digital book

the SECRET of
Shan Hai Jing

AR Board Game

Final Major Project

Name: Lek Yu Xuan Lecturer: Mr. Alex Tan Wei Kian

Student ID: 202020011 Intake: May 2022

Table of Contents

1 Initial Concept 12 Case Studies
2 Main Objectives 13 AR Unity Research
3 Cultural Context 14 Card Design Research
4 Project Scope 15 Character Design Research
5 Research 16 Shan Hai Jing Creatures Research
6 Infographics 17 Design Development
7 Target Audience 18 Deliverables
8 User Persona 19 Reflection
9 User Journey 20 Budget
10 Survey 21 Gantt Chart
11 Marketing Research 22 References

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Initial Concept

AR Board Game

The concept is using Shan Hai Jing to introduce the importance of biodiversity. Shan
Hai Jing is a book from China that having the earliest record of the culture and geog-
raphy, regional products and produce, ethnography, and folk customs.

There are a lot of creatures from the book that are able to match with our real-life
animals. There are many of them are endangered animal and many people guess
that those mythical creatures are actually just extinct creatures. If we continue to
ignore the decrease of biodiversity, the animals might become a myth for our next
generation.

The game rule is to guess the animal through the description and illustration of the
creatures. People are able to enjoy the fun of play around with friends and experience
AR in the process. People also able to learn more about those animals while enjoy the
game.

Initial Concept 3

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Main Objective

a. Craft objectives
•To learn more about creating a board game

•To learn more about the usage of AR
•To learn more about 3D modelling

b. Social objectives
•To educate people about the biodiversity in our planet

•To encourage more people to pay attention on the environmental issues

Main Objective 4

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Cultural Context

Nowadays more environmental issues we
need to faced and pay attention on it. As
more habitats of animal are destroyed, air
pollution and water pollution are getting
serious, global warming and more prob-
lems arise, the biodiversity which is the
variety and variability of life on Earth of
most of the places are decreased. There
are more and more animals become
endangered animals.

The board game can act as a tool to 5
attract people to learn knowledge
while having fun. The concept of Shan
Hai Jing is used to remind people that if
we don’t pay attention on them, they
might become the creatures that only
can know from book and become a
myth. Probably our next generation will
take them as an imaginative creature
that never exist in this world.

Cultural Context

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Project Scope

Deliverables

a. Major deliverable - AR board game
An AR board game with physical board and card. AR as
an assistant tool allow players to check the answer. Cre-
ated with Cinema4D modelling and Unity Vuforia for AR.

b. Minor Deliverables – 2 minutes Promotional Video
A video showing the overview of the style and elements
of the board game.

c. Minor Deliverables – Social Media
A Facebook page to promote the AR board game.

Success Measure

To have more people show more concern about
environmental issues and biodiversity.

Project Scope 6

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Research

Shan Hai Jing

Shan Hai Jing , also known as Classic of Mountain and Sea is a book that has

been classified as a record of ancient topography, mythology, shamanic sourcebook,

and more. Most of the traditional bibliographies recorded that it was written by Great

Yu, the founder of the Xia dynasty. The text was not composed in the same period, and

the book was organised and modified multiple times. The existing version is believed

as Guo Pu from the Jin dynasty edited. (Gesterkamp, 2021)

Shan Hai Jing is divided into Shan Jing (Classic of Mountain) and Hai Jing

(Classic of Sea). The Hai Jing subdivides into four sections which are the Haiwai Jing

(Classic of Beyond the Seas), Hainei Jing (Classic of Within the Seas),

Dahuang Jing (Classic of the Great Wilds), and another Hainei Jing (Clas-

sic of Within the Seas). There is a total of 5 sections. There are 18 chapters in the cur-

rent edition, five in Shan Jing, four in each Haiwai Jing, Hainei Jing and Dahuang Jing,

and one in the final Hainei Jing. The chapters are organised based on the orientation,

beginning with the south and moving clockwise. The Shan Jing ends with the centre,

and the others end with the east. (Gesterkamp, 2021)

The contents have a specific structure. Shan Jing wrote about the information and
items on the mountains. The contents included the distances between the mountains
and the local god, auspicious creatures, strange or ordinary animals, flora and fauna,
medicinal herbs, minerals and river, and some occasions. For the Hai Jing, it is organ-
ised by order of states covering the different strange races living there and full of
mythical tales and stories. (Gesterkamp, 2021)

Research 7

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

When they first know about it, most people take it as a mythological record. Many
Chinese mythology creatures from Shan Hai Jing have been used in different types of
storybooks, games, dramas, movies, animations and more. However, it can also be
seen from a different perspective. Shan Hai Jing can also be seen in geography, histo-
ry, culture, religion, natural science, and medicine. (Chen, 2017) The geography in
Shan Hai Jing can refer to today's rivers and mountains. In Shan Hai Jing, the River
guides to the Yellow River and Jiang refers to the Changjiang River in China. (Liu, 2018)
Those strange and mythical creatures can also refer as today's animals.

Shan Hai Jing also recorded the medicinal use of the animals. Many traditional medi-
cines use different kinds of animals or parts from the animals like the horn and
organs. There was a large amount of hunting for the 'medicine' and 'food', which has
become a severe social problem. People must reflect on the facts that we need to
distinguish between 'medicine' and 'old belief'. (Xiaolin, 2008) Overhunting can cause
the biodiversity of our nature to be reduced, which will continue to cause many eco-
system problems. Many animals are endangered because of humans' overhunting,
and we need to stop that to reduce the excessive demand on nature.

Shan Hai Jing recorded many creatures that can refer to today's animals. Some
people also guess that the mythical creatures are just extinct creatures we never get
to see. In the book, parrots are also recorded as strange creatures that can talk in
human language. If parrots are extinct creatures, we might also take them as mythical
creatures that only live in our imagination. Thus, if we ignore the loss of biodiversity
and environmental issues, the animals might soon be extinct from our world. They
will probably become creatures that can only be seen in books and become a myth
for our next generation.

Research 8

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Biodiversity

From Shan Hai Jing, many creatures recorded in the book can refer to
today's animals, and many are endangered species. For example, a
creature called Lushu from NanShanJing can be referred to as
Okapi, an endangered species on IUCN Red List. (Jiaying, 2010) The
primary threat to Okapi is habitat loss because of logging and illegal
occupation of protected areas. (David P Mallon, 2015) Recently,
people have been more concerned about the conservation of
endangered species. This issue is depended on how humans react to
it. The extinction of a species will highly affect the biodiversity of our
nature, and that will affect our human well-being.

When explained broadly, biodiversity is the number, abundance,
composition, and spatial distribution. (Sandra Díaz, 2006) It also
includes the interactions of genotypes, populations, species, func-
tional types and traits, and landscape units in a specific system. Bio-
diversity has two foundational levels, species diversity and genetic
diversity. Species and genetic diversity refer to the number of spe-
cies and genotype, respectively, and the evenness of the relative
abundances. (Diane S. Srivastava, 2013) Biodiversity mainly refers to
the number of species, but the evenness also needs to be calculat-
ed.

Humans have a significant impact on the biodiversity and ecosystem.
Humans created the climate and land-use changes, increased emis-
sion of greenhouse gases, biogeochemical cycles, and mobility of
organisms, which changed the planet's diversity. (Caro & Sherman,
2011) Land-use change is projected to have the most significant
global impact on biodiversity by 2100. (F. Stuart Chapin III, 2000) It is
followed by climate change, nitrogen deposition, species introduc-
tions and changing the concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. For
example, land-use change, overhunting, species introduction and
pollution have created 25% of all mammal species and 13% of all bird
species to extinction. (David Tilman, 2017) The species diversity
would decrease when human densities are high, as humans cause
the consequence of the loss of natural habitat, overexploitation of
natural resources, and pollution.

Research 9

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

If the number and proportions of species are higher with greater
human population densities, the extinction rates would be higher.
(Gaston, 2005) For example, no species on Pacific islands disap-
peared within the last 1000 to 4000 years before the first human con-
tact. (Stuart L. Pimm, 1995) When obliterating a species can lead to a
cascade of extinctions of any other species. There is a case where
removing the top predator in a marine, starfish, on a rocky shore,
allows one mussel species to outcompete populations of other spe-
cies. (Daily, 1993)

Biodiversity sustains the delivery of many ecosystem services that
support human health and well-being. Ecosystem services are the
benefits of the ecosystem to humans and contribute to making
human life possible. Human well-being includes basic materials for
staying alive, freedom for choice and action, healthy, identity and
security. The decrease in biodiversity leads to a loss in some aspects
of human health and well-being. Based on several studies, humans
need exposure to diverse natural habitats to develop human
immune responses to allergens and other factors that could cause a
disease. (Paul A. Sandifer, 2015) Besides, biodiversity sustains the
production of biomass and soil formation, supports water quality and
climate regulation, control agricultural pest and disease, and protect
against natural hazards. All of these create a good life for humans
and maintain human well-being. (Sandra Díaz, 2006)

In the next 50 years, biodiversity threats will likely grow when human
populations and per capita incomes increase. The regions that have
experienced habitat loss on a large scale will probably face
increased extinction risks. For example, oil palm cultivation in South-
east Asia and other conservation with high levels of a population of
species in a geographic location would probably face biodiversity
threats. (David Tilman, 2017)

The loss of biodiversity will probably be more serious in the future.
Many organisers are trying to save biodiversity in different ways and
methods. It is easy to see the advertisements and events about the
conservation of the environment. People always try to create a fun
and easy-learning experience to help people learn more about it.
Many different media and tools can be used to encourage people to
pay attention to it and take action to protect it.

Research 10

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Augmented Reality (AR)

As mentioned before, there are many ways exist to create a fun and meaningful
learning experience to encourage people to learn more about biodiversity. New
media such as AR can be a helpful tool for learning as it can visualise the elements of
the related knowledge.

Augmented Reality (AR) has been used for different areas and applications. The term
AR is defined with varying meanings by researchers. Researcher Azuma described AR
as a system that fulfils three essential criteria: a combination of real and virtual, inter-
active in real-time, and 3D registration of virtual and natural objects. Other research-
ers proposed a similar definition: the natural and computer-generated information
combined in the physical world, interact in real-time, and naturally display virtual
objects in real-world orientation. Besides, Klopfer and Squire defined AR as a
real-world overlaid with coherent context virtual information. (Danakorn Nincarean,
2013) Smartphones, tablets and AR wearables can achieve AR. AR has been widely
used in applications such as AR Instagram and Facebook filters, make-up try-on,
Pokémon Go games, etc.

The advancements of AR in mobile devices are now increasing. In recent years, hand-
held computing usage has expanded worldwide and created a subset of AR; mobile
augmented reality (MAR). (Danakorn Nincarean, 2013) However, the concept of MAR,
in which AR was applied in mobile settings, started to exist in the mid-1990. (Marlissa
Omar, 2019) Due to the rapid growth of smartphones and tablets, MAR has become a
mainstream technology that can provide visualisation and interaction support for
different industries. (Suk, 2019) MAR is a practicable application with good potential
for learning and entertainment. Moreover, MAR has the advantage of the awareness
of position, time and user state in digital interaction with the environment. (Dimitrios
MARKOUZIS, 2015)

Research 11

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

In Di Serio et al. study, AR has shown a positive impact on the motivation of mid-
dle-school students. Based on Liu et al., MAR has the potential to enhance the edu-
cational experience and learning outcomes when integrated into a learning environ-
ment. (Siti Salmi Jamali, 2013) MAR learning-based systems are more on games or
simulations. The portability, social interactivity, connectivity, context-sensitivity and
individuality of mobile devices have made the learning experience unforgettable and
meaningful. MAR is advantageous as it can be used in formal and informal learning
environments. When AR and educational fields are brought together, students can
experience and learn while having fun. (Lee, 2008) In addition, MAR can maximise
educational efficiency by engaging students in practice-based activities. (Maria Cristi-
na Costa, 2020)

Another term called MGAR means mobile game-based learning integrated with Aug-
mented Reality. According to Meekaew N., & Ketpichainarong, W., students who used
the MGAR better understand and learn motivation. (Nongluk Meekaew, 2018) There-
fore, AR is crucial to support game-based learning activities. The core advantage is
that MGAR increased students' engagement, driven by the natural motivators from
games. As a result, MGAR can improve students' learning attitudes and performance.

Gamification is the application of game mechanics to engage students and motivate
and improve learning and problem-solving. (Tamara Ređep, 2021) Games have
increasingly been used for severe or social purposes in different fields, including bio-
diversity. (Chris Sandbrook, 2015) Board games are categorised into games that con-
tribute to children's self-regulation and self-control by providing a condition where
they can voluntarily accept rules and learn the knowledge. Psychologist Lev Vygot-
sky said that play was the leading source of development when we were kids. (Sara
Mostowfi, 2016) A game creates new but easy-to-understand languages for players.
(Eisenack, 2013) Games can use an ordinary gaming experience to introduce a topic
about society or the environment.

Research 12

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Conclusion

Shan Hai Jing can be seen as a mythological book and a historical geometric record.
The location can refer to the actual site, like some mountains and deserts. Moreover,
there are many strange and unique creatures introduced in the book. Some creatures
can be referred to as existing animals, and the creatures we have not seen might also
be extinct animals. It is just that we have not seen that kind of animal before. That is
why we take them as strange and mythical creatures. Thus, we need to protect our
biodiversity by saving our nature and animals so that they will not become strange
creatures for the next generation.

As mentioned before, the loss of biodiversity is a serious problem. There are more
environmental issues we need to face and pay attention to. More habitats of animals
are destroyed, air pollution and water pollution are getting severe, and global warming
and more problems arise. Most of these issues are created by humans and will contin-
ue to get serious as our population grows. We can do many things, such as recycle the
object we have used or use media to encourage people to pay attention to it. We need
more people to be concerned, pay attention to it, and take action to save our planet's
biodiversity.

A board game can be an excellent tool to attract people to learn something. Many of
us have experience playing board games with friends and family members in our
growing-up process. Nowadays, many children have their smartphones at a younger
age. However, that can bring out a better way for entertainment and education. AR on
mobile can be a tool which can make things more interesting, attractive and memora-
ble. AR can be a better way for us to increase the immersive interaction between
people and between people and the board game. It is also easier for people to under-
stand the value needed to express from the game. As our technologies grow rapidly,
AR will be used in more industries and applications by helping to visualise things
easier.

Research 13

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Infographic

Infographic 14

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Infographic

Infographic 15

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Target Audience

The target audience is teenagers at the age of 12 to 17. It is a board game that
required mobile phone to interact with AR and the average age of today’s kid to own
a mobile phone is at 12-year-old. Teens at this age are most likely to have interest or
want to try a different kind of board game which included AR interaction.
The target audience should have household income at RM5000 or more. With this
income, they are most likely to have extra money to purchase some board games.
Besides, they are also most likely to have mid-range mobile phone that support AR.
The target audience included teens who like to social using playing board game.
They can play the board game when they are with their friends or sibling. The target
audience also included teens that have interest in Chinese mythology and concern
about environmental issues. Other than that, it is a board game that included educa-
tional purpose which parents will prefer if their children can learn something while
playing board games.

Target Audience 16

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

User Persona

User Persona 17

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

User Journey

User Journey 18

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Survey

Survey 19

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Survey Result

There are 35 responses. About 91% of
respondents are 12 to 17 years old, the
project's target audience. The gender is
about equal, around 51% females and
46% males. Most of them show interest in
myths and only half of them have heard
about ShanHaiJing but they are not sure
what is it about.

From the biodiversity survey, most of
them think humans significantly impact
our natural biodiversity. 37% of the
respondents have tried AR before, and
31% are unsure about it. The response
shows that many did not know what AR
was and did not realise it was AR even if
they had tried it before.

The board game that most people have
played before are Monopoly, UNO, Snake
and Ladder, Ludo and Jenga which are
mostly card games and roll and move
games. Most people still like the classic
board games that are created many years
ago. Therefore, most of them tend to
have an interest in this project.

Survey 20

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Marketing Research

Hasbro

Hasbro is a global play and entertainment company
founded in 1923. They executed to make the world a
better place for all children, fans and families. They
deliver different brand experiences for international
audiences. Their products include toys and games,
entertainment, and gaming. They have unparalleled
portfolios of roughly 1500 brands, including Magic:
The Gathering, NERF, My Little Pony, Transformers,
Play-Doh, Monopoly, Baby Alive, Dungeons & Drag-
ons, Power Rangers, Peppa Pig, PJ Masks and more
partner brands.

The mission of Hasbro is to create the world’s best play and entertainment experienc-
es. Their purpose is to make the world a better place for all children, fans and families.

Hasbro brands created innovative consumer products for children, families and fans to
enjoy. The products have across more than 100 categories, including toys, games,
apparel, music, publishing, and location-based entertainment. In addition, there are a
few subsidiaries of Hasbro. For example, the independent studio eOne delivers
world-class entertainment worldwide and on all platforms. Besides, there is Hasbro
Pulse, which creates products and engaging content for their passionate fans and Wiz-
ards of the Coast, an award-winning publisher and developer of tabletop and digital
games. (About Hasbro, n.d.)

Market Research 21

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

SWOT Analysis

Market Research 22

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Marketing Research

SPM GAMES

SPM GAMES is Malaysia’s largest board games and
indoor games producer and creator. SPM Syarikat
Permainan (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. was founded in 1976
by Ting Sie Bing, who was born in Perak. SPM has pro-
duced over fifty range of games, and 150 000 sets are
sold annually. The games range from strategy games
to classic games to modern traditional games. It is
roughly calculated that approximately 12 million Ma-
laysians have played a SPM game at least once.

SPM has made giant-sized games and organised large-sized game events at many
shopping malls around Malaysia. They called it the XL games. They create a fun and
exciting board game experience that is not limited to a few but a massive crowd at one
go.

SPM creates fresh new games and innovates the existing ones to remain the game
market leader. They also form industry and academic collaboration with local colleges
and universities. They create opportunities for students to work on real products and
explore their game making potential. They provide internship opportunities all year
round.

SPM constantly innovates in all areas and adopts information technology. They also
adopt to connecting with end-users through social media and mobile game apps.
(About Us, n.d.)

Market Research 23

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

SWOT Analysis

Market Research 24

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Case Studies

TOI Travel Around the World board game

This game is a combination of a chess game and collecting cards. (Travel Around the
World Board Games TOI, n.d.) A lot of geographical and cultural knowledge is covered
in this board game. It included a large splicing board, passport, five stand-up cards of
roles and four stand-up cards of transportation tools. In addition, 136 scenic cards
cover the cultural event, the country and the instructions. (TOI Travel Around the World
board game, n.d.)

The game rule is to roll and move. Step on the point with numbers, and take the corre-
sponding cards into the passport. When stepping on the interchange point, the player
can choose to use a bus, train, ship or plane to travel to other continents. The player
who first collects three or more cards for every five continents wins.

Players can plan the routes themselves and collect cards to explore the mysteries of

the continents. This board game allows players to combine cognition and memory

more naturally. (TOI , n.d.)

Case Studies 25

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Rescue from Extinction

Rescue from Extinction is an educational board game for animal lovers and parents
who want to educate their kids about animal extinction. In this game, players will act as
an endorser of an area and save the extinct animals from environmental issues and
external hurts. The goal of this game is to help animals collect their food and habitat.

This board game includes six natural terrain boards, 30 kinds of endangered animals

from China, information cards and other items. The game rule is to collect natural

resources by rolling the resources dice, helping the animals step forward and escape

extinction. In addition, there are event cards that will cause the animals to be in

danger. The events are all based on the actual situation and issues that happened

before or still happening. ( I

—— , n.d.)

The board game is based on knowledge of geography, biology and ecology. A fun
experience is created using attractive illustrations and easy-understand text.
Through this game, players can understand the logic of the ecosystem and the
impact of human activities on nature. It makes players experience the issues by
themselves, and everyone can have a different experience and outcome. Hoping it
can inspire every player to think about how humans can live peacefully with animals.

Case Studies 26

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Evolution: Climate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAQGkSolf_8

Evolution: Climate is a board game that introduces climate and dynamic ecosystems.
The game takes place in a dynamic, connected world, where food is short and the
climate swing between hot and cold. In this game, players need to adapt a species
and protect the species from other species and climate issues. Besides, there are 200
000 ways to evolve with the species, and every round of games gives a different
experience.

The game rule is to draw four
cards with each species per
round. Each species has up to 4
traits. The climate moves along
a Climate Track based on the
food cards, and there are trait
cards that protect from the heat
and cold. Players need to deal
with the threat of starvation,
carnivores and climate effects.
(Evolution: Climate, 2016)

This game is easy to learn but with a complicated game system. There are multiple
ways to win, and it makes every game unique. The game features beautiful art, and
the playtime is around 60 minutes which makes this game ideal for a game night.
(North Star Games Evolution: Climate Stand-Alone Board Game - Every Game
Becomes a Different Adventure!, n.d.)

Case Studies 27

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

FlexNBA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf4vBGiJ0wY
Flex NBA is the world's first board game that combines sports with AR technology.
This board game allows the player to watch the NBA heroes come to life in front of
you through AR. Players can build their team of professional basketball players. Each
athlete has two or three special skills called flexes.

This board game included a paper game board, 5 Player Tiles, 5 FX Tiles, one Play
Action Dice, one Ball Dice and damage chips. There are about 200 types of Player
Tiles. Players take turns to Flex (attack) on each other. The game ends when a player's
Confidence Points (CP) reach zero. (Sequoia Games, 2021)

Each tile features a hand-drawn illustration from some sports artists and comes with
an unrepeatable barcode. The Flex Companion app is used to transform the stationary
tiles into the NBA heroes' iconic moments with AR. The AR has captured the athletes'
signature moves, traits, and moments. Scanning the game board using your phone will
show the players cool animations. They can interact with each other when they pair
different tiles together, and they will team up to create some unique animations and
moments. This board game lets players capture the athletes and bring the epic mo-
ments to live in addictive gameplay. (About us, n.d.)

Case Studies 28

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

HoloGrid: Monster Battle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYRc1Zv0N6M
HoloGrid: Monster Battle is a hybrid strategy game. It is a new type of game experi-
ence blending with board games, CCG and digital and use AR to bring the monsters
to life. The game uses a team-based combat on a playing board. It allows players to
use AR to see the intense battle between the teams.

This game including a foldable game board, two card packs containing two champi-
ons, six minions, five spell cards, and a board card. There is a mobile app as the AR
tools. All characters come with their own abilities, movement ranges and more. The
characters divided into five classes which are Champions, Tanks, Specialists,
Ranged/Shooters and Fighters. All characters have their unique spells and have the
ability to control the situations on the battle field. (HappyGiant, 2016)

This game only takes 10-15 minutes. The game is made for two players or teams. Each
player will scan their cards to load the game board and start the match. Players will
take turns to attack the opponents until one player destroys the opposing player.
HoloGrid manage to combine AR tech with board game and make it an interesting and
immersive game.

Case Studies 29

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

AR Unity Research

Difference between AR, VR, XR and MR

Augmented reality (AR) brings digital elements to life, often using the smartphone's
camera. Examples of AR include the game Pokemon Go and the Facebook and Insta-
gram Filter.
Virtual reality (VR) is an experience that brings the users to the digital worlds, often
using VR devices such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or a Google Cardboard. The VR expe-
rience can be a game or a virtual tour.
Mixed Reality (MR) is an experience which combines AR and VR. Mixed reality tech-
nology started to take off with Microsoft's HoloLens. It is an experience in which
real-world and digital objects can interact.
Extended Reality (XR) is an experience that covers all of the technologies that
enhance our senses. It included VR, AR and MR technologies. It is an experience that
brings digital items to the real world or a simulated world. (Gupton, 2017)

AR Unity Research 30

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that can place information such as images
and 3D models in your reality. AR brings digital content into our physical world
through AR applications. (CARTER, 2021) It is one of the biggest technology trends in
these few years. (WHAT IS AUGMENTED REALITY?, n.d.) AR is a technology that has
existed since the 1990s, but it has become popular as mobile games continue to
grow. It will get bigger as smartphones and other devices become more accessible.

AR has been used for military aircraft to provide information about direction, speed
and altitudes since the 1990s. The MIT Media Lab group introduced SixthSense in
2009. The world's first wearable gesture interface combines the real world with digital
content. After that, Google introduced the world's first smart glasses in 2013. The
Pokemon Go AR game emerged as a global sensation in 2016, and companies began
recognising how valuable AR could be. Since 2016, AR has been developed and
become a popular technology for marketing. (CARTER, 2021)

AR execute visual, auditory, and other sensory information to the real world and
enhances the user experience. AR has become one of the fastest-growing XR tech-
nologies. It is primarily because of the accessibility of smartphones, and it is a tool
that consumers can access in their pockets. (CARTER, 2021) AR is readily available
and being used in a different field.

AR Unity Research 31

The Secret of Shan Hai Jing

AR Devices

The most common way to use AR these days is using
a smartphone. Smartphones these days are with fast
processing power and high-quality cameras. (CART-
ER, 2021) Because of the accessibility of smart-
phones, they can be the best tool for consumers to
access AR. AR can also be displayed on other devic-
es such as eyeglasses and goggles, headsets, and
heads-up displays like helmet visors. (THE SCIENCE
OF AUGMENTED REALITY, n.d.) These devices allow
the creation of a hands-free and more immersive
experience.

Types of AR

There are two types of AR which are marker-based and markerless. Marker-based AR
uses image recognition as a marker to trigger AR by identifying objects that have
been preprogrammed into the device or app. In addition, markers help the AR device
determine the camera's orientation. Here is how marker-based AR works: Firstly, the
camera feed is switched to grayscale to speed up the processing time. Then, when
the marker-like QR code is detected, the AR devices compare the information from
the markers with all the information in the preprogrammed library. When matched,
the information will be determined and display the AR items in the right place.

Another type is the marker less AR. A recognition algorithm in your device looks for
patterns, colours and other features that can help recognise the place. Take the
game Pokemon Go as an example. The game tracks users' location via GPS, com-
pass, and gyroscope to use their geographic data and phone's clock to choose the
place and time to have Pokemon characters appear. (CARTER, 2021) The game uses
the phone's GPS, accelerometer, and compass to orient itself, and it uses the phone's
camera to display the characters in the real environment.

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How does AR work

AR involve adding data into the real world using the smartphone camera or other AR
devices. The components of AR include sensors, AR software, processing, lenses and
viewing and artificial intelligence.

Sensors align with the digital items and the real world so that the AR systems can
capture accurate information about the actual environment. The sensor is mostly the
camera which collects the data and sends it to an AR app or software for processing.

AR software is the tool we use to access AR. Through Apple's ARKit and Google
ARCore, it is easier for people to create their AR software.

AR technology requires processing power to work. The app on a smartphone needs
the processing power to operate the system. Other AR devices also need their minia-
ture computer system.

AR apps on smartphones and AR devices need a screen to see the digital items in the
real world. Therefore, the better quality of the screens, the better experience with the
more realistic the content appears.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a supportive tool for AR. For example, it can act as voice
assistance. Besides, AI helps to process the information for the AR application. There-
fore, most AR needs some aspect of AI to work properly. (CARTER, 2021)

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Unity, Vuforia and AR

Unity is a powerful software for creating
desktop, console and mobile games.
(Greene, 2018) It is designed for creating
and operating interactive 3D content.
(Welcome to Unity, n.d.) Unity has pairs of
tools built for AR creators and a unified
workflow across devices. (Augmented
reality, n.d.)

Vuforia is a software development kit (SDK) developed for AR apps. (Getting Started
with Vuforia Engine in Unity, n.d.) Vuforia is an advanced kit that provides a platform
for creating AR apps for Android and iOS platforms. It allows the creator to develop a
database of image targets that can import into the Unity app. It will enable the app to
detect real-world objects and show the digital contents in the real world. (Talbert,
2020) Vuforia has earned the AR creator's appreciation for its broad functionality and
compatibility with other tools. (Senum, n.d.)

A developer account on the Vuforia developer portal is needed to begin an AR pro-
ject. After that, get a development license key and create a new license. Then, a new
database needs to be created. The target image must be added, and specify the
type, width and name. A new database is created, which is required to download to
be used later. The Vuforia need to be enabled from the project setting of Unity. An AR
camera needs to be created first. Then, the database can be imported here. An image
target needs to be made, and the digital asset can be imported or built on top of it.
After finishing this, it can be viewed in play mode and published as an app. (Talbert,
2020)

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What can you do with AR?

The AR app nowadays has mostly focused on entertainment. However, companies
have continued searching for new ways to empower employees and connect and
interact with consumers. Companies have used AR apps for tasks like tracking, identi-
fying and resolving technical issues and helping with employee training. They also
used AR as a medium to showcase their products and advertise their brand.

The use cases for AR include entertainment, customer experience, marketing, navi-
gation, collaboration and training. (CARTER, 2021)

Entertainment: There are a lot of games and
applications which show the benefits of AR
for entertainment. There are games like
Pokemon GO, Jurassic World Alive and Harry
Potter: Wizards Unite. The AR apps can also
be used in events and tours to allow users to
get information through their phones.

Customer experience: AR apps allow con-
sumers to try the products before they buy
them. It helps consumers by creating a
better engagement with the products they
can use in the real world. For example, IKEA
has an AR app called IKEA Place that lets
users see how furniture or housewares will fit
in their space.

Marketing: AR is an excellent tool for adver-
tising and marketing. Companies have used
QR codes or other applications to allow users
to unlock special deals and information in AR
apps.

Navigation: AR technology help users navi-
gate our environment more effectively. There
are AR tags in a building to get directions and
routes or follow the AR arrow to the set desti-
nation.

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Training: AR can improve the ways to train
professionals. AR can help practice tasks
and develop skills multiple times in the
real world but with digital tools. The
immersive and real-time practice can
help the trainee to get used to the tasks
before getting into the actual work. The
healthcare industry also uses AR to help
to train students.

Collaboration: Employees can get guid-
ance and support through wearables AR
devices regardless of where they are. AR
can make better collaboration and safer
work in the work field. A few cases show
the benefit of AR technology in work. Mili-
tary fighter pilots use an AR helmet visor
to view the altitude, speed and other data
so that the pilots can focus on the flight.
Neurosurgeons also use AR projection of
the 3D brain to aid in surgeries. Besides,
the ground crew at Singapore's airport
use AR glasses to view cargo container
information and speed up loading times.
(WHAT IS AUGMENTED REALITY?, n.d.)

AR has been widely used and has shown its value in recent years. The uses of AR are
various, from assisting surgeons to helping engineers use this advanced technology
and helping mechanics train themselves. (CARTER, 2021)

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The future of AR

AR seems like it will continue to grow in the future. There will have an increase in the
number of companies investing in AR wearables like the AR smart glasses. The
demand for AR wearables seems to be increasing in different industries, especially in
the manufacturing and engineering industries.

5G will significantly impact AR's potential by allowing people to send information
effectively to remote and mobile devices. In addition, 5G could be helpful for the
future of AR glasses. AR glasses can detect dangers and navigate the environment
more effectively.

Specific technology like LiDAR is designed to improve the performance of AR. LiDAR
technology stands for Light Detection and Ranging. It is a remote-sensing technology
that uses a laser beam to get information about the surrounding objects. (What is
LiDAR, How it Works and How it's Being Used in 2021, 2021) LiDAR technology is now
used to improve AR capabilities on various mobile devices.

As we continue exploring the metaverse, avatars and virtual creations, new media are
likely to become more common. We may see a future where more people create
their digital contents and environments to share. (CARTER, 2021)

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Card Design Research

ShanHaiJue

ShanHaiJue is a China-style Werewolf board
game. This board game uses the classic
werewolf board game's mechanism but
changes the game setting and characters to
the story and characters from Shan Hai Jing.

This game is set in ancient mythology, where humans, gods and mythology creatures
live together. Every night, the creatures will kill the humans. The gods need to protect
humans so that they are safe. Then, the creatures will hide with the gods and humans.
The gods and humans need to find the creatures in the daytime to save themselves.

The design is based on describing the characters or creatures from Shan Hai Jing. The

references of the clothes and elements used in the design combine the environment

and the characters' situations. The movement and colour are also based on the sur-

roundings and the features mentioned in Shan Hai Jing. ( , 2020)

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King Star "Cloud, Dream, Mountain, Sea" Playing Cards

The Chinese title is , which means "Drifting along with the clouds, traversing

vast mountains and seas." It is playing cards that use Shan Hai Jing as the main con-

cept of the design.

The back and part of the card face have been designed to be combined with the
Shan Hai Jing characters. The card face is with the characters and the name of it. The
traditional number points are replaced with the ancient Chinese zodiac. The card is
designed to appreciate the charm of mountains, seas and exotic beasts. The moun-
tain and sea elements are used to decorate the card. (Cards, n.d.)

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Character Design Research

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Shan Hai Jing
Creatures Research

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