Owney the Dog’s Augmented Reality Project

By Erin Blasco and Allison Wickens,

Smithsonian National Postal Museum

Augmented Reality

• An enhanced/augmented way to view the world around you through computer-generated sensory input (video, graphics, GPS data)

• A layer over reality that adds more info or something cool

• Triggered by a marker

Owney’s AR

• Bring his stamp “to life”

• See and hear Owney run, bark, and sit

• Accessible via the web or iPhone

Group Makeup

• Opportunity came via OCIO and 3D imaging

• The director’s interest sparked the project

• One of the director’s goals was to impress a partner and increase promotion

Motivated by Opportunity, Not a Goal

• Create something unique that would spark interest in Owney

• Use AR as an entry point to deeper understanding of his story

• For most components of the Owney project, early elementary kids were the target

How Were Educators Involved?

• Two outside groups worked together, OCIO and AR contractors, on a tight timeline. NPM sometimes out of the loop.

• Educators wanted more “meat,” a clearer relationship between the AR and greater project, better audience entry points

• Sound effects included to hint at Owney’s story

• Would a voiceover or historical context make it too boring?

How Has it Worked?• Owney’s social media fans– Facebook.com/Owney or @OwneytheDog

• Teacher focus group• OP&A observation:– Younger kids enjoyed it most;

mesmerized – Kids enjoyed turning him upside down,

“petting” him, manipulating the AR– Younger folks more tenacious in getting

it to work– Difficult to gauge if it sparked curiosity– Older folks gave up quickly

Lessons Learned

• Identify the target audience and goal (duh)

• If sparkly technology is an “entry point” to deeper learning, think about where and how people will actually enter.

• How important was interactability?• Choose the “trigger” carefully• Contrast to the e-book project• Challenges of contracting at SI

But What if…• … we HAD

thought of the goal and target audience first?

• Would we have stumbled upon AR as the best tool?

• If so, how would we have achieved that?

Agents of Changemobile app game

Coordinated by Erin Blasco, NMAHCamy Clough, NMAH

The 101

• Game developed by Green Door Labs• Free, non-commercial, not owned by SI• Girl Scouts Rock the Mall = a test

audience • Target : middle school aged Girl Scouts• Played all over DC sites• Three parts: sign up and discuss at home

computer; play on iPhone or camera while in DC; return to home computer to vote

Outcomes

• Through participating in game play, Girl Scouts increase their level of engagement in looking at, discussing, and exploring museum objects, exhibits, and ideas. The game gives Girl Scouts a mission to complete or filter through which to view their museum visit and structure museum exploration: – In the short term, this increases their linger time at objects,

increases the level of discourse about museum objects and topics, and provides a social activity that does not detract from connecting with museum topics.

– In the medium term, it prompts thinking about the value of museum objects (personally and globally) and impacts attitudes towards museum objects (not just old and dusty).

– In the long term, participating in the game impacts Girl Scouts’ ability to interpret objects, identify the multiple meanings of objects, and evaluate the importance of objects.

Game narrative• You’re in the future. Post-apocalyptic

world. • Travel to the past to collect objects to

re-boot life on earth. • Photograph the objects, upload

them, tag by category.• Vote for best ones to bring to the

future.

Evaluation

• Q1: Does the game provide a meaningful layer to the museum experience?

• Q2: Does the game narrative (gathering objects to bring to the destroyed future to change the world) impact the museum visit?

• Q3: Does taking photos end up being a meaningful activity to do in the museum?

Q1 and Q2: Does the game provide a meaningful layer to

the museum experience?

• Mild familiarity • A lot going on• Useful lens when

prompted

Q2: Does it impact the visit?

• Looked at different things in the museum

• Increased look time• Fun

“The more you look at something the more you think ‘oh that’s interesting.’”

“I would have gone straight for the cars, but now I looked for things like the cotton gin. I think it’s interesting because would have gone home and not paid attention to exhibition.”

“It is fun to take

pictures.”

“If you like [the objects], you can take pictures to remember it.”

Q3: Does taking photos end up being a meaningful activity to

do in the museum?

• Natural behavior

• Social behavior• Memory• Interpreting

photographed objects

Keep• Keep:– Photo-taking– Dark hook– Playable across SI

• Change:– Better connect photo taking and critical

thinking – Better ending and post-visit activity