Educational augmented reality app that not only allows you to learn about animals, you will be able to witness a giraffe popping out of a flat piece of paper in a photo realistic 3d animation

Source:  Google Play description

Useful information

Download:  Android 4.1 (175MB) / iOS 7.0 (78.7MB)

Price: Android free (offers in-app purchases) / iOS 0.99$

Language: English

Runs offline: no

Last update: Android 04/12/2015 – iOS 20/05/2016

Website of the developer:  Atlanta AR Design LLC

Notes: article updated on 23/05/2016

Description

Educational application that through augmented reality shows 3D models of different wild animals, also including its most characteristic sounds. The operation, once downloaded the application, is as follows:

  • From the website of Zookazam download any of the target images that will allow the “representation” of the 3D model. If you want to print, you can do it in color, although as discussed in Engadget website also serves an impression in black and white. However, if you have a screen that can reproduce the image in question (for example, a tablet that can focus with the camera on another mobile device), it is not necessary to reproduce the picture on paper.
  • Place the image (on paper or in digital format) on a flat surface. Open the application that you downloaded. The app starts guiding you in the use of the tool through 7 consecutive screens. Upon completion of the tutorial, the application will prompt you to open an account or identify yourself with your Facebook profile, but is not a mandatory action to run the application so if you’re not interested, you can skip this step with the command “Skip “from the bottom of the screen.
    Then you can select the animal you want to see. In the free version of Android you have access to the section of mammals. The remaining animals can be unlocked upon payment of $ 0.99. On this screen, you also have access to settings (see the button on bottom right). In this new screen you can value the app, share images, download new target images and define the desired level of information (to choose between children and teachers), define the conservation of the battery and allow the representation of models without target images (in the attached video you can see how to implement this option).
  • Focus the target image with the camera and see how quickly the selected animal appears. As you can see in the attached screenshots, you have several buttons to change climatic conditions, photography filters, access to information on the animal in question, etc. To interact with the animal, try to move your finger slowly in front of the camera.

Recently has been made an update for iOS devices, adding to the app the representation of a gorilla, also improving the instructions and incorporating more educational material from National Geographic and options to scale animals or record audio, among other improvements.

More information

http://www.zookazam.com/index.html

Images: Screenshots 17/08/2015 ©Zookazam

Rating
4.5

Analysis

Zookazam is a great application that displays the multiple uses of augmented reality. This app is suitable for children and for adults, because the models are very realistic, with well-defined shadows and sounds, although some of them, such as deer roar is not very good. The information provided, in a infographic format that also includes audio, is also interesting. In this stage, the device used in the assessment presented some difficulties with the screen orientation (vertical or horizontal. The last update for devices iOS seems to have corrected this problem). On the negative side, note that the access to purchases offered in app is a bit simple, not requiring any verification by the user, which can mean that children make unwanted purchases if handle the app without the supervision of an adult.

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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