What is WAIA?

Waia is a mobile application that uses Augmented Reality as a tool to revive the historical circuit of Ushuaia city by intervening the urban space with physical markers.

Augmented reality or RA complements real environment with digital objects by using a mobile device (Tablet or Smartphone).

Promotes the development of Orange Industries locally

The conclusion of the present development proves the existence of specialized human resources at the local level and verifies the technical possibility of carrying out the present development.

WAIA promotes the local development of creative industries, in particular 2D and 3D design, and programming in Unity3D, among other technologies.

Waia as work process

From the beginning, WAIA is an inter-institutional project in which different and diverse social actors are involved.

The National University of Tierra del Fuego (UNTDF) is in charge of research, development and implementation of the project.

Ushuaia Tourism Secretariat (STU) is in charge of the implementation of physical markers.

Ushuaia XXI Foundation is in charge of historical content generation.

Fueguino Institute of Tourism (In.Fue.Tur) together with the Camara de Turismo de Tierra del Fuego accompany WAIA with external communication.

Action Research (AR) as a methodology of work

WAIA’s work process began in 2015 and became a learning curve for addressing issues related to tourism and articulation between several actors that, based on defining and reflecting on a common problem, we look forward to generate actions that promote or facilitate a change process, however, for thar to be generated, an introspective and reflective process was necessary, which led to a personal change process in those who direct the development of the project.

The mentioned process, after an intuitive beginning and the incorporation of Dra Silvina Romano as an advisor to the work team,is framed within the strategy of AR for Territorial Development (inspired by Karlsen and Larrea 2014). As a result of the implementation of AR, the team documented  knowledge acquired during the work process, which can provide information for further research / developments in the sector.

Waia as value add to destination

In recent years the evolution of Interactive Communication Technologies (ICTs) has generated important effects in the tourism sector, opening new doors and new combinations of technologies and processes.

Based on these new opportunities and challenges facing the sector, different actors from the city of Ushuaia come together in this project to respond to a specific need, the development and implementation of a new tourism product that, through the use of ICTs, tourists to the history of the city, from a tour of buildings and / or sites with high historical significance.

Acknowledgments and collaborations

UNTDF Language School

English
Translations: National Public Translator of English Ethel Natalia Revello Barovero, Professor of English Language Claudia Mariana Peralta.
Review and edition: Bachelor in English Language Eugenia Inés Carrión Cantón

Portuguese
Translations: Portuguese Teacher Lucía Inés Sobral Gomez, Professor of Portuguese Diego Gauna.

Miscellaneous collaborations

From the direction of the project we thank:

Ushuaia Bureau Development Agency, for their collaboration and contributions to the project.
Cristiane Cavalli, from the Ushuaia Tourism Secretariat, for the assistance in communication for Portuguese language. And Norma Colaiuta for the assistance in communication for English language.