Augmented Tourism - What you see is (not necessarily) what you get

The Tourist Selection Tool (Augmented Tourism) explores the ad hoc possibilities offered by new media and state-of-the-art technology, and offers potential tourists an interactive method to fiddle with a range of parameters for selecting their future travel destination. Based on predefined keycards, a three-dimensional model of the Austrian region of Styria is virtually being augmented by layers of data, which correspond to the input of travel criteria (parameters).

The configuration builds upon several essential components. First of all a highly detailed and finely manufactured 3D heightmodel of Bundesland Steiermark will be the host for several visualizations. On top of that, a Vicon tracking system and a standard camera provide the interactivity with the user, involving possibilities to select regions from the map and to retreive and combine detailed statistics on more and less straightforward touristic parameters. Finally, the tracking system allows the user to place visual markers on the table and to trigger the appearance and disappearance of data.

User interactivity and the visual output quality have been meticulously investigated through the project development. Ease of use and uncluttered real estate are essential to provide visual relevance and, hence, useful and understandable output towards the user. User friendliness of the highly interactive Tourist Selection Tool will lower the access threshold for people of all ages and will call for the attention of people with very broad expectations.

Augmented Tourism is a project which was developed at the Institut für Architektur und Medien at Graz Technical University.

Tools:
- VICON Tracking System
- Processing (processing.org)
- Marker Detection library
- 3D milled heightmodel

Read more about the project on http://nielswouters.be/​ready-to-roll/​, http://nielswouters.be/​tafel-update-afwerking/​ and http://nielswouters.be/​tafel-update-vicon/​ (all in Dutch).