To raise awareness, educate and promote conservation, we at AR Shift are using augmented reality to bring some of the world’s most endangered animals to you

Source: Android description / Image: Pixabay

Useful information

Download: Android 4.0.3 (73.81MB) / iOS 7.0 (164MB)

Price: 4 free animals (elephant, rhinoceros, polar bear and gorilla). The rest of the animals, $0.99 each

Language: English

Runs offline: yes

Last update: Android 07/05/2017 (v. 1.8) – iOS 15/05/2017 (v. 1.1)

Website of the developer: AR Shift

Description

This augmented reality (Android and iOS) application uses this technology to show realistic representations of wild animals in 3D, being able to observe them and interact with them on the surface you want. The main objective is to increase awareness about some endangered species, being able to use the app with educational purposes.

Its use is very simple:

  • In the menu that appears when starting the application, you select the desired animal from among the proposed species. The symbol i enables to access to a screen that explains the purpose of this augmented reality app. Also it is included a contact email and the URL where you can consult the terms of use (the expression standard mumbojumbo refers to a standard disclaimer text). Likewise, the interrogative signs will enable to add more animals in future versions of the app.
  • The selected animal is initially displayed on a virtual stage. In this screen you can consult a information sheet with the state of conservation of the species, diet or habitat in which they live. To project the animal as augmented reality, you must click on the AR option in the upper right. In this representation, you can rotate the animal or move it vertically, having not been found a way to move it laterally. The application allows you to make screenshots and share them on social networks, including for some of the species their more characteristic sounds (icon on the top right).

More information

A new platform for endangered animals

Images: screenshots 26/06/2017. ©ARShift

Rating
4.8

Analysis

On June 8, the South China Morning Post published an article on the illegal trade of ivory from Africa, that has as main destination Hong Kong*. The publication included a premonition by Erik Mararv, an official of the ranger service in the Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo), who warned that if current trade rates continue, the elephants would disappear from the African continent in 10 years. Poaching is one of the main problems faced by the elephant, as well as other species such as the rhinoceros or the tiger in Asia. One of the most effective measures to counteract this dynamic, which has led to the extinction of many species, is education, especially among new generations.

This is the main objective pursued by applications such as ARShift Endangered Animals which, through attractive technologies such as augmented reality, seeks to raise awareness and education about some of the most endangered animal species. Despite presenting some small problems such as the impossibility of moving the animal laterally, the app has numerous advantages over other similar utilities, such as the possibility to use it without an internet connection or not be necessary to print a marker. With regard to possible improvements, it might be interesting to expand the information sheet for each species.

*As an extension, it should be noted that according to an article published by The Guardian on 26 June, the authorities of this administrative region are trying to ban domestic ivory trade with China.

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Técnico de medio ambiente, community manager y content curator especializada en temas de medioambiente - Environmental technician, community manager and content curator specialised in environmental issues