Sweeping
for bugs and examining the creepy crawlies caught? That's part of
Balance's creative approach to show how farmers evaluate their crops to
protect their fields from insect infestation. Creating an augmented reality (AR) sensor-based exhibit, kids activate the experience when they
stand in front of the screen.
A video shows a farmer using a net,
sweeping it in a pattern, to collect bugs as he walks down rows of his
field. At the end of his sweep, he examines what he has collected and is
advised by an entomologist, a bug scientist, about what measures he may
want to take to safeguard his crops.
Then,
it's time for kids to take the nets. Through the magic of gestural
navigation, kids can “grab” the 3D net and are shown the motion needed
to move it. Using the same motion over the screen, kids sweep for
insects with their virtual nets. After 10 sweeps of the net down the
soybean rows, kids evaluate the insects they caught and learn about each
kind. They then learn about how their fields are faring and, if too
many bugs are caught, they are shown the different protective measures
that can help save their soybeans. The experience is randomized so
players can play over and over with different results, catching
different amounts and kinds of bugs.