DAVID ADAMS experiences the Red Cross’ new augmented reality app, Enter the Room…
Launched by the International Committee of the Red Cross in March, this app aims to shine a light on the horror many face in regions of the world where conflict rages. Be warned, it’s an intense experience. The app, which can be downloaded for free and was created by Paris-based agency Nedd, takes the user to an initially light-filled child’s bedroom with the sounds of a bustling city coming from outside the window. Spanning a period of several years, the app then reveals the changes which take place in that room as conflict breaks out in the city and then intensifies. Through the use of augmented reality tech, the viewer is able to literally walk around and explore the room (make sure you’re somewhere that you have the space to do so) with the sometimes scary sounds of what’s happening in the city outside the window filling your earphones. The use of a child’s bedroom to depict the conflict is a clever move – you never really see what’s happening outside but you’re all too aware of the impact its having on the room’s occupants and there’s an ever pending sense that things could rapidly get worse. A confronting insight – if only a glimpse – into the horrific experiences many around the world are facing right now. For iOS.
