A Low-Cost Interactive Writing Board for Primary Education using Distinct Augmented Reality Markers

Educational institutions demand cost-effective and simple-to-use augmented reality systems. ARToolKit, an open-source computer tracking library for the creation of augmented reality applications that overlay virtual imagery on the real world, is such a system. It uses a simple camera and black-and-white markers printed on paper. However, due to inter-marker confusion, if the marker distinctions are not ensured, the markers are often miss-recognized. This paper presents an ARToolKit-based Interactive Writing Board (IWB) with a simple mechanism for designing confusion-free marker libraries. The board is used for teaching single characters of Arabic/Urdu to primary level students. It uses a simple ARToolKit marker for the recognition of each character. After marker recognition, the IWB displays the corresponding image, helping students with character understanding and pronunciation. Experimental results reveal that the system improves students’ motivation and learning skills.