Introduction to The AR Perpetual Garden App
A brand new 3D augmented reality app has been launched, allowing users to visualise and create virtual Appalachian gardens. The app, developed by a team of experts, goals to teach and encourage nature lovers. The team behind the app includes Maria Harrington, an assistant professor of digital media, together with Zack Bledsoe, Chris Jones, and Alexandra Guffey. They collaborated with John Wenzel, director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve, and Markus Tatzgern, a professor with the Multi Media Technology program of the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences.
How the App Works
The AR Perpetual Garden App enables users to visualise botanically correct 3D plant models through AR-enabled smartphones and devices. The app provides a more immersive experience for visitors to Powdermill Nature Reserve, the environmental research center of the Carnegie Museum in Pennsylvania. According to Harrington, the app was designed to "use recent technology to visualise nature, and to accomplish that in a way that represents essentially the most accurate information concerning the plants." To make sure the accuracy of the flora featured, Harrington worked with a museum botanist.
Features of the App
The app includes two scientific visualizations of how deer overpopulation has impacted the Appalachian region. It allows users to view what the region looks like out of balance after deer began over browsing in the world, drastically reducing plants, shrubs, and flowers. It also illustrates how the world would have appeared if the woodlands had remained in balance, and without degradation from deer populations. The scenes also include ambient sounds based on scientific insect and bird data, providing more perspective on the environment.
Educational Benefits
The app isn’t only a tool for nature lovers but in addition an academic resource. Harrington believes that it’s "a tool to assist museums unlock the knowledge of their collections and convey informal education into the fashionable era." The app will be utilized by visitors traveling on the actual woodland paths of Powdermill Nature Reserve, among the many dioramas of the exhibitions at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, in addition to other museums or schools excited about using it as an academic tool for classrooms and field trips.
Availability and Future Plans
The app is out there in each Apple and Google Play stores, making it accessible to a big selection of users. Harrington plans to conduct research on the emotional, aesthetic, and learning responses to the app. She will proceed to work with Carnegie to explore recent opportunities to include augmented reality into museum exhibits. The app is an offshoot of The Virtual Garden Timeline project, which displays detailed information on the plants in bloom at Powdermill Nature Reserve all year long, with many models available in augmented and virtual reality 3D.
Conclusion
The AR Perpetual Garden App is a novel and modern tool that permits users to visualise and create virtual Appalachian gardens. With its educational advantages and immersive features, the app has the potential to encourage a brand new generation of nature lovers and promote a deeper understanding of the natural world. As technology continues to evolve, it can be exciting to see how the app develops and the way it will possibly be used to teach and encourage people concerning the importance of conservation and environmental protection.
