Enhancing Nature Connectedness Through Augmented Reality
Samuel Chovanec · Electronic workshops in computing · 2024
This study explores how augmented reality (AR) can be used to deepen human connectedness with nature, challenging the notion that mobile devices inherently detract from environmental engagement. Drawing on the concept of technobiophilia and Deleuze’s philosophies of becoming and intensity, we developed an AR prototype using Unreal Engine 5 that presents a gamified narrative centred on Puccinellia pannonica, a historically significant yet extinct Hungarian grass species. The application integrates interactive 3D models, textual storytelling, and gamification elements to foster an immersive, targeted encounter with nature. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted an exploratory case study. Participants’ nature connectedness was measured using the Inclusion of Nature in Self scale before and after the AR experience, complemented by qualitative feedback on usability, design, and emotional engagement. While the overall connection to nature showed modest improvements, more substantial increases were observed in connection to specific actors. These preliminary findings suggest that AR can create intense, focused interactions with particular natural elements, potentially fostering empathy and conservation awareness. Despite limitations such as a small, homogeneous sample and the prototype’s developmental stage, the results lay important groundwork for future research aimed at using AR for environmental education and enhanced human-nature relationships.