Augmented Reality Game Development using Unity3D

Mobile augmented reality (mobile AR) enables virtual content such as 3D models, animations and annotations to be placed on top of a real world objects in any context. We applied mobile AR to develop AR action game to expand the AR genre of games in Android. In this game, the player controls a warrior to fight another warrior in a tournament to become the champion. We present the development of the AR game using Unity 3D and Vuforia. Unity 3D provides a simplified way of developing any game by providing all the basic tools and physics system for the game environment. Vuforia plugin of Unity 3D provides the necessary API for detecting planes and object placement in AR environment. A mixed-method usability evaluation on children and university students indicated that especially interaction with AR content and user interface clarity were improved in the Unity 3D version. We expect game engines such as Unity 3D will become essential for developing AR applications in future.