ARound the Zoo
Intro to AR/VR Part 2
Final AR/VR Project
Problem Statement
Kids visit the zoo numerous times but how many zoo experiences do we actually remember or learn from? How can we elevate their typical zoo experience to one that they will remember and learn from? Which XR experience could help incorporate a more involved visit to the zoo and encourage kids to learn more?
Competitive Analysis
There are several online phone apps that can provide a simple “zoo” experience for kids away from the zoo. Zoo-AR is one of many interactive augmented animal apps that can be used through your phone and bring animals to your home. Given that this experience is hand-held, there are limitations with how immersive the experience actually is. You may see the animal from a small screen and walk around it as if it is truly there. The interactions are limited and beyond just tapping the animal, there are really no other immersive elements like animal sounds or the animal moving on its own.
Magic to go created a screen AR-like experience and planted it in the middle of a mall. The idea is that people were to view the screen and it seemed that there were animals walking amongst them in the mall. However, once you looked around the real space beyond the screen there was nothing there. It was enjoyable for kids to see how there could be animals walking with them however it is not immersive given that everyone is looking at the same large screen.
Storyboards and Sketches
Below are the short storyboards and illustrations at the very early stages of ideation. The storyboards and sketches illustrate general flow of interactions as well as which XR fits the desired experience best.
Physical Prototype
I decided to go with an AR wearable experience, I began creating a physical prototype to better understand the interaction flow in real space. Below, you will find images of the items I used to create my physical prototype and the video of the full experience through the physical prototype.
Final Digital Prototype
Once I was able to understand the flow and interactions I wanted to highlighted, I used Figma and Lens Studio to create the experience and iMovie to narrate. I focused on illustrating the AR reach to touch buttons to lead and create your own journey through the zoo, a personalized selection of your leader and interactions with the leader in describing animal exhibits and animals that may be walking around. Here you can view the entire AR experience.
ARound the Zoo Mobile App
A mobile app was developed for families to track and keep their previous trips as well as plan their future trips to any zoos that have incorporated the ARound the Zoo AR zoo experience. Below are the wireframes and the final mockups of the app that users that purchase the ARound the Zoo ticket would have access to.
