Interactive AR Walk Cycle with Adobe Aero
Role: AR/Motion Designer
Tools: Adobe Aero, Directable Characters, Mixamo
Timeline: 1–2 days
Project Overview
This project explores spatial animation and character behavior in augmented reality using Adobe Aero’s Directable Characters. The focus was to create a smooth, loopable walk cycle that users could place and interact with in real-world environments.
Objective
Design and implement a walk cycle using AR characters, testing how motion, direction, and environment placementaffect user experience and believability in mixed-reality spaces.
Design Process
I started by defining a simple interaction goal: create an AR experience where a character could walk naturally across a physical space. The purpose was to test motion realism, user interaction, and spatial anchoring in mobile AR.
Setup & Implementation
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Imported a character from Aero’s built-in Directable Characters library.
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Applied the Walk To behavior to animate the character from one point to another.
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Used tap-to-move and launch behaviors to trigger the animation, allowing the user to initiate the walk.
Prototyping & Testing
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Observed how users reacted to the character’s pacing and path
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Learned that walk speed and turning angles strongly affect the sense of realism
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Noticed that open floor areas improve spatial placement and scale perception
Results + Reflections
Walk cycle worked well across environments
Useful exercise in thinking about motion as UX in space — not just screen-based design
Learned:
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Spatial pacing needs to account for human scale
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AR characters feel more alive when they react to user triggers or context
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Even without game mechanics, motion alone can create narrative moments in AR