Image source: HP Reveal

Augmented Reality (AR) offers us a new way of seeing and interacting with our natural environment. In the not so distant past, specialised equipment was required to access the technology, none of which was widely accessible or easily portable. Today, technological advancements has made it possible for AR to be easily accessible through our mobile devices.

HP Reveal is a free app for iOS and Android-based mobile devices that provides a platform for anyone to explore augmented reality just about anywhere! It enhances our experiences by turning any distinctive surface pattern into an interactive display of animations, audio snippets, videos, graphics, and more.

Check out how Marvel uses Aurasma-powered Marvel AR app to bring comics to life!

Here is our own little creation. It is also known as an Aura!

Create your own Aura. Here’s a simple guide:

1

Download the “HP Reveal” app from the App store for iOS devices or Google Play store for Android devices.

2

Launch “HP Reveal” and create an account.

3

After creating an account, press on the “+” on the top right hand corner.

4

Take a photograph. This will become your visual trigger. The indicator should be at the green area to deem the image as distinctive.

5

Once taken, choose an overlay from the library or upload an overlay from your own devices. In this case, I want Harry Potter to cast a spell on my mug, so I searched for ‘Harry Potter’.

6

Position the overlay to achieve your intended effect. You can also change the size or rotate the overlay. When done, press “Next”.

7

Name your Aura and press “Submit”.

8

Go back to the home page. Try out your new Aura by scanning the visual trigger! In this case, I will scan my mug.

This is what the Aura will look like upon scanning!

Why this is relevant:


Think about your assignments, presentations, and even personal projects that you are working on. Putting in the extra effort of creating Auras and letting your peers and professors interact with your work will certainly wow them!

Also, you can feel free to invite people to add on to your channel, and just like a podcast with ongoing episodes, an Aura library can grow overtime. No matter what purpose it is for, your channel is bound to grow into a hub with precious content that a community can create, share and update in.

Know of other interactive apps? Let us know in the comments below.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NTUsgLibrary, and our hashtag #NTUsgLibraryDS for more interesting tools and projects!

This post was written by Digital Scholarship student assistant Queenie Tan and contributed to by Sam Wen Xin and Digital Scholarship executive Nursyafiqah.