Introduction

The Capstone group “Team ARrgh!” set out in January 2026 to create an augmented reality experience for Space Park Väisälä. They planned to do so by creating an application which would tell the story of the person the Park was named after – the late professor Yrjö Väisälä, who once was (and still is) a world-renowned inventor and astronomer. The team believed that, instead of using an unrelated narrator, it would be fitting and in respect of his memory to have “him” tell his story. Therefore, in cooperation with the customer, it was decided that the application would revolve around a hand-crafted 3D model of Yrjö Väisälä, which would act as a guide and narrator for the user of the application.

Goal

The goal of the project was to create an augmented reality experience for Space Park Väisälä, which would help to bring in new customers and new exciting content. The aim was to especially try and motivate people who might stumble upon the Park, not knowing what they’re looking at, to explore more and perhaps even visit its museum as paying customers.

Results

The team produced an application which, by utilizing augmented reality technology, provides an immersive experience – both entertaining and educative – for the visitors of Space Park Väisälä. It does so by bringing the late Yrjö Väisälä to life as an interactive 3D figure, which mimics how Yrjö used to be, and talks with a recreated voice of his. With “Yrjö” by their side as a friendly guide, the visitors can explore the different kinds of content throughout the Park. Content is offered to both paying and non-paying customers, with the former having full and the latter having limited access.

A Teaser