LEGO HUNT: an AR treasure hunt for schools

The challenge

AUHack is Aarhus University’s hackathon. LEGO Education set a challenge: create a concept and a prototype that combines new technology and LEGO to make engaging and fun learning experiences for pupils.

There were three of us who did not know each other beforehand and came from different fields: Caglar Araz (designer), Mikkel Jensby (IT and product development) and me as an electronics engineer. We chose the LEGO challenge, came up with the idea in a shared ideation session, and divided the work before we started.

The idea

LEGO HUNT is a treasure hunt for groups of pupils of school age. The teams have to complete as many challenges as possible before the time runs out:

Each challenge tests the pupils in a random subject, for example maths or geometry, but also creative thinking. The solution is built in LEGO, and the team runs back to base with it. There they get points and a new destination. At the end, the team uses all the LEGO bricks they have earned to build a creative solution, and the teams with the most points win.

The game is also a tool for teachers, who can scale the challenges to the right level for their class.

The app

The pupils use an app to see where the next challenges are, scan AR stickers and follow the leaderboard for the other teams. The stickers are where the AR experience starts.

My role

I implemented the AR technology and developed the app, and Mikkel also worked on AR. Caglar mainly handled the concept and the visual material. The app is built in Unity with Vuforia for AR, and the models and designs were made in Autodesk Fusion 360 and Sketch. We switched roles continuously and made quick decisions, because none of us had worked on a concept like this before, and we got little or no sleep.

Challenges along the way

We were too ambitious about what was possible with AR in the short time, but we had a plan B ready and switched quickly. We also spent a good deal of time on a software problem, and it felt great when we solved it.

The result

We won 1st place in the LEGO Education challenge and came 2nd at AUHack 2018.

The prize: a trip to LEGO

Part of the prize was a trip to LEGO in Billund, where we showed the game. The trip is partly documented in the Danish DR series Svært begavet (Gifted), episode 4, where Mikkel was a participant. Caglar and I happened to be in it too, and we appear from about 9:27. We also took a photo in the LEGO basement with the old models.

What I learned

I learned to work with people from other fields, to have a plan B when plan A does not hold, and what is possible with AR. It was also a fun project with some good people.