The Mandai region of Singapore was looking for an innovative experience to attract families to visit the Singapore Zoo, specifically their reptile exhibit “Reptopia”. We delivered an augmented reality experience that would educate and entertain the reptile section of the zoo.

Creative Director: Ricardo Andrade
Art Director, Motion Graphics: Manuel Messerli
Head of Development: Samar Shool
Lead Character Animator: Andy Hencken, Jordan Chedalavada
Animator, Senior Developer: Roland Womack

THE CONCEPT

Pixeldust envisioned, designed, and produced the immersive augmented reality experience, Battle For Survival. This interactive experience is loaded with games and an entertaining storyline driven by our animated host, “Icon” the chameleon. This animated creature guides his visitors through six virtual reality 3D holographic biomes that teach them about various reptiles and their extraordinary abilities. This location-based experience includes pre and post-experience engagement components that allow visitors to further familiarize themselves with the reptiles of Reptopia.

THE TECHNOLOGY

Pixeldust specifically designed the Battle For Survival AR experience to appeal to visitors of all ages. We focused on developing a user-friendly experience by collaborating with Magic Leap to get the best out of their AR technology. The developers at Pixeldust  were able to create an immersive experience by leveraging state-of-the-art features like 3D spatial environments and 3D audio that allowed users to see, hear and interact with creatures in their natural habitats. Visitors used the Magic Leap headset and an easy to use controller with a trigger that helped them interact with each creature and see their special traits and physical features.

FULLY INTERACTIVE

The AR experience included six stations, each with an image-based trigger that brought six habitats to life.

UNIQUE AND IMMERSIVE

These habitats were unique, immersive, interactive, and photoreal 3D worlds. They showcase Reptopia’s species in action.

ICON, THE GUIDE

“Icon” the chameleon, the host and narrator, guides each user inside the AR exhibit sometimes in person and other times as a narrator. Each station includes a non-interactive storyline where we watch and learn crucial information about each critter, including their special skills and hunting mechanisms.

A GAME TO TOP IT OFF

“Icon”, our chameleon host and narrator guided each user inside the AR exhibit, sometimes in person, at times as background voice. Each station included a non-interactive storyline where we watched and learned crucial information on each of the critters including their special skills and hunting mechanisms.

LOGO DEVELOPMENT

As part of the work with Mandai Zoo, Pixeldust developed logos for the app and experience.

THE MICROSITE

To promote the experience before the visit to the zoo, Pixeldust proposed the creation of an interactive microsite, a web page where the visitors could learn about the experience before arriving at the Singapore Zoo. It also helped provide relevant information to prepare visitors on what to expect when experiencing the Battle for Survival.

APP, GAME AND UI DEVELOPMENT

Pixeldust team proposed and designed a post-visit experience so that visitors could take their favorite reptile home with them. The free mobile app includes more information about various reptiles and includes ‘selfie’ filters, reptile-themed mini games, and AR virtual 3D reptiles to play with at home. The AR experience combined with the standalone application lets visitors discover how amazing reptiles and amphibians are while delivering a conservation message that informs the viewer about endangered reptiles in the wild.

TRIGGER CARDS

Information about each biome was delivered when the visitors of the Battle for Survival interacted with trigger, cards strategically distributed along the exhibits inside Reptopia. Visitors navigated the halls with their Magic Leap goggles and would experience the different stages of the experience as they found the various trigger markers.