Life at Lin’an (宋人十二时辰) - AR Cultural Experience
An iOS augmented reality application that brings Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) daily life to immersive 3D experiences through marker-based AR technology.
Technical Highlights
AR Implementation
- Built with RealityKit and ARKit frameworks for native iOS AR experiences
- Image recognition AR using custom markers for scene anchoring
- Real-time 3D model rendering and placement in physical space
- Dynamic scene loading based on environmental context
Core AR Features
- Marker-based tracking: Utilizes ARReferenceImage for stable 3D object anchoring
- Multiple character systems: Three distinct 3D character models (Monk, Scholar, Lady) with time-specific animations and scenes
- Scene state management: Custom RealityKit scene orchestration with reactive state updates
- Interactive 3D browsing: Users can preview and select different AR experiences before placement
Anchoring of the AR object to a real world marker.
App Architecture
SwiftUI + Combine Framework
- Modern declarative UI with reactive state management
- @EnvironmentObject pattern for cross-view state sharing
- Custom observable objects for scene state, time tracking, and collection progress
Key Features
- Time-based content delivery: Automatically loads different AR scenes based on current hour (24-hour to traditional Chinese 12-period time conversion)
- Progress tracking system: UserDefaults-backed persistent collection system tracking 36 unique unlockable scenes (3 characters × 12 time periods)
- Cultural education: Each time period paired with classical Chinese poetry, creating an educational cultural experience
User Experience
- Launch app to see current time in traditional Chinese format with classical verse
- Enter AR mode to scan environment
- Detect marker to place historically-accurate 3D scenes
- Browse and select from three character types
- Unlock collection items by experiencing scenes at different times of day
Tech Stack: Swift, SwiftUI, RealityKit, ARKit, Combine, Reality Composer