Beatrix Metral

Natural Disaster Simulator is an Augmented Reality game in which a player can learn what to do in the case of an earthquake or other natural disaster as they  interact with their surroundings through their phone screen. When their camera recognizes an image target (like a coaster or placemat), 3D image hazards like knifes, cups or plates will pop up and the player will have to dodge broken items, hide under something sturdy, or stay in a safe area to avoid getting hurt. When the player looks at a flat surface (e.g. a table) they will see a scene of a city being destroyed by an earthquake. 

Natural Disaster Simulator aims to teach people (for example, someone who live in Massachusetts and doesn’t experience many earthquakes) how to react and stay safe in the case of an outlier natural disaster. It can also be useful for people who just moved to or are temporarily staying in areas with a high risk of earthquakes, tsunamis, or hurricanes. In the 1970’s, the number of reported annual natural disasters worldwide was 78. Now, it has jumped to 780, mostly because of a rising tide. It is now more important than ever for people to become educated about how to stay safe. 

Kevin Brown

 An interactive AR experience that immerses the user in a simulation of a natural disaster by using real-world and AR components. 

The Natural Disaster Simulator shows what could happen at a very high scale natural disaster. This application can be used by anyone who due to where they live or to their professional needs training in or is interested in what to do in different natural disasters.  The intent was to provide people who live or are staying in an area vulnerable to one of these natural disasters with concrete knowledge of what to do in that situation.  Or if people want they can use the application for fun while still learning what to do in that situation. The Natural Disaster Simulator was made with some props in Unity and some in the real world. Printed-out stickers are placed around the room to show the program where some different props are located throughout the room. The user will hold up their phone and look through the camera to get the full experience. There haven't been many applications using AR that look at these big events that can take the lives of many and help the people in the natural disaster know what to do to stay safe in these scary events.