I had to convert my fascination into something physical in the Hidden Stories project. My passions during this project were Augmented Reality and architecture. Augmented Reality is adding digital elements to fact. We mainly do this through phones or tablets, but this area is developing quickly. I believe that AR will play a significant role in our daily lives in the future. In this project, I wanted to push my boundaries and link it to an area that it had never been linked to before: Architecture.

 

With these thoughts, I started my own company in Amersfoort under Hidden Stories. Every architectural highlight in a city has a story behind it. Hidden Stories lets you experience this through the latest technology in a way you have never experienced before. We do this in the form of an AR city walk along the famous and beautiful architectural highlights that a city offers.

The different stories used to design the experience are legends associated with the city of Amersfoort. These are then brought to life utilizing AR. The beauty of this project is that it is not city-bound at all. Each town has its arsenal of stories and historical buildings that Hidden Stories can use. The purpose of my assignment was to find a way to modernize history education. Learning about a city's history is essential. I grew up in Amersfoort but did not know its rich history and legends. Hidden Stories tries to change this by modernizing the 'normal' city walk.

 

The most important thing about attractions is the question: 'How do I ensure that the target group knows where to find me?' In Amersfoort, it has been determined after research that a folder works best. To spread the word, I use the VVV organization. The VVV in Amersfoort is responsible for the dissemination of information about events and attractions within a city. 

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To complete the experience, I chose a story with Hans van Harten, Board Member / Treasurer at the Open Monument Days Amersfoort Foundation and responsible for the events and city walks in Amersfoort, and decided to make a prototype of this. First came the audio that I recorded together with a resident of Amersfoort. It offers support during the AR experience and tells people about the stories behind the monuments during the city walk. During this project, I worked with several AR professionals on a prototype. This way, I can get people to understand what kind of experience awaits them if this project ever becomes a reality. This prototype shows the building and the accompanying story as a 3D model. The intention is that when this project is to be used in the real world, only the effects and report will be added to reality, and the building will serve as an anchor.