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A Mock-up of how the effect looks on Instagram.
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Using planes to position the objects present within the Spark AR platform.
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Previewing the effect within the Spark AR platform.
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Various patches used for making the effect in Spark AR, giving the effect logic and control.
Inspiration
The world as we know is changing drastically, and over the past fifty years, the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate recorded in history. 2019 was ranked as the second hottest year on record for Earth and NASA also found that 2010-2019 was the hottest decade ever recorded. Global warming is leading to the melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, forests, farms, and cities are facing troublesome new pests, heat waves, heavy downpours, and increased flooding. The list doesn’t end here as there is an upsurge in medical conditions as well, like allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks. These are becoming more common due to increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution, and the spread of conditions favourable to pathogens and mosquitoes. Therefore more than ever, it becomes imperative to raise awareness about the issue of global warming and climate change and what better way than Instagram to raise this issue. The reach that Instagram provides is unparalleled for any other social media platform because of the large number of users that Instagram has. I have seen first-hand results of how quickly AR effects that I had made for Instagram reach over 100,000 impressions within a month. Therefore, I truly believe that proper campaigning on Instagram about global warming through a world AR Effect would help in propagating this cause of much-needed attention.
What it does
This World AR Effect showcases a 3D model of planet earth burning over a fire, denoting the rise in global temperatures around the world. Since it’s a World AR effect, therefore, it is possible only to be viewed using the back camera. To use this effect one needs to place it over a flat surface and tap on it to fix its position and to start the sound of burning fire, at the same time particles are emitted when it's tapped denoting sparks of fire moving up towards the environment. To hide this effect one needs to long-press it which will result in all the objects to hide under the plane.
How I built it
To build this AR effect, Spark AR platform from Facebook was mostly used. Also, to make the 3D objects Microsoft Paint 3D along with Adobe Photoshop was used.
Challenges I ran into
The biggest challenge that I ran into was understanding how I can carry out the sound of the burning fire and the sparks that the fire produced in the most realistic way possible without increasing the maximum file size of 4mb allowed in the Spark AR platform. The resources available in the Facebook, Spark AR group helped me a lot.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
The biggest accomplishment for me is that I was able to make something that can send out a positive message to everyone and people start to understand the effects of global warming. At the same time understanding how patches can be used in the best way to impart some logic into the effect was also something that I am proud of as it helped me understand Augmented Reality in a much deeper level.
What I learned
The biggest learning experience for me was understanding AR and the vast possibilities that it provides in the social media space and how we can use AR to propagate a cause for the betterment of humanity.
What's next for Save The Planet!
Since this effect is now live on Instagram, I am working to make another World AR effect that showcases how the melting glaciers are leading to a rise in sea levels around the world.
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