Serious Play Forum

[Jody Lentz]

A friend just tweeted this at me:
https://uploadvr.com/legos-official-arkit-app-brings-bricks-to-life/
Could there be remote/virtual LSP possible with something like this?
Is this relevant or simply interesting?
Jody Lentz
facilitator
[LSP team, 2001-2004]

[Pablo Luengas]

Simply interesting.

AR can (still) not substitute the mind-eye-hand experience of building, experimenting with elements, bringing modules together… I think this is not only romantic, it is definitely more practical and deep learning.

Though, I wait for the moment when VR allows me to walk into a “shared vision model” with a group.

By the way, in a recent LSP workshop, the team leader connected per video conferencing with his team at the workshop to get the “sharing the model” part.

He didn’t want to push his team too much, so he just jumped in, gave some feedback, and then jumped out. No model-building on his side.

This leader was already aware of the LSP Methodology and I previously designed the session with him.

It worked great!

[Thierry Gregorius]

Looks interesting as the intersection of two different worlds (in this case digital & analog) can always lead to new insights.

Reminds me of AR experiments in my own industry (mapping & data) see e.g. here from Britain’s national mapping agency https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2018/01/virtual-escape-mapping/ At first it seems ridiculous to recreate a paper map in AR when you could use digital 3D mapping systems, but it led to some interesting insights and behaviours…

I wouldn’t use such technology for workshops until it is completely proven and reliable though – computers and video links always break… unlike flipcharts or LEGO bricks :)

[Eli De Friend]

Hi Jody,
A few years ago, I actually explored the possibility of using AR/VR and the existing LEGO tools to support the following Work Flow:

1. Workshop participants come together in a physical co-located space and build real world tangible models.
2. Workshop facilitator or sponsor photographs/films the model and uploads it into the LEGO cloud.
3. LEGO digital tools (I can’t remember what they were called at the time) analyse the images to identify what bricks would need to be used to rebuild the model from scratch and renders the whole model in LEGO digital designer.
4. Workshop participants refine model remotely using LEGO digital designer and LEGO Universe
5. Workshop participants re-convene in a physical location with a LEGO robot master builder
6. LEGO robot master builder reconstructs the model in its latest state as per instructions from LEGO digital designer.
7. Workshop participants continue to build on the physical model

All of the above-mentioned technology existed, albeit in a developmental or restricted state. The one question that seemed not to be addressed was how to depict the non-visible elements that are obscured from view(whether deliberately or not). I contacted LEGO to see if they were interested in partnering with the Swiss EPFL to develop the augmented reality capabilities to identify each brick that is placed on the model and keep track of it. The answer at the time was “thanks, but no thanks”.

It looks like, with this ARKit, LEGO has moved on in its thinking.

I’m not sure I would want to be using such an approach myself, but I thought it was an interesting solution to the challenge faced by many large organisations who find it difficult to allow their staff to spend too much time away from their office, particularly if workshop participants are travelling from multiple geographic locations.

All the best,

Eli

[Eli De Friend]

Hi Jody,
A few years ago, I actually explored the possibility of using AR/VR and the existing LEGO tools to support the following Work Flow:

1. Workshop participants come together in a physical co-located space and build real world tangible models.
2. Workshop facilitator or sponsor photographs/films the model and uploads it into the LEGO cloud.
3. LEGO digital tools (I can’t remember what they were called at the time) analyse the images to identify what bricks would need to be used to rebuild the model from scratch and renders the whole model in LEGO digital designer.
4. Workshop participants refine model remotely using LEGO digital designer and LEGO Universe
5. Workshop participants re-convene in a physical location with a LEGO robot master builder
6. LEGO robot master builder reconstructs the model in its latest state as per instructions from LEGO digital designer.
7. Workshop participants continue to build on the physical model

All of the above-mentioned technology existed, albeit in a developmental or restricted state. The one question that seemed not to be addressed was how to depict the non-visible elements that are obscured from view(whether deliberately or not). I contacted LEGO to see if they were interested in partnering with the Swiss EPFL to develop the augmented reality capabilities to identify each brick that is placed on the model and keep track of it. The answer at the time was “thanks, but no thanks”.

It looks like, with this ARKit, LEGO has moved on in its thinking.

I’m not sure I would want to be using such an approach myself, but I thought it was an interesting solution to the challenge faced by many large organisations who find it difficult to allow their staff to spend too much time away from their office, particularly if workshop participants are travelling from multiple geographic locations.

All the best,

Eli

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