IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - October 2015 - 135

group and, in June 2015 the working
group of which, with Fridolin Wild of The
Open University (United Kingdom), I am
co-chair conducted its kick off meeting.

AR AND THE WORkPLACE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
There are many conventions and standards to describe the physical world. An
A4 sheet of paper is always the same
size; 100 ml of water is a precise volume.
As we increasingly use information
about the physical world in digital format (e.g., Internet of Things and AR) in
workplaces and other "hands-on" learning environments, and the user's interactions with the objects in the physical
world are assisted with digital systems,
it will be beneficial to use one or more
standards to describe these.

P1589
The IEEE Augmented Reality Learning
Experience Model standards working
group (ARLEM working group), also
known as P1589, will develop a general
purpose conceptual model and data model
specification for representing activities
(also known as employee tasks and procedures) and a workplace, the environment
in which tasks are performed.
The ARLEM conceptual model will
permit interactions between the physical
world, the user and digital information,

Soapbox

the context for AR-assisted learning, and
other parameters of the environment to
be encoded in a manner that can be
authored, stored and used by any
P1589-compliant tool. Furthermore, the
working group will define the required
data models, modeling languages and
their bindings to chosen representation
formats (e.g., XML, JSON).
The development of one or more
standards and corresponding interoperability specifications will open the market,
adding interchangeable component products as alternatives to monolithic AR
-assisted learning systems. Moreover, it
will enable the creation of experience
repositories and online marketplaces for
AR-enabled learning content.
Specific attention will be paid to supporting the reuse and repurposing of
existing learning content and to cater to
"mixed" experiences combining realworld learner guidance with the consumption (or production) of traditional
content such as instructional video material or learning apps and widgets.
For more information about ARLEM
working group goals, status, and meetings,
please visit http://arlem.kmi.open.ac.uk

CONCLUSION
AR always requires hardware, software, and content. It also must involve
the physical world and its digital

representation. IEEE-SA has many
standards that pertain to one or more of
the components of AR-enabled systems, and these could contribute to
future open and interoperable AR content, devices, and systems.
It is not going to happen overnight
but the attention to AR use cases and
requirements is increasing and, in the
case of P1589, is very narrowly focused
on the requirements for a workplace
reference model in which the physical
objects in use and the user's interactions
with them can be described using a
specification. Those who share a common interest in P1589 are welcome to
learn more and to contribute to this
individual-based working group.
In addition to existing and new standards in IEEE, there are people working on dozens of other relevant
standards in nearly 20 standards-development organizations that also see that
they could contribute to the future of
AR. The rate at which these activities
progress will differ and their impacts in
the long run are unknown, but it is my
firm conviction that AR will benefit
from greater attention from a wide variety of perspectives and, when the pieces are ready, there will emerge a
mature, vibrant new ecosystem.

(continued from page 124)

fastest growing waste stream. Last year
alone, 46 million tons of electronic
waste was produced worldwide. Electronics contain toxic elements like cadmium, lead, and arsenic-elements that
can leach back into the earth. Domestically, e-waste is only 2% of the material
in our landfills, but it makes up 70% of
the toxic waste with which we deal.

Fixing old hardware has a global
impact. It means that products last longer,
and that one fewer thing goes in the
trash. It also means that people who
require access to affordable technology
around the world will be able to buy a
cheaper, refurbished computer. Owners
will have more choices about what to do
with their own hardware.

Ten years ago, when I dropped my
laptop off my bed, I did not have any
choices. I wanted to fix something-and
I could not. I am fighting for a future
where people to have the legal right, the
resources, and the confidence to repair.
So the next time someone drops their
laptop off a bed, broken does not have to
mean "the end."

october 2015

IEEE ConsumEr ElECtronICs magazInE

135

http://arlem.kmi.open.ac.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - October 2015