AR Programming and building the Tangible Interfaces
To program the AR parts of the installation, DART (The Designer's Augmented Reality Toolkit) was used. DART is a software plug-in for Macromedia's Director, and was developed at the Graphics, Visualization, and Usability (GVU) Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology by Blair MacIntyre, Jay David Bolter, Maribeth Gandy, and Steven Dow. DART was used to communicate with the Intersense hardware (the inertial ultrasonic grid and the audience member's tracking sensors). DART, in combination with the Intersense hardware, triggers an audio or video clip in the audience member's AR goggles when the audience member enters a specific spatial location. An extensive process of testing and revision of DART programming code and hardware calibration was necessary to create the AR elements in the installation.
The tangible interfaces were constructed by hand using traditional materials including wood, nails, glue, and acrylic latex paint. Some were created using purchased items that were then modified to suit the project's needs. The tangible interface objects were suspended overhead from a grid in the ceiling and secured to the floor throughout the installation space with transparent fishing line and tied onto hooks.
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