Swansea in Gloom - Urban Foundry
Enhancing Ghost Walks with Augmented Reality
Swansea In Gloom, based in Swansea, is run as part of a non-profit organisation that aims to improve its area through local initiatives. They specialise in walking tours, offering participants a glimpse into the city's darker tales and Swansea’s spooky past.
Swansea In Gloom wanted to create an Augmented Reality (AR) app to visually augment the storytelling and enhance specific parts of the tour where visual appeal was lacking due to decayed or destroyed buildings.
What did we do?
Collaborating with Urban Foundry, CEMET developed an AR app using Unity development software. The app featured:
Ghostly apparitions: Digital recreations of historical buildings with ghostly effects.
Animations and moving ghosts: Dynamic scenes to allow users to explore the recreated environment.
Enhanced Storytelling: Visuals that brought the dark stories to life, improving the tour experience.
How did we do it?
Utilising Unity software, our team recreated select historical sites with detailed animations and ghostly figures. These AR scenes were strategically placed along the tour to maximise engagement and immersion.
The client was pleased with the AR app, which significantly enriched the ghost walk experience. The app was trialled with various audiences, garnering positive feedback and interest in further expansion.
Urban Foundry plans to extend the app to more platforms and incorporate additional scenes, aiming to broaden the AR-enhanced tour experience in and around Swansea.
This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by Swansea City Council.
To learn more about their latest work and Swansea tours, visit the Swansea in Gloom Website or follow them on Facebook.
