AR Souvenir is an innovative mobile application that uses augmented reality (AR) to deliver an interactive and immersive experience. The user simply places their mug (sold in airports) in front of their phone's camera. The app recognizes the mug and displays AR elements around it, based on the city associated with the mug. Each mug becomes a gateway to a unique experience, where animations, information, or virtual objects come to life around it, creating a connection between the physical object and the location it represents. The app also integrates real-time weather data (via OpenWeather), displaying clouds if the weather is bad or a sun if it’s sunny. Additionally, users can click on buildings to enlarge them in the center of the mug and access detailed information about them.
Roles
Solo Developper
Year
2019 (1.5 months)
Tools/Technology
Unity, Vuforia, OpenWeather
Collaborators
Socatec

Presentation

AR Souvenir was created as part of my mandatory internship during the 3ʳᵈ year of my bachelor's degree. Teaming up with a classmate specializing in 3D/Texturing, we were approached by the company Socatec to develop an interactive augmented reality (AR) application centered around their mugs. Each mug is unique, depending on the location where it is purchased (for example, CDG Airport in Paris, JFK in New York, etc.). The goal was to make each mug unique within the app as well. We decided to create small dioramas representing the main landmarks of each city (such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Sacré-Cœur for Paris). Depending on the mug, we also added unique animations to enhance immersion. Using OpenWeather, we integrated a real-time weather feature. Based on the weather conditions of the city associated with the mug, 3D elements (like clouds, sun, or rain particles) appear around the mug, adding a dynamic and realistic touch to the experience. Unfortunately, the project did not progress beyond the prototype stage. Socatec deemed AR to be just a gimmick and believed that few people would use it, refusing to invest further in the idea. Additional Projects During this month and a half of freelance work, I also contributed to other small projects for Socatec: • AR Integration on a Concorde Model : I added interactivity to a 30 cm model of the Concorde. For example, clicking on the cockpit would display videos and information about how it worked. • Front Page/Back-End Development : I created interfaces and internal tools to streamline their workflow. • Iterative Testing : I developed exploratory prototypes for AR app ideas.
CDG Paris Mug
Media 1 of 3: CDG Paris Mug