thesis.;In order for a type of data to be utilized as a form of UCC it must be reasonably created by users. We therefore provide tools which allow for the robust creation of UCC. Our goal is not only to allow for the creation of UCC, but also to ensure that the creation process is robust enough to perform comfortably for a large range of users. To this end we introduce several techniques to enhance the robustness of panorama collection. We also examine the definition of robustness as perceived by users, and examine performance in the context of a range of users.;Once content has been created, collected, and distributed future users must be able to utilize the stored content. One central issue to the use of such data is localization of the camera. We therefore provide solutions for the localization of the camera using stored panorama data. As UCC is necessarily user-centric, we also investigate the performance of users with respect to various distributions of localization data.;Finally, we demonstrate that with a complete cycle of UCC creation, assembly, distribution, and use we are able to create a unique experience for viewers of UCC through the use of a proof-of-concept client interface to the proposed framework. |
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