Zwager
#MIXEDREALITIES
INTRODUCTION TO VUFORIA WITH UNITY
The completed experiment
Introduction to the experiment
For this week we conducted another experiment on Unity to further enhance our skills. We worked with a powerful augmented reality software development kit called Vurforia, which allowed us to track and play an animation on a 3D object. We worked with the AR camera and image target in Unity to create the augmented reality experience.
Creating the AR experience
The final creation in Unity that creates the AR experience
Adding the AR camera, image target and butterfly animation
Reasons for selection
This experiment was selected as it is an ideal introduction into the world of AR and it was also designed to improve our skills in Unity. The program Vuforia was specifically chosen as it is currently the industry standard for creating virtual reality experiences for phones. As this is a rapidly growing industry, it’s a vital programme to further develop skills in.
Dicussion
To start this experiment we had to install the Vuforia package so we could download a license and a target manager, so Unity could recognise the chosen object in front of the camera and play the animation on top of it. I decided to choose a calculator as it has good colour contrast, which makes it much easier for Unity to track and pick up when the object has been placed in front of the camera. This was a good decision as it worked well.
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This experiment introduced us to an interesting aspect of design; activating spaces. Through this area of design you can create interactive experiences around rooms to further enhance the visual authenticity and appeal. This idea is applicable to spaces such as museums, where AR can be used to bring the characters and scenes to life to create a realistic experience and enhance the learning. Through this experiment I was introduced to the tools to help me design experiences like this in the future.