Interactive bits: Prototyping of mixed reality applications and interaction techniques through visual programming

The development of mixed reality (MR) applications typically requires a substantial amount of effort and programming skills. This is due to the fact that no standard interfaces and devices exist. Therefore, user interface elements and interaction techniques typically have to be implemented individually. In this paper we present our approach for supporting the development of mixed reality applications and interaction techniques using the concept of interactive bits. We developed this via a component-based approach allowing for modeling interaction techniques, object behaviors, virtual devices through to entire MR applications. We show how this process can be significantly enhanced by using a visual programming environment. Finally we present a set of typical examples demonstrating the potential of the approach.