åppi – experience the River Aura in AR!

åppi is a new learning app of augmented reality. Developed in Turku, it encourages pupils and students to walk along the side of the River Aura and introduces unheard stories from Turku. The app can be downloaded free of charge in Google Play store and App store and it is useful for teaching history, biology, visual arts and languages, for instance. The app has been developed as a collaborative effort between the City of Turku Education Division and CTRL Reality.

åppi in a nutshell

  • The app allows pupils to engage in stories along the side of the River Aura while moving along the riverbank. The maximum length of route is from Turku Cathedral to Turku Castle.
  • The app can be used in small groups or in pairs.
  • The objective is to learn more about our home city Turku as well as its nature and history, spend time outdoors and find objects of augmented reality.
  • Further information about the objects in åppi for the teacher can be found here (in Finnish).

Quick guide for the teacher – what to do

  1. Download the åppi app on your phone in an app store.
  2. Select the language, allow the location and use of camera.
  3. When the pupil has reached an åppi spot, the spot glimmers. PRESS the spot, CONTINUE and direct the camera DIAGONALLY DOWNWARDS. The object will appear on the screen.
  4. The “book” in the right top corner contains information about the object. You can shift to the map view from the right bottom corner.
  5.  Only the spots where the phone has physically been at are saved in the gallery of the pupil’s app.
  6. Further instructions for using the app can be found here. (in Finnish)

Safety by the riverside

  • Remember to follow rules of the road and move appropriately on the sidewalk, using pedestrian crossings. Be careful in traffic.
  • Keep an eye on the environment, consider the circumstances and be careful to avoid dangerous situations.
  • Don’t disturb traffic or other people.
  • Don’t use the app while you cross the street, stand near the river’s edge, ride a bike or drive another vehicle.

 

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