AR Pet – Step Counter

Our prototype’s role was conveying the purpose of our final artifact, which is encouraging students to take a walk and interact with their pets. Since human interaction is limited in order not to spread the Coronavirus, pets are considered to be safer since there is no evidence that they can spread the virus.

Developed in Unity

This is a reflective article on the pre-planning, planning, and post-planning work of the group project prototype development called “AR Pet Step Counter.” In this article, I will identify and analyze the prototype’s strengths and weaknesses with recommendations for possible solutions. This breakdown is made through a comparison of the final prototype with the group’s initial plan. Lastly, I will analyze the individual contribution I had as a member of the group in this project.

Currently, the prototype’s story can be executed by following a well-established narrative: tapping on the main screen after detecting the ground plane in order to spawn the pet; the user doing steps that are then registered and tracked by the prototype during the time period of a day.

The prototype’s interface is user-friendly and designed in an optimal way saving effort and time. One of the most substantial aspects of the prototype is its navigation and usability. Having the role of creating its UI&UX, and due to the fact that I have previously worked on UI&UX projects, it felt natural for me to take over this aspect. I made sure to design icons (user profile, pet’s health bar, and a question mark as the prototype’s description) and input controls that are consistent and easy to understand while also placing them in strategic areas that users seem comfortable to access.

The third strength of the prototype is the fact that the pet is easy to maneuver. Once I designed the 3D model, I made sure to script its motion aspect and give the users the possibility of walking their pet in an intuitive and accessible manner. At the moment, users have the possibility of making the pet rotate and walk in any direction by using one joystick button that can be managed with the thumb, making the prototype be used with only one hand.

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