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Seeing the Unseen: Augmented Reality for Environmental Awareness in the Metaverse
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Augmented reality experiences depicting animals trapped in plastic pollution were found to evoke emotional responses and increase public awareness of ecological crises that are otherwise invisible or distant. Making plastic pollution tangible through immersive technology offers a promising communication strategy for driving behavioral change around microplastic and macroplastic contamination.
How can immersive technologies in the Metaverse drive environmental action? This chapter explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) for environmental awareness by presenting a conceptual prototype that vividly illustrates animals trapped in plastic pollution. Designed to evoke emotional responses and stimulate reflection, the AR experience leverages affective storytelling to make distant or invisible ecological crises more tangible to the public. To assess its effectiveness and practical implementation, the chapter draws on qualitative interviews with nine experts in the domain of environmental communication. The rigorous analysis of rich empirical data reveals valuable insights into immersive design principles, user engagement strategies, and AR technical requirements. The chapter concludes with recommendations for integrating such technologies into broader sustainability efforts and outlines policy implications for future Metaverse-based sustainability initiatives.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.