AR-walk.at is an innovative WebAR application that brings forgotten women’s history to life through Augmented Reality in the public spaces of Linz, Austria. The project delivers an app-free AR experience directly in the browser.
Homepage (ar-walk.at): The homepage features an immersive 3D point-cloud visualization of Linz’s city center, built with:
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React Three Fiber (@react-three/fiber) as the React renderer for Three.js
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@react-three/drei for camera controls, environment mapping, and GLTF model loading
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@react-three/postprocessing for cinematic effects (Bloom, Depth of Field, Vignette)
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Lenis for buttery-smooth scroll animations synchronized via Tempus (unified RAF loop)
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Zustand for global 3D scene state management
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Framer Motion for UI transitions
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Real-time weather integration for optimal AR condition guidance
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WebGL-based interactive map navigation with POI markers
AR Levels (Mattercraft & Three.js): All on-location AR experiences are built with Mattercraft, a platform fully based on Three.js:
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TypeScript development with direct Three.js integration
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Proximity detection: camera-to-object distance tracking for interactive trigger zones
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GLTF/GLB animations via Three.js AnimationMixer for character performances
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Custom behaviors: Y-axis billboards, spatial audio with cooldown management
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Mobile optimization: 3D models compressed from 25MB to 2–3MB
Key Achievement: A fully browser-based WebAR experience requiring no app downloads, making historical narratives of remarkable women accessible 24/7 in public space.
