Augmented reality apps that show text at a particular location?

September 6, 2017 8:29 PM

I am working on a treasure hunt activity. I would like people to travel to a particular location and once there retrieve some text clues on their phone. I'd like to be able to specify the text and location. I am able to travel to the places to do so if needed. It would be particularly cool if it were an augmented reality app and I was able to place the text on some surface for them to see. Can anyone recommend something for me to try? I'd prefer something that works on both Android and iOS.
posted by procrastination to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

Best answer: I'm not sure if it's what you want, since it's really designed for puzzle-based games, and I don't know what your treasure hunt is, but the fact that your talking about clues makes me think "maybe!". ClueKeeper is an app for iOS and Android that's made for "location-based clue hunts". So basically players can type their answers in for confirmation, and to unlock future clues. It'll also keep track of scoring, by a few different methods, if you want to have scoring. It can also dispense hints. But the reason I mention it is it also has AR support. So for a given clue you can set it up so players hit "scan" and it'll show the camera, and when you point it at the right thing, it'll show AR stuff (which can be interactive and complicated if you want). For the AR you pretty much have to scan some kind of flat pattern. As long as the surface you're scanning has some distinctive texture or pattern to it, it should work fine. For instance, a "this bench was donated in memory of so-and-so" plaque would work great, but just the seat of the bench itself probably would not.

(Disclaimer: I am friends with the folks who make ClueKeeper, but I know them through doing puzzle games, and I've used it both as a player and as a game creator, and it's pretty good from both ends. They do charge $10 per team for the basic use case)

The 2016 DCPHR game used this app last Halloween, in your general area. (I know because I playtested it)
posted by aubilenon at 10:21 PM on September 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The Aurasma app might work, but it works not by GPS coordinates, but by matching a photo with your current camera view. Can you take or get a photo what the treasure hunters will be seeing at each spot? You'd create a video for each location, and the app launches that video when it recognizes the same view as the photo. It's free, at least it was 5 years ago.
posted by at at 10:24 PM on September 6, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks - both of these look useful!
posted by procrastination at 2:20 PM on September 7, 2017