An augmented reality portal to an alternate world.

transgression: something that breaks expectations, limitations, restrictions, conventions, conceptions, beliefs, or the status quo.

Traditionally, we think of our physical world and the digital world as separate spaces. But what if the two could coexist? Or, even better— if your smartphone enabled you to cross between them?

For my “transgression” project in MTEC 2120 (Interactive Media Systems Design), I made an augmented reality app where you can place a portal in front of you and actually walk through it (!!) into a virtual forest. Once you’re inside, the audio shifts from distant & muffled to full volume, and you can tilt your phone to look around & continue walking to explore the scene. You can even turn around & go back through the portal when you’re done, to return to the real world. :)

TOOLS
CHALLENGES
  • Render textures
  • Culling masks (basically, camera layers)
  • Simulating depth by changing the view displayed on the portal as you move around— should feel like looking through a window, not running into a Minecraft painting
CREDITS

Assets:

Music: Stranger – Aerocity

SCREENSHOTS
portal prototype in Unity3D

A prototype of the portal, made in Unity.

alternate world

The scene the portal transports you to.