ARTrees: Augmented Reality Trees on the Ohio State Campus
ARTrees is an augmented reality application designed to increase cultural, emotional, and scientific appreciation of trees by facilitating playful interactions with them on The Ohio State University campus. Join us in the Imaginarium as we demonstrate a desktop version of the mobile app, which functions as an engaging interface between the real-world, geo-located database of actual trees on campus and a virtual game world. A soundscape is generated as the user moves among the trees and collects information about species and the ecosystem benefits of specific trees. The future of the proposed increased campus tree canopy is artistically envisioned, along with historical trees and stories. We hope this research will generate productive conversations across disciplines about how data is experienced and how trees are valued, both culturally and scientifically.
Andrew Frueh is an artist and educator and the sound artist and app developer for ARTrees. He teaches classes and workshops in digital media, game design, and robotics, and runs the digital fabrication lab in the Department of Art. His current research is in low- cost, high-resolution 3D scanning for better 3D model acquisition.