During the two weeks course Concept Development, nine teams developed a concept to improve one task of their previously selected user group. User groups were limited to mobile, social or outdoor workers and a tablet had to be involved. Concepts were allowed to be visionary up to ten years ahead concerning technical practicability.
Here is the final concept of team 8: eden: An augmented realtity planning tool for landscapers
During our research, we talked to several landscapers to gain an insight into their daily tasks. We discovered a couple of things that kept them from doing their actual work . Whether it was internal communication, planning or logging – there was always room for improvement. We carried out a detailled, „post-it“-supported analysis of all the information we had gathered, finding the planning process most interesting.
Landscapers mostly work for large institutions, where they get plans and execute them. Working with private customers though, they find themselves in the position of a landscape architect. This can lead to difficulties and misunderstandings because in some cases, neither the customer nor the landscaper can explain his ideas and thoughts properly. Here, our concept kicks in: eden.
eden is a landscape planning-tool using Augmented Reality techniques. It is designed to instantly visualize possible changes in the landscape and thus helps to improve the planning process. Augmented reality (AR) is a live view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated input.
eden will run as a tablet application. To give others and ourselves an idea of how the tool could work, we created a storyboard that explained the typical use of our app.
Considering the feedback we received after a mid-presentation, we went out to film the scenario. Watch our video prototype right now!
For the future, the major idea is to adapt the concept so it can by used not only by landscapers, but also by private customers and landscape archichitects.
Augmented reality is, we think, the future of planning – landscapers are just one of many groups that will be able to benefit from this technology.
More Details on their project can be found in the Concept Development Blog.
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