Immersive captures : the use of augmented and virtual reality as tools for reliving memory

Abstract

This project centers around the development and creation of a mobile application that employs Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology, for users to fully re-experience captured moments. Users may experience motion pictures superimposed onto photography by means of AR technology, and moreover, step right into the 360° VR landscape, to be able to view the recorded moment as a spectator. This creation is designed to be an ancillary service as a step above a photographer, or videographer, or rather both of them combined. The study aims to recognise preferred methods of memory recording among different groups of people who know one another, namely families. Focus groups were carried out for the purpose of investigating rituals within groups, as well as identifying common concerns related to printed, digital, and social media. The research findings indicated strengths within the project, projecting its potential success as a product, due to the combination of traditional printed photography, as well as the immersive method with which a user may experience a recorded memory, respective to the print.