A - The augmented reality application
Watch the demo here
What - A platform for making education and historical sites more interesting, more appealing and stimulating the imagination of the users. A combination of a mobile (Google Glass?) app and location-based physical placeholders that hint to the user that a hologram is available at that spot.
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| Screenshot from the demo |
Why - Because the cultural heritage is becoming an important issue and we want to offer a high-tech solution to making history more interesting to the younger generation. Since the younger generation will probably have a much shorter attention span we will need to present the information to them in a more stimulating and immersive manner.
How - Any historical site can come alive with the use of holograms. These holograms would tell the story of the people that have lived, fought, worked and died in that place throughout time. The users will have an interface in the form of a mobile app, where the user can choose how far in the past does he/she wish to go. By looking through the screen of the smartphone / tablet the user can see the holograms and then he/she might even choose to bring the holograms outside the device into the world around him/her. We propose using physical placeholders that serve as indicators for places where the user can initiate the holograms.
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| Screenshot from the demo |
Where - the main idea is to use this platform for historical sites but it can also be extended to visualising the future and possibilities.
For whom - the potential users are anyone capable of using a simple smartphone / tablet interface but the main focus is on younger people and tourists. This platform could potentially be used by museums, cities etc.
Examples / use cases The users goal is to witness more from historical scenes. Person walking around and visiting historical place. They open a map and see historical markers. They pick one and go to the place. The app includes navigation and the person follows the route through the app. Once there, they scan the symbol on the plinth and choose the year they want, triggering a dramatic scene in holograms. This is scene either through a mobile device, such as an iPad or google glasses. After the scene has been depicted, the user shuts down the app and walks away.
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| Screenshot from the demo |
Features
Realistic scenes from history
Travel back in time to discover what your favourite figures from history were doing in the past.
Dine in grand banquet halls with Kings and Queens, fight along side great warriors, join the ranks of Napolian or down ale in Odin’s halls with the Vikings, sailing the vast Nordic seas in fantastic long ships.
3D sound audio information whilst the hologram scene is going on.
Easy to use, kid friendly interface, with incredible educational possibilities.
Learning has never been such fun!
Beautiful original graphics
Choice of different years at every location!
Directions to historical places
User scenario
Peter goes to Berlin and goes sightseeing. He opens up an app on his smartphone and finds out that there is a “portal” at the Berlin Wall. He walks to the place marked on the map and finds a placeholder with a symbol. He puts on his Google Glass / points his smartphone / tablet towards the symbol and a timeline appears. He scrolls back to 1989 and a scene of holographical figures appears in front of him (in the screen) depicting the demolition of the Berlin Wall. After having watched this scene he tells his Google Glass / tablet to turn the hologram off and goes back to the timeline, where he can choose a different period.
B - a hologram documentary
Technology is taking over our lives. More and more people are becoming addicted to their technological devices. By abusing technology, it can have a negative effect.
What - a short mockumentary on the negative effects of relying too much on technology. By showing a typical family abusing the use of holograms, we can show how technology can overtake our everyday life and become damaging.
Why - we feel that the overuse of technology has a negative impact on following generations. People are becoming more and more addicted to technology and the future generations will not know how to do normal things like reading and writing by hand and will rely on iPads, smartphones etc. By showing the downside of technology we wish to make the audience reflect on the importance of balance between the digital and the real life (reality and fantasy, real life and hyperreality).
Scenario - The beginning opens with the hologram (controlled by a mobile application) conducting the housework, whilst the family plays and goes about things that they usually wouldn't have time for. The hologram goes to work for them, whilst the family remains at home. In the middle, the hologram goes to a football match and bar and the family is stuck at home, so there is a change in atmosphere. Towards the climax, the hologram begins to take over and have more fun. The family is trapped inside and cannot get the app to work. At the end, the hologram, the technology, controls the family.
Where - internet, since probably television will cease to exist (there will probably be no use to having a TV anyway).
For whom - our film is aimed at younger to middle aged people, middle class background, European and have access to the internet / rely on technologies in their everyday life.
Examples / use cases
The goal of the user is to learn more about holograms. The way they do this is by going onto the internet, where most of the programs are as normal digital television has been made obsolete by the internet, and tuning into the online channel for the production company that has made this fake documentary. Whilst watching the documentary, they learn about the way the hologram works, how it operates (through the mobile application) and perhaps most importantly for our own goal, the down sides of the hologram and how technology, if abused, can become corrupted.
Visual style - the film begins as a happy, bright, colourful, American style movie (blue skies, saturated colours, good lighting, etc.). It gradually shifts to a grim, dark, depressive, desaturated look (overcast, dim lighting, “horroresque”, dramatic, gloomy).
