‘Bring the digital into your world’: U of R students share augmented reality projects

Families experience an augmented reality (AR) project called Nature Hunt, created by a U of R student. (Sierra D'Souza Butts/CTV News)

University students are sharing their augmented reality (AR) projects with families at the Saskatchewan Science Centre.

Created by U of R students, the AR design allows people to view digital illustrations in their current environment by scanning a QR code.

“Augmented reality is like Pokémon Go. That’s one of the more common examples that people tend to understand,” explained Evie Johnny Ruddy, assistant professor of Creative Technologies and Design at the U of R.

“Whereas with VR, you put a headset on and you’re completely in the digital world, AR allows you to bring the digital into your world. It looks like the digital would be in this space with us.”

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Five different projects were showcased, including The Eternal Walking Path, Nature Hunt, Poetry Pathway, Escape the Cabin, and the Absence of Space.

Shelby Kerbs, creative technologist of Nature Hunt, said her project focuses on connecting nature to urban areas.

“It’s a scavenger hunt where you’re going to find basically little snow piles around. Each time you click on one, in your AR experience, you’re going to get a Saskatchewan perennial plant that pops up and you’re going to learn about it,” she said.

Based on her passion for plants, Kerbs said the project was an opportunity to share her interest with others.

“I did a focus on plants specifically for my own personal interest. I’ve been a garden centre worker for a long time and I have always been interested in plants,” she expressed.

“….I was trying to make a scavenger hunt in the sense that you’re trying to find plants in urban spaces specifically like Victoria Park, downtown Regina. You’re going to try and find plants [in the city] instead of just seeing always grass and trees.”

Students being able to share their projects with the public was part of the “experiential learning component” to the Creative Technologies and Design class.

Despite being similar to VR, Ruddy shared the key differences, stating augmented experiences help provide a visual realistic point of view.

“I love AR because you can change your environment with digital artworks and content. You can bring it into your own space, and it looks like it’s in the space with you,” Ruddy said.

“It can change the way you see the world around you. It can be really immersive, just as immersive as VR. I hope people try out the projects. I hope that they find them enjoyable and exciting and that they gain a better understanding of what AR is.”