Arborgraphia, a new app developed by UL Lafayette faculty and students, helps visitors identify trees on campus.
Dr. Douglas Williams, a professor of instructional technology, dreamed up the app. He小蝌蚪APP檚 also director of the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Center for Innovative Learning and Assessment Technologies, which creates educational mobile apps and computer games. 小蝌蚪APP淢y family enjoyed the outdoors, so I grew up with an appreciation for nature, including trees. I started brainstorming, thinking of a way to share the treasure of our trees on campus and also provide a learning tool,小蝌蚪APP he said. Williams used information in one block of campus 小蝌蚪APP bounded by Johnston Street, East 小蝌蚪APP Avenue, Hebrard Boulevard and East St. Mary Street 小蝌蚪APP to establish the app.
That block has more than 260 trees representing 33 species. Among them are the Centennial Oaks, which were planted by the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 first president in 1901, and camellias that line part of the Walk of Honor, a pathway of bricks engraved with graduates小蝌蚪APP names.
Photographs and illustrations of trees, and their bark, fruits and flowers, help users identify species. There小蝌蚪APP檚 an interactive map, an index of tree species and guided walking tours. A history tab reveals more information, such as how American Indians used a particular species, or how a certain tree is related to the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 history.
An additional feature, 小蝌蚪APP淢y Journal,小蝌蚪APP uses GPS coordinates for individual trees, so the app will 小蝌蚪APP渒now小蝌蚪APP when the user is within a certain radius of a given tree.
Arborgraphia is suitable for all ages, although younger users will need some help navigating it, Williams said.
It was a collaborative effort that began in 2011. Three students created its illustrations: Ahren Brown, who graduated in 2012; Brittny Giroir, a junior; and Amy Heinz, a senior. Tiffany Gilbert, a freshman majoring in informatics, determined each tree小蝌蚪APP檚 GPS coordinate and uploaded data, including images and illustrations. Dr. Yuxin Ma and Louise Prejean, Center staff members, contributed to the overall design, content and testing of the app.
Most of the data came from UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Community Design Workshop, a senior-level studio for architecture students that小蝌蚪APP檚 focused on urban planning. Its students are conducting a campus-wide tree inventory.
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