Sidra Manzoor | CalmZone: An augmented reality escape to nature

 
With rapid development of infrastructure in urban communities, natural spaces have become increasingly scarce. According to research, people who live in such urban communities can experience increased stress in their lives due to a lack of exposure to nature. Moreover if these urban residents wish to increase their exposure to nature, they have no choice but to travel long distances away from the city to reach a natural space. CalmZone aims to target this issue of reduced natural spaces in urban communities by providing an accessible way for urban residents to experience nature i.e. in a virtual form. Created as a mobile augmented reality application, CalmZone allows users to create a virtual natural space around themselves through their smartphone. This is done through plane detection technology which allows users to accurately detect physical planes using their phone’s camera. The user can then choose different assets from a selection menu and place them on these detected planes by tapping on their phone screen. Currently the virtual assets included in the application are trees, birds, frogs, grass, rocks, rain and snow. Each virtual object is also paired with a complementary nature audio which can help fully immerse the individual in the virtual space.
CalmZone is designed to provide a custom experience to each user. Users have the freedom to choose different combinations of assets based on their preferences. They can also place these assets in any arrangement they like on the plane surfaces that are detected. This customisation feature aims to provide users with more flexibility in designing the perfect environment for themselves. This means that each user can create their own personalised environment that meets their own specific needs. Such flexibility allows for targeted support.
Another important feature of CalmZone is that it does not completely block out the real environment from the user’s field of view, but instead allows them to augment this real space by placing virtual nature all around it. This process allows users to transform their physical space into an environment that makes them feel more at ease. In this way CalmZone is a tool for users to easily create their own calm space in a physical environment that might make them stressed. Moreover, with this application, users are able to create a calm space without having to physically remove themselves from their physical space. At the same time, since CalmZone is a mobile application that does not require any equipment apart from the user’s smartphone, it is a relatively more accessible outlet for people to immerse themselves in a natural space without having to make an effort to gather special equipment.
CalmZone is an example of making use of new media technologies to improve people’s interaction with their reality. In the case of CalmZone, through its use, users are brought closer to nature in a quick and accessible manner when in reality such access is limited. With rapid urban development in our communities, it is becoming increasingly important for us to maintain our connection to the natural world around us. CalmZone hopes to be one of many such projects that can bridge this increasing gap between individuals and the nature that rapidly ceases to exist.