Snap x Google Sustainability Project:
Penguin Rescue
I collaborated with Snapchat and Google for a sustainability project. Using Lens Studio, I built a Snapchat Lens for Earth Week 2021. "Penguin Rescue" allows users to learn about the threats of oil spills, and then place oil-slicked penguin in their sink to rehabilitate!
See the video below for an overview of how I leveraged Lens Studio and Google's Depth API to create the experience.
The Problem: Petroleum and Penguins Don't Mix
Petroleum remains one of the more common toxic substances released into the ocean, and its impact is especially felt by seabirds, most notably penguins.
Virtual Interactions With Wildlife & Conservation
My research and applied work has focused on using emerging media technology (e.g., Virtual and Augmented Reality) as a way to connect audiences to the plight of distant and unfamiliar species. For example, below are images from a VR simulation I created and tested in various lab studies. The experience transports users to Antarctica where they help rehabilitate (clean) oil-slicked penguins. Results suggest that such experiences can influence pro-environmental attitudes and actual behaviors (see Pimentel et al., 2018).
Using Snap + Google to Rehabilitate (virtual) Penguins
A logical extension of this work is to adapt it to a more accessible platform: Snapchat. I believe this experience can be adapted to AR and take advantage of ARCore Depth to make people feel as though a vulnerable penguin is actually in their kitchen sink ready to be washed and rehabilitated!
Mock-up of the Countertop Conservation Experience
The Lens was featured on Lens List (above)
