Orangutans in Borneo (Pongo Pygmy) AND Bornean gibbon (Hylobates albibarbis) are two flagship monkeys from Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan Islands), which is able to soon appear within the mobile game. Thanks to using augmented reality (AR) technology in the sport, users will feel what it’s wish to be a primate scientist tracking two great apes in real time on their phone screen. In the sport, users may also meet other “virtual” field staff or scientists who will help them find the charismatic orangutan and white-bearded gibbon from Borneo via the app’s chat.
The project is implemented by Internet of elephants “IoE,” a game developer from Kenya and the United States, has ventured into the Sebangau peat forest in Central Kalimantan, home to a big population of two great apes. The team went into the forest to gather the information needed to create the characters of the 2 inspired monkeys Fio, young male orangutan i Chilli a gibbon living within the Sebangau forest.
(Fio’s orangutan prototype in a 3D mobile game by Internet of Elephants)
Even though a tracking game could seem so easy to us, the strategy of making a game is sort of serious. The development itself began with field data collection, following primates of their natural peat-swamp forest environment, and plenty of discussions with a conservation and research organization called Borneo Nature Foundation which provides noteworthy insights for Fio and Chilli. The collected data served as basic information to bring each characters to life in the sport.
While anyone can play this game, it seems designed to appeal more to millennials who spend at the very least 60% of their time behind a smartphone screen. It’s protected to say that introducing children to near-extinct wild animals in a way that suits them best is a great approach. It goals to have interaction society in wildlife conservation using the newest technology to interrupt down the wall that limits our understanding of our closest relatives.
The game’s premiere is anticipated this yr. After completing field research in Central Kalimantan last yr in 2018, IoT is now entering the “playable prototype” phase. This means you’ll be able to now test a sample game model and see if there are things that must be improved to make the sport look nicer. The excellent news is that the physical appearance of Fio the orangutan within the 3D model is now becoming more noticeable, and the character of Chilli is anticipated to be developed soon.
The current status of those two great apes within the wild is concerning, because the Bornean orangutan is listed as Critically Endangered and the Bornean white-chinned gibbon is listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
What happens to those two requires a concerted effort on all sides to guard the remaining population within the wild. A recent update from the Indonesian Nature Research and Conservation Agency (BKSDA) released earlier this yr regarding the spread of orangutans in multi-use landscapes shows that at least 80% of the entire wild orangutan population in Kalimantan lives outside preserved or protected forest areas. This has led to a dramatic decline within the orangutan population because of animal-human conflict and business growth within the Kalimantan rainforest.
The game goals to boost awareness about (nearly) endangered great apes because of the above issue. Thanks to using cutting-edge technologies, the sport tries to construct engaging communication products that can introduce us to a more in-depth relationship between us as humans and the animals around us.
