Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is testing the potential of augmented reality (AR) for town planning together with the city of Lucerne. To do this, the university has developed an AR visualization of potential changes to Bahnhofstrasse and Theaterplatz. For example, the planned second row of trees, new bike storage, and mobile seating areas can be seen including all planting, according to a press release from the university.
The research groups Visual Narrative from the Lucerne School of Art and Design and the Immersive Realities Research Lab from the Lucerne School of Computer Science as well as the Civil Engineering Office of the city of Lucerne were involved in the joint project. It has now been presented to the media. Presentations for the wider public will take place over three days in September.
The AR visualization can be implemented on conventional tablets. The actual surroundings appear on the screen with virtual objects projected over them. This can be used to consider planned structural interventions spatially and in 3D. Project Lead Tobias Matter is quoted in the press release, saying: “This means that users experience how Bahnhofstrasse could be configured and used in future on the spot without needing any actual structural or other interventions to do so.”
This means that all policy makers from various areas can actively and simply be involved in planning. In contrast, plans, models and technical vocabulary are not self-explanatory to everyone. Matter adds: “Thus the immersive visualization technology provided by augmented reality can be an effective tool for transparently informing the public about construction work and renovation projects, encouraging their involvement in planning, and thereby raising the acceptance of such initiatives for all people involved.”
