Design and develop an educational AR book-based application for wild Singapore

Abstract

With the improvement in hardware and software systems, augmented reality (AR) is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years. AR provides the benefit of integrating an alternate universe into the real world. In Singapore, the National Library Board (NLB) is tapping into AR technologies to enhance learning experiences. To support NLB’s effort, the author was involved in developing the AR Learning Trail, Chua Chu Kang public library application (not included in this paper), and he developed the AR mobile application based on the Wild Singapore book (covered in this project). This paper covers the investigation and analysis of the potential of AR applications in the educational field. The design and development of the AR mobile application which focuses on delivering fun and immersive educational content about the dolphin species featured in the book. The overall system development process of constructing the AR objects and modules (C# scripts) for running the application. The optimisation techniques that were utilised to balance realistic projections and computational requirements. In addition, a user testing trial was conducted and analysed to perform debugging and examine the application’s limitations and potential improvements. Furthermore, an otter model was also created to facilitate future content updates.