The Find Brutus Virtual Tour Guide is a hybrid research tool mixing several technologies through a mobile and wearable devices, using elements of gaming, as a virtual tour guide for students and visitors at The Ohio State University.   The Virtual Tour Agent is a mix of technologies including an Artificial Intelligent, augmented reality, geo-coding location (GPS), voice recognition (think Apple’s Siri), and question and answers built using IMR.

Find Brutus is an on-campus guide with a mobile edge.  The application is  an interactive multidimensional experience providing maps and clues to primary points-of-interest (targets) on campus.  The user is given text or voice-activated clues using their mobile camera and an online radar tool allowing the user to seek the targets.  When the user comes within proximity of a target a virtual 3D Brutus displays on the device.   As the user seeks  targets they are given a prompt and question about the target.  The player is given multiple clues and information about the target.  As the user answers the question they are given a new target to seek.

In addition the gaming aspect of Find Brutus users can ask for directions or facts about the university.  Find Brutus is the essence of a tour guide.

The research component will investigate the human interactions of incoming students using technology to reduce the stress associated with coming to large university.   The objective is to create a friendly application that eases tensions of students when trying to navigate the campus while increasing their sense of pride and belonging toward an academic community.

The long-term plans for the technological framework is to develop training for physicians, nurses in hospital rooms with real-world simulations using Google Glass; integrate into libraries as a resource for locating digital and print materials; classroom simulation tool for teaching and learning.   This tool will take people out of the classroom and into real-world environments to interact with their environment and increase their ability to construct knowledge.

Find Brutus is going to explore the world of Google Glass.

“Hi Brad, thanks for applying! We’d like to invite you to join our #glassexplorers program. We’ll be sending you a private message with more details in the coming weeks — keep an eye on our stream at Project Glass.”  Google.