Duration
One Week
Team
Kanika Bansal
Hiren Dhakecha
​
Tools
Unity
Blender 3D
Power Point
My Role
Writing the code for triggering particle system in Unity using C sharp for fire animation. Research on ray cast
Project Goal.
Develop an Augmented Reality (AR) application that presents or reconstructs a cultural heritage element, utilizing a platform that represents your cultural background. Transform this heritage into an immersive AR experience via a head-mounted display, specifically the Oculus Quest 2
Image by StorySet
Design Process.
I chose Dusshera.
Dusshera is the festival of the victory of good over evil.
Reconstructing Dussehra in AR provides an opportunity to educate users about the festival's historical, mythological, and cultural significance. It can serve as a valuable educational tool for both children and adults, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indian culture.
Image by StorySet
Ideation.
I began by sketching out how the VR experience should faithfully replicate the Dussehra festival.
The Idea - The application will simulate the burning of Ravana's effigy, allowing users to trigger the event using oculus controllers and view it from various angles in a safe, controlled virtual environment..
How does it work?
The bow is shot by using the oculus controllers
The bow makes contact with the box collider which is attached to the ravana
The collider triggers the particle system and the fire starts.
Bow
Fire
Ravana
AR Prototype.
My contribution include building the 3D assets in Blender 3D ( Ravana & Bow). Additionally I also developed the particle system in unity real engine (fire).
Deployed in Meta Oculus!
We tested the prototype with several Indiana University students and received both positive and constructive feedback. One suggestion was to make the backgrounds more immersive and engaging, rather than using plain black backgrounds.
Reviews.
"Really liking this project. It pulls together information about the heritage and the action of the heritage in a clever way!"
Travis Faas
Professor
"The concept is interesting, the bow and arrow interaction was super cool!"
Indiana University Student
My Takeaways.
Overcame technical challenges
Developing an AR application for a complex cultural festival like Dussehra presented several technical and design challenges, including creating detailed 3D models, ensuring smooth interactions.
Overcoming them definitely felt like an achievement.
3D modelling is my super-power!
I've been passionate about 3D modeling since my days in product design, and this project not only allowed me to brush up on my skills but also helped me grow significantly in this area.
The Importance of Immersive Storytelling
Immersive storytelling in AR proved to be a highly effective way to engage users. The ability to interact with key moments from the Ramayana and excited the users and increased the user engagement.
