‘100 People’ Community Art Augmented Reality Project
Advisor Information
Dr. Deepak Khazanchi
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
26-3-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
26-3-2021 12:00 AM
Abstract
In the preceding decade, local artist Watie White (former professor at UNO) has been crafting 100 Omaha community mural featuring local nonprofit leaders who serve a social justice mission. He has dubbed this ambitious cultural endeavor the ‘100 People Project ("Public Art – 100 people").’
Watie’s art was well received by the public, however, the individual message that each installation conveyed was lacking. We found that mere signage did not provide the sense of presence and personality Mr. White would have liked the observer to take away from each story.
Augmented reality (AR) provided a visual medium in which the user could better understand the world Watie’s art subjects inhabited. Using AR as a medium was more likely to invoke an emotion when telling the story behind each portrait. This was a way to provide Watie’s unique portraits of subjects who are part of his murals a platform to tell their story, spread their message, and widen their cultural reach.
The application was initially developed for iOS and Android via the Flutter framework, but later the Unity game engine was used in its place. ARCore served as the framework for Android augmented reality, and ARKit did the same for iOS. The app used an unofficial YouTube API to stream videos in AR. In Fall of 2020, the app was released for the iOS App Store and Android Play Store and it was unveiled at Watie White's socially-distanced Kaneko art event to positive anecdotal reception.
Scheduling Link
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‘100 People’ Community Art Augmented Reality Project
In the preceding decade, local artist Watie White (former professor at UNO) has been crafting 100 Omaha community mural featuring local nonprofit leaders who serve a social justice mission. He has dubbed this ambitious cultural endeavor the ‘100 People Project ("Public Art – 100 people").’
Watie’s art was well received by the public, however, the individual message that each installation conveyed was lacking. We found that mere signage did not provide the sense of presence and personality Mr. White would have liked the observer to take away from each story.
Augmented reality (AR) provided a visual medium in which the user could better understand the world Watie’s art subjects inhabited. Using AR as a medium was more likely to invoke an emotion when telling the story behind each portrait. This was a way to provide Watie’s unique portraits of subjects who are part of his murals a platform to tell their story, spread their message, and widen their cultural reach.
The application was initially developed for iOS and Android via the Flutter framework, but later the Unity game engine was used in its place. ARCore served as the framework for Android augmented reality, and ARKit did the same for iOS. The app used an unofficial YouTube API to stream videos in AR. In Fall of 2020, the app was released for the iOS App Store and Android Play Store and it was unveiled at Watie White's socially-distanced Kaneko art event to positive anecdotal reception.
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