A Study of 3D Object positioning on Google Earth by using
OpenGL Fusion and Augmented Reality
Hideo Miyachi 1, Yuichi Uetake 2, and Shunji Ido 212

Cybernet Systems CO., LTD., Japan
Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Saitama Institute of Technology, Japan

Abstract—We have been studying about the method to crate active contents consist of multiple application programs invirtual reality system (VR). To combine active applications into a virtual world, we use OpenGL fusion technology. In the case,the positioning issue comes up. We have aquired AR(Augmented Reality) technology to solve the problem. In this paer, weintroduce the study of the method.

Keywords— Virrual Reality, OpenGL Fusion, Augmented Reality
1IntroductionTree

We reported a system in which multiple active programs
collaborate in a 3D virtual world in JSST2011 [1]. In the report,
a clock program and rocket program worked in cooperation with
their communication through a socket. Both 3D graphics
generated by each program were shown in Google Earth world
by using OpenGL fusion technique (Fig.1)

Google SketchUpFusion

AR marker
placed in CG
Fig.2 Arrangement of a tree on AR marker
The study in this paper aims to make the suitable operations surein Goole Earth.
The objects modelled by Google SketchUp can be arranged on
Google Earth easily by using SketchUp function. But our goal is
to arrange any 3d object and active object generated by any
OpenGL program in real time.

3Fig.1 Virtual world in which three kinds of programs: clock,rocket and Google Earth, are working
In Fig.1, the clock and the rocket are placed in an air. Because it
is difficult to put them correctly in a specified location. This isdue to the mechanism of OpenGL fusion. We are studying tosolve the difficulty by using AR (Augmented Reality) technique.
In this paper, we describe the summary of the trials.
2Related WorkAR is a well-known system to overlay computer graphics in amovie captured by a video camera in real time. To use AR
system and OpenGL Fusion, we have succeed put a tree by
Google SketchUp on AR marker placed in a computer graphics
scene (Fig.2)[2]. In this case, AR market was placed on asuitable place by manual operation. The size of tree was also
adjusted to a suitable scale by manual.

MethodWe planned the method in following procedures.
(1) Arrangement AR marker on Google Earth
KML supports ground overlay function. AR marker can bearranged on the ground in latitude-longitude coordinate system.
Then, the image should be arranged in only latitude-longitudegrid.
(2) Rotating AR marker to a specified angle.
To arrange the marker to arbitrary direction, AR marker should
be rotated. This is a difficult step. When we built a house infront of a load, nobody knows the angle of the load. We obtain
the angle calculated from two point position by clicking onGoogle Earth.
(3) Calculating the size of AR marker in meter.
In general, 3d objects are designed in meter unit. We need toknow the size of AR marker in meter. Theoretically, we canconvert the size from in latitude-longitude to meter. However,
we have to know the scale of AR marker in a projection
coordinate in Google EarthThrough step (1) to (3), we have to put 3d objects on Google
Earth correctly.

4Result

One of the results is shown in Fig.3. A visualization result, isosurface of magnetic field and lines of magnetic force, arearranged on an AR marker over a map by Google Earth. Theobjects come from AVS/Express visualization application
software in real time. An animation of particle tracing to express
magnetic force is shown in the scene.

Fig.3 Visualization 3d graphics arranged correctly in GoogleEarth5Conclusion

We have proposed a method to arrange 3d objects captured byusing OpenGL technique on Google Earth correctly. We thinkthat the method contributes a disaster simulation visualization
like Tsunami .

References
[1]

[2]

Hideo Miyachi,Yuichi Uetake, Tomohiro Higuchi and Shunji Ido:
Research of 3D virtual space modeling by multi-program
collaboration, JSST2011, Tokyo, 2011.10
Hideo Miyachi: The system for combining multi-CGs by using AR
and OpenGL fusion, proc. of the 17th JSCES conference, 2012 (inpress)