In the context of the International Year of Light 2015, a UNESCO global initiative, the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences has launched an augmented reality project called “Invisible Light”. Using the award winning Wikitude SDK, the app reveals hidden geo-location markers with interesting information about optics, photonics and the world of light theme
by Kai Israel, Hochschule Offenburg
Since the 21st century, light has played a critical role in our daily lives. It helps people to live better, carry out daily tasks, and work and explore the world. To reinforce the importance of light in our society, 2015 was proclaimed the International Year of Light by UNESCO. The organization held a two-day conference at its headquarters in Paris, gathering more than 1,000 participants to exchange ideas and attend intriguing talks around the topic of light-based technologies. The focus was to draw global attention to how these technologies play an important role in promoting sustainable development and assisting countries to face energy, education, agriculture and health challenges.
Among these participants were developers of the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, who developed a Wikitude based AR app to support the 2015 International Year of Light. Using the Wikitude SDK, the University has initiated a project called “Invisible Light” in order to support this important cause. The AR app revolves around geolocation-based contents stored in a globally accessible portal, where user-generated content indicates light relevant POIs on an interactive map. The Wikitude radar helps provide users with a better overview of their vicinity. Navigation to, and additional information from each light-relevant POI is available to global audiences.
In addition to the Wikitude augmented reality function, other screens show an overview of all the markers, including detailed information on the individual points. By connecting to Google Maps, all markers within a close vicinity are displayed in a clear and optically attractive way. If the user chooses a certain marker, it will be highlighted in color when returning to the main screen. Thus, it is also possible to select markers on the overview map and use the augmented reality function for navigation. There are currently 970 active markers available all over the world.
Wikitude is proud to support students and academic institutions in the development of high-quality AR projects such as the Invisible Light App! If your institution has an exciting project coming up or wants to use the Wikitude SDK,visit our Wikitude Academy page for further information on the application process for an EDU license.
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