Imagine strolling along a
wildlife refuge trail and finding a marker with a symbol of a bison. Pull out
your smartphone or iPad and hold it up to the picture. Now look at the screen
and see a 3D bison roam across the landscape. Through the magic of digital
technology, visitors to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
(RMA) could click an app and enjoy sightings of rare or endangered animals -
albeit virtual ones - in a pristine setting. Augmented reality (AR), as it's known,
is gaining popularity as a way to enhance natural excursions - dinosaurs
popping up in a forest, for example - or to teach engine repair, surgical
procedures and other technical lessons.
Researchers in Digital Design in
CU Denver's College of Arts & Media (CAM), teach a Design Studio 3 class
where students work with nonprofits to improve their outreach through media and
design. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) approached the class with
the goal of raising the profile of its ‘Get Your Goose On’ program, which promotes
awareness of the National Wildlife Refuge System - including the Rocky Mountain
Arsenal - particularly among youth. That interactive quality, especially,
prompted Design Studio 3 students to choose augmented reality apps over typical
promotional materials - pamphlets, fliers and videos - to lure visitors to
national wildlife refuges.
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