‘Treat Street’ – AR Experience Shows Future of Trick-or-Treating

With cancellations and restrictions overshadowing festivities this year, London-based creative technology agency Rehab has developed an AR Gaming Experience concept, Treat Street, that can allow children and families alike to trick-or-treat in their neighbourhoods safely.

Powered by Anything World, Treat Street allows users to discover and collect 3D AR ‘treats’ such as pumpkins and cauldrons, whilst trying to avoid ‘tricks’ such as ghouls and zombies. And in keeping with the Halloween tradition, children can then count their Halloween treasures and exchange them for real treats at home.

A full demo video of Treat Street can be viewed here: www.rehabagency.ai/treat-street

As social activity remains restricted, Treat Street offers an idea of how families can get out of the house to enjoy festive events, mediated by technology to enable safe interactions with the community and wider world around the user.

The idea comes as part of Rehab’s ‘Hack Week’ programme, where the agency sets aside a week to find creative solutions to pertinent societal issues. Each ‘hack’ focuses on a topic the team feels passionately about and utilises Rehab’s diverse skills and expertise as creative technologists, using the same creative process that the business employs on its client work.

Rob Bennett, CEO of Rehab Agency, commented: “With the uncertainty around COVID-restrictions and guidelines, we wanted to spark imaginations about what might still be possible during the spooky season, and how families can still take part in festivities whilst still socially distancing. As creative technologists, we also wanted to show that screens are not the enemy and instead can facilitate the things our children (and the adults…) enjoy while building emotional family connections.”