About

Background: The XTENDED REALI-TREE project represents a pioneering effort by a multidisciplinary team of students from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), aimed at highlighting the university's sustainability initiatives, specifically its tree and MicroForest projects. The initiative sought to leverage augmented reality (AR) technology to foster awareness and engagement with the campus's diverse tree population.

Objective: The project's primary goal was to create an engaging, educational experience that brings the campus's tree initiatives to the forefront of student and community consciousness. By employing AR technology, the team aimed to transform how individuals interact with and learn about the environment around them.

Challenges:

• Adverse Weather and 3D Scanning: The team initially faced challenges capturing 3D scans due to unfavorable weather and insufficient foliage. By selecting alternative tree specimens, they successfully navigated this obstacle, ensuring high-quality scans for the project.
• Integration of 3D Scans in AR Book: Integrating 3D scans into the AR book presented technical difficulties, particularly with maintaining texture fidelity. Through iterative testing across platforms, the team resolved these issues, preserving the interactive quality of the AR book.
• Optimizing QR Code Use in the AR Book: Reducing the QR code footprint in the AR book required learning and applying a new coding language, REACT. After intensive study and adaptation of a suitable template, the team streamlined QR code integration, although final adjustments to fully integrate one project aspect are ongoing.

Project Results

• AR Book: Utilizing images and 3D scans, the team developed an interactive AR book that allowed readers to explore CSUN's trees in an immersive manner. This digital book combined environmental expertise with technological innovation to offer a novel educational tool.
• TikTok AR Experience: In an effort to reach a broader audience, an AR experience was created for TikTok, enabling users to engage with tree-related content through popular social media. This platform was chosen for its widespread use among the student body and its capability to deliver immersive and a gamifed learning experience.
• 360 Video: To complement the AR experiences, a 360 video tour was produced to showcase CSUN's future MicroForest, providing viewers with a virtual journey through this soon to be sustainability center piece. The video aimed to educate on the species diversity and ecological benefits of the MicroForest.
• Website: To centralize and showcase the project's outputs, a dedicated website was created. This site hosts the AR book, the TikTok experience, the 360 video, and additional resources, serving as the digital hub for the XTENDED REALI-TREE initiative.
• 3D Modeling and LiDAR Scanning: Advanced 3D modeling and LiDAR scanning techniques were employed to capture high-fidelity representations of trees for both the AR book and the website, enhancing the accuracy and immersion of the digital experiences.

Outcomes: Despite encountering technical challenges and environmental constraints, the XTENDED REALI-TREE project successfully leveraged AR and immersive technologies to spotlight CSUN's commitment to environmental sustainability. The initiative not only educated and engaged the campus community but also exemplified the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in leveraging emerging technologies for environmental awareness.

Reflection: The XTENDED REALI-TREE project illustrates the transformative potential of combining AR, 3D modeling, and immersive media with environmental education. By bridging technology and sustainability, the initiative serves as a pioneering model for similar projects, highlighting the essential role of innovation in promoting environmental stewardship and sustainability awareness.

Check out the project at: https://brandonkakudo.com/xtendedrealitree/index.html