Aurasma / HP Reveal use with Geocaching?

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the Monkey King
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Aurasma / HP Reveal use with Geocaching?

Post by the Monkey King » 08 December 18 4:03 pm

I came across an app called Aurasma/HP Reveal today, and after trying it out, I figured it could be used for geocaching. The only problem is that geocachers without a smart device can't access it.

from wiki: "Aurasma/HP Reveal is an augmented reality platform. It is available as a software development kit or as a free app for iOS- and Android-based mobile devices. Aurasma's image recognition technology uses a smartphone's or tablet's camera to recognize real world images and then overlay media on top of them in the form of animations, videos, 3D models and web pages."

A quick search of you tube will show you what the app can do.

It could be used as part of a multi - once you get to the co-ordinates you need to look for the object in a photo to activate the activate the media overlay to get the next information for the next stage, be used to get information about a cache (i.e. the history of where you are visiting) or even turn an object in to a travel bug/trackable kind of thing; the cacher finds the item, activates the media overlay to get the tracking code.

I have tested it on a travel bug, and it has worked, so I think it might be worth investigatin further.

I can't see Geocaching HQ allowing the use of this technology (or have they?), but wondered if it would be something accepable to Geocaching Australia?

Maybe it could be a new type of geocache? The Augmented reality geocache?

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Re: Aurasma / HP Reveal use with Geocaching?

Post by petan » 08 December 18 6:06 pm

Geocaching.com included Aurasma with their Augmented Reality trial, but its not a separate cache type just a variation of the Puzzle/Unknown type AND is still under 'trial'. At the end of the trial, which has now been extended, AR caches will either be grandfathered or deleted. This was a factor when deciding to 'do' an AR cache - why spend a lot of effort (and what I came up with, was a lot of effort) and have the possibility it would be deleted by the hosting site. GCA adopted a whole new cache type which won't be deleted because someone in head office thought it wasn't worth pursuing plus I got a geo-shiny as a reward.

I have played with HP Reveal in past life but the key to using it is that your 'aura' must be very distinct.

As far as needing a smartphone to use it, as long as its a free download and no need for the user to create an account then how can this be a problem? How is this different to requiring a UV light as long as the requirement for the app is clear in your description.

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Re: Aurasma / HP Reveal use with Geocaching?

Post by caughtatwork » 08 December 18 6:49 pm

Yep, we have that cache type.
https://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/Augmented_Reality
Go for it.

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Re: Aurasma / HP Reveal use with Geocaching?

Post by the Monkey King » 09 December 18 10:48 am

\:D/ :griffin

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