# CityBuildAR: Enhancing Community Engagement in Placemaking Through Mobile Augmented Reality
## 2 Literature Background
### What Is M-AR and Why? Mobile-Augmented Reality (M-AR) is an interactive technology that overlays computer-generated visuals and, in some cases, audio onto the real-world environment using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. While M-AR predominantly relies on mobile devices due to their accessibility and cost-effectiveness, it can also be supported by AR headsets such as Meta Quest, providing an enhanced and immersive user experience by merging the physical and digital domains [29]. The origin of AR dates to the 1960s with [PERSON]'s invention of the first head-mounted display system. However, the term \"augmented reality\" was officially introduced by [PERSON] in the early 1990s [30]. Initially, AR systems were confined to industrial and academic uses due to high costs and technological limitations. With advancements in mobile computing and smartphones, M-AR become popular and was become more accessible to the general population. Today, M-AR finds applications across diverse sectors including education, healthcare, urban planning, and entertainment, enabling users to experience an interactive and immersive overlay of digital content in their real environments [31; 32]. In education, AR enhanceslearning by offering immersive, interactive experiences, for instance the \"HoloHuman\" AR app (version 1.0.2) designed for anatomy visualizations for medical students, which have become integral to contemporary medical school curricula [33]. The \"Google Expeditions\" which is an educational platform that uses AR to take students on virtual field trips to various locations around the world [34]. Retailers use AR for virtual product trials, like IKEA's furniture placement app, improving customer satisfaction [35]. Tourism also benefits from AR through apps that enhance visitor experiences, such as interactive historical site tours [36]. Military and defense applications use AR for real-time situational awareness, with systems like the US military's IVAS helmets [37]. AR's influence in entertainment, particularly gaming, is evident in games like Pokemon GO, which merges virtual and real environments for player engagement [38]. In automotive industries, AR improves navigation and car design through systems like BMW's augmented HUDs [39]. Although AR is less frequently utilized in disciplines like philosophy, literary studies, and traditional sociology, there is growing potential for its use in areas like philosophical simulations, interactive literary experiences [40]. In M-AR interfaces, three-dimensional virtual images and objects are integrated into real-world scenes through mobile phone cameras, allowing users to interact with both simultaneously [41]. For example, M-AR enables architects and planners to visualize urban designs in realistic settings and support better communication of ideas easily through their handheld device at any time [42]. This capability not only enhances comprehension and decision-making but also democratizes participation by making complex design concepts understandable to non-experts. M-AR technology can be classified into different types, each providing unique functionality and applications across diverse industries. They are: (a) Marker-Based AR, (b) Projection-Based AR, and (c) Superimposition-Based Augmented Reality. Marker-Based Augmented Reality utilizes visual markers, such QR codes, to overlay digital content onto the physical environment. It is extensively employed in education to develop engaging and problem-solving-oriented learning experiences [43; 44]. For instance, the \"HoloHuman\" AR application enables medical students to visualize and interact with 3D models of the human body by scanning markers on anatomical charts, allowing them to rotate, zoom, and dissect virtual models for a deeper understanding of complex structures [45]. Similarly, \"Quiver Vision\" enhances language learning by bringing children's colored artwork to life with 3D animations and sounds, creating an interactive way to learn vocabulary, grammar, and cultural concepts [46].