LA River
LA River is an immersive Augmented Reality mobile experience that invites people to learn about the history, complexities and potential of the Los Angeles River system.
Sponsored by Verizon Media / RYOT Studios
In Collaboration with Vrai Pictures
Our CNC model of the LA geography, based on GIS data
Capabilities
Technology
- Experience Design
- Product Development
- Real Time
- AR, VR
- CG & VFX
- Photogrammetry
- Unity
- GLSL
- Object Tracking
- Digital Fabrication
Opportunity
In LA, a number of organizations are working towards a master plan that will help guide the future development of the Los Angeles River. This resulted in an immense media campaign around the future of Los Angeles, which has often been guided by misinformation rather than applicable data.
Research around the master plan generated a highly technical set of documents by landscape architecture and government agencies, mapped to the basin of the LA River using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) format.
Translating this information into a format that can be understood by the public became an important mission for both the architects working on the project, as well as the non-profits on the ground working with the public.
Solution
Cartographic interfaces are a natural fit for the medium of Augmented Reality, where a map can be explored from multiple angles in 3D as a cinematic experience, putting the user in the position of the explorer or the cameraman.
Superbright collaborated with both Gehry Partners and Olin Architects via the non-profit River LA to translate the existing research and GIS data into an interactive map of the Los Angeles river, where users can explore multiple stories to help you learn more about the river – its history, its purpose, and its potential using Augmented Reality.
Output
The twenty minute Augmented Reality experience was made available in two distinct versions:
A bilingual table-top based mobile application released on the App Store, prioritising Spanish language first and then English, that is designed for home users.
An installation version that maps the Augmented Reality experience onto a CNC machined model of the surrounding LA geography. This formed part of a travelling exhibition which first premiered at Summit LA in 2019 and has since toured around the U.S.
“This is an interactive, immersive experience, created to provide community access to the information driving Los Angeles River revitalization efforts in Los Angeles County and show the history, present-day impacts and potential solutions the LA River can provide communities” Verizon Media Center
The documentary features 4 stories, History, Water, Nature and People.
Water - Agua
At 51 miles long, the LA River carries rainfall and runoff from 834 square miles of urban and mountainous landscape out to the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach. River flow can jump from just a trickle to a raging torrent in just a few hours.
Nature - Naturaleza
At the moment, the LA River has a primary function as a flood-control channel, but many other challenges exist in the communities and natural habitats that surround it. The River represents an opportunity to re-establish a natural corridor, improve public health, and increase overall quality of life.
People - Personas
The LA River runs across a large percentage of Los Angeles County. It passes through 17 different cities, where a wide variety of languages are spoken, religions are practiced, and ethnicities coexist.
Installation at Summit LA 2019
Installation at Summit LA 2019
Installation at Summit LA 2019
Installation at Summit LA 2019
Press
Jake Sally
Head of Development at Verizon Media’s RYOT
The LA River AR Platform invites the public into the future through their familiar mobile device, allowing them to experience firsthand how technology can be a meaningful and efficient engine to drive important societal changes taking place in their own backyard.
July, 2020
An interactive, immersive experience, created to provide community access to the information driving Los Angeles River revitalization efforts in Los Angeles County and show the history, present-day impacts and potential solutions the LA River can provide communities
Credits
- Client
- Verizon Media, RYOT
- Partnerships
- Vrai Pictures, River LA, Gehry Partners, Olin, Geosyntec
- Graphic Design
- What? Studio
- VFX / CG
- The Endless Co., Superbright
- Sound Design
- Antfood