In a celebration of cultural heritage and modern technology, the Watermelon Couch AR Installation was conceived as an immersive tribute to history, memory, and digital futurism. Presented at the Juneteenth Reality Hack, this 3-day marathon of creativity challenged us to create something bold, interactive, and grounded in cultural storytelling.

Our muse? The Watermelon Couch—an emblem of agricultural history, communal gathering and the journey of storytelling. This project wasn't just about pushing the boundaries of AR but about breathing life into something personal and familiar while making it accessible in the digital realm.

Beginning with PolyCam, I meticulously scanned every contour of the Watermelon Couch. Once imported into Blender, the couch took on new life. We didn't stop there. In collaboration with James Shields, the visionary behind the Watermelon Couch Road Trip, and VR artist Shana McCullough, the project started to evolve. We weren’t just crafting an AR object; we were building an experience.

Next came the concept of a postcard, a nostalgic nod to past journeys but with a futuristic twist. Using Luma AI, I generated a red van—which, paired with the Watermelon Couch, created a narrative: a road trip through digital landscapes, from the tangible to the virtual. I meshed these elements in Blender, crafting both sides of the AR-enhanced postcard, ensuring that each angle would provide users with a sense of depth and interaction. It was no longer just a project; it was an invitation to explore.

To deepen the connection with our audience, we filmed James Shields discussing the origins and significance of the Watermelon Couch. But the video wasn't static—I rotoscoped him, and Shana's expertise in VFX added another layer, infusing visual magic that made the narrative soar beyond the screen.

As the layers of the installation came together, our goal was clear: we wanted users to not only see the Watermelon Couch but to feel the essence of the road trip, the cultural journey, and the narrative woven through AR. Combining Polycam, LumaAI and Blender for 3D capture + modeling and Adobe After Effects for post-production, the final result was more than just a rendering; it was a living postcard—rich with texture, movement, and meaning.

The result was an interactive AR installation that felt both nostalgic and avant-garde. Users could step into this augmented world, exploring the juxtaposition of past and future, the personal and the universal.

In the end, the Watermelon Couch AR Installation wasn’t just a digital object—it was a bridge between the tangible and the virtual. Our efforts were recognized with the Featured Artist Award and accompanying prize money at the Juneteenth Reality Hack, a testament to the project’s innovation and the cultural resonance it created.

This project not only highlighted the technical possibilities of AR but also its power to tell stories. It reminded us that while technology moves forward, it’s our narratives, our histories, that give these advancements meaning. The Watermelon Couch AR Installation is a perfect example of how the intersection of tradition and innovation can create something truly unique.