A prototype of an “augmented reality interface”, Ec(h)o was created by Ron Wakkary, Kenneth Newby and Marek Hatala at the School for Interactive Arts + Technology at Simon Fraser University. The interface uses “spatialized soundscapes and a semantic web approach to knowledge” and was trialed at the Nature Museum in Ottawa in 2003.
The creators state that the objectives of ec(h)o are:
to develop a “next generation” interface that augments an existing physical environment with a virtual audio environment, and enables people to interact with the system without directly using a computer device; to develop an interaction model based on a semantic web approach to networked digital object repositories in order to create adaptive responses; and to demonstrate that enabling end-users access to digital object repositories engenders a participatory model for interaction and communication.
Soundscapes are generated based on the users position in the gallery and audio objects can also be triggered based upon his or her past visits and expressed interests. Customisation is possible as each user generates a “knowledge tree” or “a map of relationships” based on their interaction with the artifacts. Taken together these many maps create a “collective intelligence”. Their design is influenced by the philosophy of Pierre Lévy.