No abstract

This research presents results from a study developing a smartphone app, Urban CoBuilder, in which citizens can collaboratively create designs for urban environments using augmented reality technology and game mechanics. Eight prototypes were developed to refine selected design criteria, including tracking strategies, design elements, user experience and the interface with game mechanics. The prototypes were developed through an iterative design process with assessments and incremental improvements. The tracking was especially challenging and using multiple bitonal markers combined with the smartphone’s gyroscope sensor to average the user position was identified as the most suitable strategy. Still, portability and stability linked to tracking need to be improved. Design elements, here building blocks with urban functions textures, were realistic enough to be recognizable and easy to understand for the users. Future studies will focus on usability tests with larger user groups.

Both policy and research highlight the importance of diverse stakeholder input in urban development processes but visualizing future built environments and creating two-way design communication for non-expert stakeholders are challenging. The present study develops an intuitive and simplified 3D modeling platform that integrates web-based desktop, virtual reality and mobile augmented reality technologies for remote simultaneous urban design collaboration. Through iterative prototyping, based on two series of workshops with stakeholders, the study resulted in such an integrated platform as a minimum viable product as well as specifications for a minimum marketable product to be used in real projects. Further study is required to evaluate the minimum level of detail in the 3D modeling necessary for good perception of scale and environmental impact simulation.