Software Requirements:

• Unity

  • version 2021.3.6f1

• Vuforia

  • version 10.9.3 (There is now a newer version to use)

• Unity Hub

Installation Instructions:

1. Download the newest version of Unity Hub.

2. Once the download is complete, Open Unity Hub, navigate to the left-hand bar, and click on the Installs tab

3. If this is your first install of Unity Hub/Unity there will be no installs listed. To install the correct version on Unity:

   1. Navigate to Install Editor in the top left

   2. Navigate to the Archive tab in the top bar

   3. In the statement in this tab, click on the hyperlink that says download archive

   4. Navigate to the correct version of Unity(2021.3.6f1)

   5. Click on the Unity Hub button to download this version to Unity Hub.

   6. This will prompt Unity Hub to open and then will open an Install page with the version listed.

      1. Under Platforms make sure to select Android Build Support and iOS Build Support if you want to build to a mobile device.

      2. Under Documentation make sure to select Documentation

   7. If you forget to check any modules above you can do it after Unity is installed.

   8. Click on the Install button

   9. The correct version should now be installing

4. Now that the correct version of Unity is installed, you can move forward in the project

Project Instructions:

1. Print out and assemble the MergeCube and ClassCube (found in the CubesForVuforia folder)

2. Download the code from GitHub

3. Unzip the file and move the file into the Unity folder that contains all your unity projects (should be created by Unity)

4. Before opening the project you have to install Vuforia

Install Vuforia:

1. Navigate to the Vuforia website

2. Create an account then navigate to the Downloads page

3. Download Vuforia 10.9 via Unity Hub (It should be the first option Add Vuforia Engine to a Unity Project or upgrade to the latest version)

4. Once the download is complete click to open the .unityPackage, this should open Unity Hub and download the Vuforia package

Setting Up the Project:

1. Click Open in the Unity Projects page and select the project folder where this project is saved to open it.

2. It should spend some time processing and will open up the project

3. Once open you may have to import Vuforia to do this go to Assets from there click Import Package and then Custom Package you should be able to then import all the files required.

4. Additionally, you will need a Vuforia key to have the project work correctly:

   1. Go to the Vuforia website

      1. Create a Vuforia developer account

      2. Under the Develop tab ensure you are on the License Manager page

      3. Click on Get Development Key to create a license key.

      4. Once created you should get the key that you can now copy

   2. Go to the Unity project

      1. On the top bar, find the Window tab and scroll to Vuforia Configuration

      2. Paste this key in the Global section of the Vuforia Configuration window in the right-hand menu in Unity

5. In the Project folder in the bottom part of Unity in there is an Assets folder, which contains a Scenes folder

6. In the Scenes folder there is a file named ThemeParkCubes.unity, drag it into the hierarchy (not inside any scene) and delete the Default scene/cameras that are there.

7. Congratulations! If you open the Scene, under ARCamera you should see two models, MagicKingdom (Cube 1) and SuperNintendoWorld (Cube 2). Print out the merge and class cube (found in the CubesForVuforia folder), assemble them, and put them in front of the screen. When you click the play you can now use AR to see the two cube designs on the physical cubes built.

If there are problems installing, ensure that the com.ptc.vuforia.engine-10.9.3.tgz is in the Packages folder and that in packages-lock.json in the dependencies search for "com.ptc.vuforia.engine" and change the version to 10.9.3 (or if you have to use the newest version 10.10.2)

If you have another project with the com.ptc.vuforia.engine-10.9.3.tgz (or com.ptc.vuforia.engine-10.10.2 tgz) file in Packages, you can copy it into this projects Packages folder

You can find further information about Vuforia and Unity here.

I believe AR eyewear and projects, such as our cube (and potentially slightly larger scale items) will be popular in several years when we have eyewear that shows AR objects like this to always be around us. However, I do think there will be limitations to how often people use these objects. I could likely see this technology being used more so for entertainment or learning purposes and for purposes that are less long-term (not using the technology for the full day) rather than having a fully AR society. I could see pushback to this technology being used consistently due to safety reasons unless that is heavily considered when designing this technology. If this technology is used consistently, it could block figures, or distract you. For example, if you’re walking and see a fascinating figure you might miss obstacles on the road, such as a car or a pothole. Finally, general distrust in some technology that people have (plus the ways that this technology could potentially be used both intentionally and unintentionally nefariously) could influence the lack of popularity and usage of eyewear that shows AR objects like this around you all day. However, I think that rather than using this to see AR objects around you all day every day there could be niche uses for this technology and it will become popular through that. For example, AR could be used in theater and other themed environments to bring to life the environment in a way that may not physically be possible but is possible through technology.

Some small objects that I think would benefit from AR-enhanced physical objects would be akin to pop-up books. Adding AR to learning material could make it more interactive to look at the model and also it could be more immersive and allow you to see more with less. Especially, as technology advances, AR would first allow users to get a look at a 3D object, and additionally one can get a 360 view. Along with this, different views can be used that one can’t get on just one page. For example, it could be a model of a human body, one view could be the skeleton, one view could be the nervous system, and one view could be the muscular system. In comparison to the physical model it can also change in an instant so you can see how items are connected and their relative location. Additionally, as it is AR it could have interactive components that allow you to see the scientific names of different parts of the body.

Another small object that could benefit from being an AR-enhanced physical object would be a board game, such as Monopoly, Candyland, or Life. Adding AR to a board could first allow movement of the scenes, for example in Monopoly, you could animate scenes, such as when the property is bought showing the street view and building, and AR can make it 3D allowing you to get a 360 view of the property. Additionally, it could help keep the tally of points and increase accuracy and it could increase the immersion of the game.