This project was made using the “Unity” game engine with the Mapbox SDK (a downloadable library). Unity makes the game (collisions, objects etc.) while the Mapbox SDK lets us create a game using GPS data with ease. First, Unity can be a dense overwhelming software that requires some getting used to. There are an ample amount of tutorials online. https://learn.unity.com/ is a common suggestion or there are many others that
In order to find some possible futures of the Ames Mill dam and surrounding areas, we did research on two fronts: specific predictions and analyses of Northfield and the Cannon River, and similar dams that have been removed, breached etc. Research for this project was difficult, because unlike other projects dealing with the past and present, we had to be creative to find sources that helped us establish a speculative
Exploring the Possible Futures of the Ames Mill dam through Location-based AR When tasked with visualizing the potential futures of the Ames Mill dam, we were inspired by several video games. The first is Disco Elysium, an RPG that is mostly about solving a murder mystery, but also features a very well-developed world, which talks to the player in the form of a skill called Shivers. We were inspired by
“The Ames Mill | NorthfieldHistorical.” 31 July 2016, https://web.archive.org/web/20160731194234/http://www.northfieldhistorical.org/items/show/20. Bosman, Julie. “Vast Stretches of Minnesota Are Flooded as Swollen Rivers Overflow: [National Desk].” New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast), June 25, 2014, sec. A. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1539635023/abstract/8286C78412764F95PQ/1. “Chapter 17.” Minnesota – Special Laws. 17th Session, 1875, 95-120. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.ssl/ssmn0138&i=96. Fossum, Paul R. “Early Milling in the Cannon River Valley.” Minnesota History 11, no. 3 (1930): 271–82. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20160861. Hargie, Karin. “The Effects of Dams
Our final product for our community partner, the Northfield Public Library, consists of two ArcGIS StoryMaps that narrate the Cannon River’s past, from its geological and ecological history through human use and settlement, with an emphasis on Bridge Square area and the Ames Mill Dam. We present a symbiotic relationship between the river and humans leading up to the present. The library will potentially use this as part of the
As the city of Northfield and the community contemplate removal of the Ames Mill Dam, questions are swirling about how we should preserve the dam and mill’s history and meaningfully engage with the Cannon River. Public art projects, particularly around the Bridge Square Riverwalk area, have the potential to be critical avenues for visitors and residents alike to engage with the Cannon River and the milling history of the city.
We used drones, cameras, and voice recorders to gather the media we included in our final map. Additionally, we researched ethical oral history before reaching out to interview people. The final map was created using Thinglink and a number of media and audio editors.
Almost all of our content for this project comes from field interviews and field research. Erin and I walked along the Cannon River a few times to better understand the setting we were talking about. Beginning with our own contacts and expanding to all Northfield residents, we took a number of interviews, learning about people’s different experiences. We paid particular attention to our own survey biases, both being Carleton students,
