Animal Trail: An Augmented Reality Experience in the Amazon Rainforest

Abstract

Sidia, a Research and Development Institute, with the natural science park “Bosque da Ciência” (Forest of Science) have teamed up to develop a solution for the community of Manaus learn interactively about the Amazon Forest with support of scientific knowledge. This partnership was motivated because the park has an important structure but can't properly communicate about the diversity for its visitors. In other hand, Augmented Reality (AR) enables richer and immersive experience. Along with the context where it would be applied, AR brought many issues that needed to be directed, in this case: How can AR contribute to enriching the experience of users visiting the park? Considering that AR is a technology that allows the imposition of a layer of information on reality; first, we mapped the main opportunities of interaction within the journey of the visitors to improve their experience. To do so, Double Diamond British Design Council was chosen as a methodology to assist in discovery until delivery. The application started with the most interesting attraction for the visitants: The animals. They live loose in the forest and sometimes can’t appear in visitors’ journey but AR collaborates in these interactions by unveiling 3D virtual animal. The visitants can interact and consult all content whenever they want since it is stored in the application after unlocked inside the park. We concluded that AR had been prove to be a relevant solution for encouragement and support visitor’s interaction in the park. This research was funded by Samsung by resources originated by Informatic Law.