NEWS
Research at flowAR is more than just theory in scientific articles.
Our passion is bringing ideas to life. When we’re not busy fine-tuning publications, we immerse ourselves in practical work: we develop new concepts in creative workshops, network at exhibitions, and talk to citizens to identify their requirements and needs—all with the aim of designing augmented reality prototypes.
The driving force behind our work is exchange: close collaboration with researchers, artists, citizens, companies, and associations from the Ruhr region.
Here in our blog, we take you behind the scenes.
Gain exclusive insights into our current activities, discover the stories behind our projects, and join us on our journey through the world of collaborative augmented reality.
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Open House at TU Dortmund University – A Complete Success
At the beginning of November, we welcomed numerous visitors to our booth and immersed ourselves in the future of digital technologies together. Hands-on FlowAR: Our latest FlowAR prototypes were available for live testing. We also introduced our project partner: the International Garden Exhibition (IGA), which is working with us on innovative AR experiences for its exhibitions in the coming years. Opt-in: Smart homes that think for themselves: Many guests learned about the opportunities and challenges of modern smart home technologies. How much convenience is possible—and where are the potential risks? Our team provided exciting insights and answered numerous questions. Become…
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Community workshop for a user-centered research approach
In the flowAR research project, we are investigating how augmented reality (AR) can reshape collaborative art in public spaces in a participatory, sustainable, and creative way. The results will be presented at the IGA 2027 Ruhrgebiet. Last Thursday, a community workshop was held at the Chair of Digital Transformation at TU Dortmund University, together with project participants from science, technology, art, and culture. We discussed the following topics: 💡 Who are the potential target groups for flowAR?🚶♀️ What could their journey look like from initial contact to active participation? The insights gained now form the basis for the next steps,…
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Review of our DiWoDo workshop
As part of Digital Week Dortmund (DiWoDo), we organized a workshop at the Chair of Digital Transformation at TU Dortmund University, where participants gained insights into current research projects, including our flowAR project. They not only learned about technologies, but also had the opportunity to try them out and help shape them. FlowAR in action With the Voxel app we developed, iPads became creative tools: Participants designed their own Minecraft-style augmented reality content and experienced how low-threshold and playful AR can become a creative medium.In addition, they were able to use our Wizard tool to repair a bucket wheel excavator…
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Creative idea development for our research project flowAR
How could we inspire visitors to help shape the IGA2027 in a creative, digital, yet nature-oriented way? We explored this question as part of our research project in a one-day creative workshop on July 30 at the Dortmunder U. Using a variety of methods, we addressed key questions and concepts step by step – from the design object to the storyline and planned events to initial considerations about the community. Open questions were discussed together, initial ideas were tested and creatively refined. Not only did the inspiring atmosphere of the Dortmunder U accompany us – we were also able to…
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Kickoff at the IGA pop-up store: flowAR officially launches
On July 28, the official kickoff of the flowAR project took place at the IGA pop-up store in Duisburg. At this kickoff event, we had the opportunity to introduce our project sponsors, the project itself, and the team, as well as to present our work to date. This marked the official launch of flowAR and set the course for the upcoming project phases. In an inspiring environment, we were able to provide initial insights into our planned AR art installations and discuss goals, concepts, and creative visions for IGA2027 with the participants. The exchange provided valuable input and offered exciting…
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NEXT.IN.NRW-Project „flowAR” has started
How can physical and digital communities work together to create immersive art installations and bring them to life in order to draw attention to socially relevant issues? This question is addressed by the NEXT.IN.NRW project “flowAR: Blossoming collective creativity in physically and digitally active communities through the creation of immersive augmented reality objects,” which is funded by the EFRE/JTF program NRW 2021-2027 and the European Union. The project explores how immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) can redesign collaborative art installations in a nature-oriented context. At its heart is a user-centered AR authoring tool that enables even laypeople to…