JBT APP - 4 paths that enable an augmented reality and multimedia experience.
The Jardim Botânico Tropical (JBT) in Belém, one of our university's gardens, reopened to the public on January 25, 2020, after renovations. On June 14, 2020, a new mobile application, called the JBT App, was launched, offering visitors a different experience of interacting with the garden's various spaces and eras.
The JBT App is available in four languages (Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish) and is designed for Android 6.0 or later. This application provides four thematic routes that use augmented reality and multimedia experiences: "Trees Not to Miss," which identifies the garden's most emblematic trees; "A Garden with History," where visitors are invited to learn about the various historical periods represented in this space, which dates back to the 17th century; “Birds,” which allows visitors to learn about the most common bird species in the Garden; and “Nature Sensors,” where the public can discover the natural diversity that this space has to offer.
The four routes of the App can be downloaded, and there is a free Wi-Fi hotspot next to the “Casa da Direção” building, allowing visitors to explore the Garden in a guided way, directing them to the main points of interest.
The JBT App was developed by a team from the Department of Informatics at Ciências ULisboa—Rafael Torres, Stefan Postolache, Ana Paula Afonso, Ana Paula Cláudio, António Ferreira, Maria Beatriz Carmo, and Maria Dulce Domingos—as part of a project of the Rectorate of ULisboa led by Vice-Rector Pinto Paixão, professor in the Department of Statistics and Operational Research at Ciências ULisboa. This project also involved other partners from Ciências ULisboa, namely from the Departments of Animal Biology, Plant Biology, and Geographic Engineering, Geophysics, and Energy; as well as from the National Museum of Natural History and Science of ULisboa—Maria Cristina Duarte, Ana Godinho, Raquel Barata, César Garcia, Ana Leal, Palmira Carvalho, Cecília Sérgio, and Paula Redweik.
