Two UniSA researchers have made history after being inducted into the Augmented World Expo (AWE) XR Hall of Fame for their groundbreaking work in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) over the course of their career.
Professor Mark Billinghurst and Emeritus Professor Bruce Thomas, who are based at UniSA's Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE), are among 101 pioneers honoured worldwide for their role in building the AR and VR industry.
They join such world-famous people as Ivan Sutherland who developed the first AR head-mounted display, science fiction writer Neal Stephenson who coined the term Metaverse, and Palmer Luckey who founded Oculus and created the forerunner of the Oculus Quest VR display.
The researchers are the only AWE XR Hall of Fame recipients based in Australia, and the University of South Australia is the only university in the world with more than one academic included in the list, reflecting its status as a leading institute for AR/VR research.
Prof Billinghurst is renowned for his innovative approach to using AR and VR for enhancing face to face and remote collaboration and making AR technologies more accessible and practical for use across various domains.
He is well known for co-developing the open-source computer tracking library, ARToolKit, with Professor Hirokazu Kato, and for his work in empathetic computing, shared spaces and collaborative augmented reality systems.
His contributions include the invention of the award-winning AR MagicBook, a mixed reality interface that uses a real book to seamlessly transport users between reality and virtuality.
Prof Billinghurst also pioneered multimodal input methods for AR/VR interaction, combining natural language and AI techniques to allow interaction with an intuitive mix of voice, gesture, speech, gaze and body motion.
Professor Bruce Thomas co-developed the first outdoor AR game, ARQuake, in the late 1990s with Dr Wayne Piekarski, former co-director of UniSA's Wearable Computer Lab. The pair also attempted to commercialise Tinmith, an AR headset and backpack developed in the early 2000s. This pioneering work set new benchmarks for interactive AR experiences.
AWE XR said Prof Thomas' expertise in wearable AR technology had been instrumental in enhancing its practical applications across various sectors like education, healthcare, and entertainment.
His groundbreaking work has earned him several accolades, cementing his status as an innovator in the AR field.
Prof Thomas retired in 2023 but is still an active researcher and supervisor in IVE and continues to shape the AR landscape.
