Geoscience Exhibit
Invasive Species in Sagebrush Systems
Roles
Programmer • UI • Data Conversion
Technical Stack
Overview
This application has been developed for an exhibit at the 2024 Personal Structures Exhibition in Venice, Italy. It displays geological drone data gathered by Boise State University's Human-Environment Systems department in an interactive manner. Exhibitors are able to immerse themselves in the environment while learning about invasive plant species in Idaho.
Showcase
Drone Data
For the exhibit, we used clound point data collected from a
drone to create a 3D model of the environment. This model was
then converted into a Unity project to be displayed on a large
screen at the exhibit.
In the project, users are able to navigate the environment and
learn about the invasive species that are present in the area. A
slider also allows users to view the environmental changes at
different times of the year.
Instructions
To help users navigate the exhibit, we created a set of
instructions that are displayed on a screen next to the exhibit.
These instructions provide a brief overview of the exhibit and
how to interact with it.
Once the screen is tapped, gyroscopic camera controls are
enabled, and the user can press the forward button to move
within the environment.
As the project is intended for a audience, the application will
reset to its default state after a period of inactivity, and
eventually back to the main menu.
Challenges
The biggest issue we ran into in this project was converting the
cloud point data into a 3D model. This required various applications
and the use of Blender to create the final model. We also had to do
a lot of optimization to ensure that the project would run smoothly
on the exhibit's hardware.
Getting a shader to effectively transition between the different
periods of the year was also a challenge. We had to ensure that the
transition was smooth and that the user interface would not
interfere with the user's ability to navigate the environment.