Patented AR technology joins the fight against childhood obesity

Earlier this week Stayhealthy, Inc. announced a new augmented reality (AR) app for children called Color Quest: An Art Adventure. The app is designed to engage kids through “experiential landscapes, activities, and interactive steps that get them involved in understanding their own bodies in a fun and educational way,” with the hope of stemming childhood obesity.

Through its use of AR, users will mingle and play with characters in a game-like setting and without prompting simultaneously learn about their own health. This is the first of a suite of personalized AR healthcare apps to be introduced by the company in 2019.

The company says it acquired Augmently, Inc., a leading augmented realism creative agency in March.

In a news release the company describes animated characters in the form of fruits, vegetables, and bodily organs entertaining and educating while children work through a variety of activities and coloring exercises. Once colored on a mobile device, the Color Quest characters are activated through AR.

If a child color a heart, for example, that prompts a visual and audio depiction with information about how the human heart works. The child can them decide where to place the character in the AR environment. “As the character comes to life in the actual colors used by the child, it creates a personal experience for the child – supported by audio –and not offered by any other app on the market,” said the company in its statement. “The inevitable result is an entertaining experience that drives the child’s desire to want to learn more. The app leaves the child with life-long learning and understanding that lead to healthier living as they grow into adults.”