Augmented Reality for the Visualization of the Impacts of Climate Change and Response Measures

There is an increasing demand for tailored climate services to assist informed decision-making. The scientific basis is there, with high-quality relevant models available for nearly any facet and topic within climate science. However, usage of these models requires a high degree of subject matter knowledge. Conversely, many simplified tools and reports either lose the interactivity that models offer or still require at least a working knowledge of the field. My project explores the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) to provide interactive and easy-to-use climate services to non-scientists. AR could allow for a whole new class of users to participate in the climate change debate, by offering them to assess climate impacts of different climate scenarios and trade-offs between various response measures. One of the key benefits of mobile AR is its accessibility, since it does not require any special dedicated equipment, working on almost all smartphones and being familiar to many users who already experienced AR in other popular applications.

Two different AR approaches are used as the methodology. In-situ augmented reality is explored as a way to allow the user to assess climate impacts on their location, giving a more personal experience. Seeing the impacts on their own environment is more likely to leave an impression and influence users to make changes. On-table collaborative augmented reality simulations are used to provide a bird’s eye view of a larger area and to allow multiple-users to engage in the experience in a workshop style. In both approaches, the users are able to switch between different RCP climate scenarios and/or apply response measures, and instantly see the impacts of the change.