Thesis

A Walk Down Oak Path recreates an area of Arnold Arboretum in virtual reality. To create the experience, we overlaid a visual effect on top of the original landscape of Oak Path. During the short journey along the path, each user witnesses dazzling animations that illustrate the disappearance of our natural landscapes. A Walk Down Oak Path enables the user to experience a piece of the Arboretum in a new way.

In the Eyes of the Animal

When we walked through the Arboretum, it was difficult to see the tags that identified the trees. Our original idea was to show people the names of trees were through VR. This would allow people to see the names of trees clearly.

Arboretum Visit

Sketch

Prototype 1

Project Timeline

Start of the project

First drone footage to point cloud test

Free model tree point cloud test

First path with working point cloud tree finished

First Co Spaces prototype finished

Took Arboretum drone footage

Converted drone footage into a point cloud

Made tree models in blender

Put trees into unreal with the path

Animated trees

Unreal Prototype

Point Cloud Test

Unreal-VR Test

Point Cloud Path

Modeling our own Trees

Converting them into point clouds

Process of making a tree

Point Clouds

3d Model

Drone Footage

Animation

Northern Red Oak

• The tree is resistant to pollution and is decently hardy.
• Some of the acorns that this tree produces are eaten by wildlife.
• The Northern Red Oak grows fast, at 24" a year.

Tree Discovered

Seed Collection

Sichuan Province

Hubei Province

Where the tree can be found in the US

North Carolina

New England

Physical Characteristics :

Color

Physical Characteristics :

Form

Physical Characteristics :

Texture

Physical Characteristics :

Height

6ft tall person

Tree Height

Pollination

Predation(Japanese Beetle)

Predation + Pollination

Ecology :

Germination Time: One month

Growth Milestones: Grows 24" per year, and lives over 100 years.

Gender Parity: Both male and female distribute the cones

Reproduction

Ecology :

History at the Arboretum

Student Sketches / Models

Sketches

Blender

Final Facts + Notes

The Dawn Redwood is considered endangered and there are only about 200 in the us

Region of Origin

The silver maple (or Acer saccharinum) is found mostly on the east coast of the US. It grows in temperate climates.

Physical Characteristics :

Color

Physical Characteristics :

Form

The silver maple has a vase-like shape, simular to most maples.

Physical Characteristics :

Texture

The bark is flaky and rough, and develops scaly plates, that later become brittle and shaggy. The leaves are flat with 5 points, and can grow up to 8 inches long and 5 inches wide.

Physical Characteristics :

Height

My Height (5'3)

Tree Height (avg. 65 feet)

Pollination

Predation

Predation + Pollination

Ecology :

The germination period is about 1-2 months.

Seed Dispersal Method

Growth Milestones

The silver maple passes through a few milestones, notably reaching maturity at

Gender Parity

the trees can be either dioecious or monoecious, with a lot more of the latter

Reproduction

Ecology :

History at the Arboretum

The Arboretum recieved their first silver maple in 1881. It was brought to the Arboretum by Beatrix Farrend, who was an influential landscape architect who began her career with the Arboretum.

The silver was the tallest tree in the Arboretum for many decades until a storm broke the branches.

Student Sketches / Models

Sketches

Models

Final Facts + Notes

• The silver maple grows at a fast rate of more than 24" a year

• Beavers apparently love this tree

• Early settlers in Ohio Valley used silver maples as a building material because of how fast the tree grew.

Fruits + Flowers

Ecology :

Fruits [Scents, Taste, Quality)

Flowers [Scent, Color, Quality)

Region of Origin

The Tulip Tree or the Liriodendron populates two areas on opposite sides of the earth. The brown triangles represent fossils remains of the tree. The three different colors represent accessions which are different branches of the tree.

Physical Characteristics :

Color

Physical Characteristics :

Form

Physical Characteristics :

Texture

Physical Characteristics :

Height

Avg. Human 5ft 7in

Tree Height

70-90ft

Pollination

Predation

Predation + Pollination

Ecology :

Fruits + Flowers

Ecology :

The Fruit is dry, weirdly shaped, several winged seeds, FIRE RISK!

Flowers Take 15 years to blossom, look like Tulips, Smells sweet.

Species

Ecology :

Liriodendron Chinense:

larger lobe leaves, shorter in height

Liriodendron Tulipifera:

smaller lobe leaves, taller in height

History at the Arboretum

Date of admittance: Unknown

Hybrid was gifted by North Carolina in 1981

Student Sketches / Models

Sketches

Models

Germination Time:

60-90 Days

Growth Speed:

24 inches a year

Gender Parity:

The Tulip Tree has no gender parity and a clear male and female.

Reproduction

Ecology :

MAP

Region of Origin

Physical Characteristics :

Color

Physical Characteristics :

Form

Physical Characteristics :

Texture

Physical Characteristics :

Height

9 meters to 35 meters

Pollination

Predation

Predation + Pollination

Ecology :

Us!

Germinate in spring, in moist environments

Growth Milestones

male/female

Reproduction

Ecology :

Fruits + Flowers

Ecology :

berries

Flowers [Scent, Color, Quality)

History at the Arboretum

Native - No expaditions

Student Sketches / Models

Sketches

Sketch

Models

Final Facts + Notes

root beer!

MAP

Region of Origin

Geographic/Climatic

Physical Characteristics :

Color

Physical Characteristics :

Form

Rounded tree. Mushroom-like shape.

Physical Characteristics :

Texture

Physical Characteristics :

Height

Your Height

60 feet

Tree Height

Pollination

Flowers have both male and female gonads

Predation

Gypsy Moths

Predation + Pollination

Ecology :

Germination Time, 2 days

Seed Dispersal Method

Growth Milestones, 25 years to mature

Gender Parity, has both male and female gonads

Reproduction

Ecology :

Fruits + Flowers

Ecology :

Fruits [Wood, Wet Cardboard, Good)

Flowers [Sweet smell of dawn, White, Good)

History at the Arboretum

The cork tree and its neighbors grew from a seed planted by John Jack. The first arboretum public educator.

Student Sketches / Models

Tree Sketch

Bark Sketch

Models

South-eastern Europe

Physical Characteristics :

Color

Physical Characteristics :

Form

The European Smoke Tree has a big, cloud-like exterior. It does have leaves, but they are overshadowed by the smokey fibers that the tree produces its seeds in.

Physical Characteristics :

Texture

The texture of the smoke tree is fluffy and soft

Physical Characteristics :

Height

Your Height

Tree Height

10-15 feet

6 feet

Pollination

Predation

Predation + Pollination

Ecology :

Fruits + Flowers

Ecology :

No scent, no taste

No scent, can be red grey or green

History at the Arboretum

First tree came from Alabama, in 1882. Charles Mohr donated it.

Student Sketches / Models

Sketches

Models

Final Facts + Notes

Smoke trees don't actually produce smoke unless they are set on fire.

Smoke trees can be used for a dye. They were used in the civil war for orange dye, and most of the big trees were cut down.

Germination Time

Up to 2 springs

Seed Dispersal Method

Growth Milestones

Maturity

Gender Parity

Monoecious. (male and female)

Reproduction

Ecology :

NuVu's Process

Virtual reality offers students the opportunity to leverage advanced creation and storytelling techniques to build explorable worlds. At the start of studio, students will learn about collaborative VR learning, communication, and effective research techniques. Students will apply their research and design skills in order to produce virtual/augmented reality works that engage ecological topics. 

Once the worlds have been built, students will further the projects through programming and animation. They will draw on game design and educational strategies including puzzles, experimentation, and mindfulness in order to achieve the most effective project. Finally students will present their projects to an audience of their peers, collecting data and feedback in order to deconstruct and analyze the effectiveness of their tools.

A 281-acre preserve in the heart of Boston, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University stewards one of the world’s most comprehensive and best documented collections of temperate woody plants, with particular focus on the floras of eastern North America and eastern Asia. The living collections, herbarium, and library and archives support research both in our own laboratories at Weld Hill and by scholars around the world. Free and open every day, this jewel in the Emerald Necklace park system was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and engages the public through educational opportunities and programs for all ages.

Project Possibilities

• Mixed reality tour of the Arboretum
• Interactive storytelling about the origins of plant and tree species
• Mapping the future of flora in changing climate
• Envisioning seasonal changes and time-scales in forestry
• Designing for urban-nature interface

Past Studios + Partnerships

Lakeland Magic -- Community Collaboration

COMMUNITY AGREEMENT

Expectations From Coaches

Expectations From Students

Expectations From Each Other

EXPECTATIONS FROM COACHES

Provide Technical Support

Post Assignments at the end of the studio day (before 4pm)

Create a Studio Discord

Enforce the breaks

Be more clear about Critique vs. Directional Input

Balance students' need for breaks and effort (bad days)

EXPECTATIONS FROM STUDENTS

CELL PHONES AWAY - Unless needed

Having Fun + Assurances of work.

30 Minutes for Homework that is specific to Studio.

Communicating your needs for breaks and other support (Blob Chart)

Ask for help

Support each other

Be generative, iterate, and think about many possibilities

EXPECTATIONS FROM EACH OTHER

Be Open Minded

"Calling Out" vs "Calling In"

Make good use of the spaces. Studio, Desk Crits, and outside will need to be utilized appropriately.

Be Peaceful

Keep NuVu Clean

LUNCH

9:30 - 10:00

10:00 - 10:20

10:30 - 12:00

1:00 - 2:30

2:30 - 2:45

Studio Introduction

Community Agreement

Trees of Summer

Assignment

Assignment Wrap Up (15 minute)

Share out (30 minute)

Field Trip Prep (30 minute)

Clean Up/Document