augmented reality and education

Imagine pointing your cell phone at a drawing and the door opens

The purpose of this article is to introduce the use of augmented reality in the field of education and teaching.

I actually use augmented reality apps designed for art because they give me the best results. I am familiar with two relevant apps, ARTIVEVE and EyeJack. Since I use EyeJack, I will explain how it works.

Opening doors using augmented reality

The text refers to the video at the top of the page: there are a number of doors on the street and I want one of them to open when I point my phone at it. The door where the ice cream cones are painted will be my trigger. In other words, when the phone or tablet recognizes this image, another layer will bounce, which is a video layer that shows an explanation for Jerusalem behind a door that opens.

Apps for augmented reality

The augmented reality is created by EyeJack’s computer software. Adding new art is as simple as clicking on the plus button and selecting “create new art”. Then drag the image that will be used as a trigger. The next step is to drag the layer that will pop up, the one that will be displayed on the phone. Images, transparent images, text, emojis, and of course video can be displayed in the pop-up layer. After everything has been integrated into the app, the trigger is sent to the mobile via a barcode or link. Now all that’s needed is to point the mobile at the trigger and the door will open.

The app is easy to use, and that is not the challenge. It’s the creation of the content that’s challenging… Let’s start with the technical aspect:

Augmented reality trigger creation

The first step is to create a trigger that activates the augmented reality layer. The trigger can be a single image, or it can be part of a wall or a large projection, as shown in the November 29 activity in a 3walls room (in video). To do some interactivity on the projection wall, I deduce a number of images that can be used as triggers. The cutting can be done in Photoshop or in free and simpler software like Pixlr.

Augmented reality – creating a layer

The laminate layer is formed in the second stage. Pop-up layers can appear as simple images or in a more sophisticated manner as videos. When it comes to image creation, both the EyeJack and Artivive apps receive a GIF file. This file can be exported transparently, which is a big advantage. Photoshop is what I use, but PowerPoint can also be used to create it. A GIF image can be exported.

Adding a video layer to augmented reality

I create the video with Adobe Premier, but you can also create video with PowerPoint, Canva, and other programs that are simpler and free. It is important to pay attention to the video file’s proportions and dimensions. Therefore, if the image of the trigger is vertical, the video of the layered layer should also be vertical, and vice versa.

Due to the fact that most people do not have the knowledge to use advanced video creation software, I’ll show you in the video here how you can create a relatively sophisticated video using PowerPoint animation.

Although the door does not open on a hinge but fades out, it is still a nice augmented reality animation.

To create this video, I uploaded three media files to a PowerPoint slide. There are two photos and one video. I arranged them in a certain order and gave the fading animation to the top layer, which is the door. It’s all saved as an mp4 video file and that’s it. There is no doubt that you must practice…

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