We are developing Tangible Augmented Reality Archives (TARA), a mobile application that is designed to remotely browse, study, and organize artifacts from a collection of twentieth century Jewish ephemera housed at the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. Our goal for this semester is to reimagine the existing TARA application design in the Unreal game engine, with an enhanced focus on tangibility and tangible AR interactions with 3D objects. Project resources can be accessed here.
With the Tangible AR for Exploring Genetic Mutation Data (TARGeM) project, we have developed a prototype application that combines head-mounted AR with interactive tabletop visualization to allow analysts to pull apart a human avatar, enabling investigations between genetic mutations and the organs affected by cancer. This semester, our goal is to reimagine the UI with both anatomical and genetic data in a real-time 3D environment, and to design and prototype tangible interactions with this data in a mobile and/or head-mounted AR context. Project resources can be accessed here.
With the Tangible Experience Design (TED) project, we have developed a toolkit that uses tangible and embodied interactions to make cross-device development easier to understand for inexperienced designers, and provides them with a robust support framework for expanding into developing more complex experiences. This semester, we will explore the potential benefits of adding an element of mixed reality in an effort to improve the user experience and understanding of the tangible toolkit. Project resources can be accessed here.
As new immersive training experiences are proposed, the 3D Assets and Interactions for Medical Training Applications (MeTrA) research project asks whether AR and VR training environments are as effective as “real-world” ones. To address this question, we will develop 3D assets and AR/VR interactions for an experiment series that focuses on applied medical training. We will work with content and tools developed by our collaborators at Toronto General Hospital’s Advanced Perioperative Imaging Laboratory (APIL) to support surgical training. Project resources can be accessed here.