MarineXR
An immersive AR education application bringing marine biology to life through interactive 3D experiences. Students can explore ocean life, from basking sharks to coral reefs, by placing life-sized creatures directly into their physical environment.
About the App
MarineXR transforms marine biology education by allowing students to interact with accurate, life-sized 3D models of ocean creatures through augmented reality. Built with Niantic Lightship ARDK on top of AR Foundation, the app leverages advanced AR capabilities including environmental meshing, and enhanced tracking to enable tap-to-place mechanics and real-time surface detection, placing high-fidelity marine life directly into classrooms, homes, or outdoor spaces.
Each interactive module is designed with educational goals in mind, teaching students about anatomy, behavior, habitat, and conservation. For example, the basking shark module demonstrates AR's effectiveness for scale education—students can walk around a full-sized shark to understand its true dimensions and anatomical features.
My Role & Contributions
AR Developer & Gameplay Programmer
Led AR implementation and gameplay systems development, focusing on creating intuitive, educational experiences optimized for mobile performance across iOS and Android devices.
▸ Lightship ARDK + AR Foundation Implementation
- • Built immersive AR learning experiences using Niantic Lightship ARDK built on AR Foundation for enhanced cross-platform AR capabilities
- • Implemented tap-to-place mechanics with Lightship's enhanced surface detection for accurate positioning of marine life in real-world spaces
- • Utilized Lightship's meshing capabilities for realistic occlusion and interaction between virtual creatures and physical environments
▸ Interactive Educational Modules
- • Designed and implemented interactive modules aligned with educational curriculum standards
- • Created basking shark biology module demonstrating life-size scale and anatomical features
- • Built information overlay system providing contextual educational content
- • Implemented gesture controls for rotating, scaling, and examining AR models
▸ Performance & Optimization
- • Profiled and optimized high-fidelity 3D marine models for mobile AR performance
- • Established asset workflows for efficient texture compression and mesh optimization
- • Targeted and achieved consistent 60 FPS on mid-range mobile devices
▸ Release & Distribution
- • Managed complete release pipeline from development to App Store and Google Play deployment
- • Established TestFlight beta testing workflows for educator feedback
- • Implemented analytics tracking to measure educational engagement and feature usage
- • Maintained app updates and bug fixes post-launch based on user feedback
Technical Stack
AR & Unity
- • Unity 6 (URP)
- • Niantic Lightship ARDK
- • AR Foundation
- • ARKit (iOS)
- • ARCore (Android)
- • Addressables
Lightship Features
- • Environmental Meshing
- • Enhanced Tracking
- • Occlusion
- • Real-time Depth
Performance Tools
- • Unity Profiler
- • Frame Debugger
Asset Management
- • Addressables system
- • Asset bundle optimization
- • Texture compression
Impact on AR Education
MarineXR demonstrated the effectiveness of augmented reality as an educational tool, particularly for teaching concepts that benefit from spatial understanding and scale visualization. The project showcased how mobile AR can make high-quality educational content accessible to students without requiring expensive VR hardware or dedicated lab spaces.