An app that pushes the possibilities of AI and AR
With its collection of lovable characters that can be unlocked in real life, Google’s Ho Jeng AR app encourages people to get out in the city for a real-life treasure hunt.
At the core of this project, for us, was a focus on playful character design, development and technical rigging. Since the app was piloting in Hong Kong, our designs are based on unique
landmarks and cultural references. Once the characters were modelled and animated, we played with some clever mouth-swapping to add a punch of joy and expression.
Characterful components
To make the characters shine, we added secondary elements and 'joy particles' like steam, sparks and sprinkles of confetti—giving the animations that little extra flourish of fun and delight.
Synchronous sounds
Sounds Like These brought their sound wizardry to the characters, then we packed everything up and sent it to Bit Studio, who wrapped it all into the app with the superb UI and UX taken care of by Sennep.
Magic of the city
A virtual host, Lenni, introduces the app's story and uses machine learning to analyse shapes in its viewfinder, nudging people in the right direction and getting more excited as they hone
in on the correct object. When an item is recognised, an animated character is unlocked. Each one can be placed, scaled and rotated, ready for some virtual fun and games.
