LARA
🥇First Place | AI Hackathon
UFSC + Academy of Art University
PLAY TO PROTECT. EARN TO RESTORE.
Amazon Rainforest Conservation through Gamified AR Experience
LARA is an innovative Play-to-Earn ecosystem that actively protects and restores the Amazon Rainforest through immersive augmented reality gameplay. Developed for the "AI Hackathon to Save the Rainforest," it leverages AI tools to address the urgent environmental crisis. LARA combines investment, digital ownership, and real-world ecological restoration into a gamified experience, converting virtual actions into tangible environmental impact. Its core goal is to educate users on Amazon destruction, highlight its urgency, and empower them to participate in its preservation, aligning with the hackathon's mission.
[ Responsibility ] Concept & Project Lead, Design Strategy, Business Integration Strategy, Game Concept Development, Environmental Solution Design
[ Team ] Team Lead
[ Tool ] ChatGPT, Veo 3, Sora, Adobe Firefly, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
[ Project Type ] AI Hackathon
What Problem Does LARA Address?
The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate, with an area equivalent to three soccer fields disappearing every minute. This leads to a global environmental crisis, and public helplessness and government corruption further delay problem-solving.
How Does LARA Provide a Solution?
• Real-Time Amazon Surveillance via Drones: Experience the real-time Amazon via drone feeds. Expose illegal loggers and corrupt officials globally, generating public pressure to drive conservation.
• Build & Regenerate Your Forest: Deploy seed pods via drones, monitor forest health, and combat fires to restore deforested zones.
• Earn Impact-Based Crypto Rewards: Receive cryptocurrency tokens directly linked to your ecological restoration contributions.
• Keep, Donate or Reinvest Your Tokens: Manage earned rewards flexibly, enabling reinvestment into conservation or personal use.
• Real-World Restoration Powered by Play: Every in-game action contributes to measurable, verifiable real-world restoration outcomes.
How Was LARA Developed?
Individual Brainstorming
Began with tree and flower planting to combat deforestation. Developed concepts for real-world seed planting via drones with customization and gamification (e.g., heart shapes, names for personalized impact). The idea of rewarding players with tokens for their contributions was also conceived during this phase, forming an early foundation for a sustainable business model driven by user engagement and tangible impact.
Team Brainstorming
Expanded drone functionality to include real-time streaming of illegal logging activities. This enabled global user 'overwatch' to expose illicit operations and pressure governments to prioritize public opinion over corruption. The concept evolved into a gamified monitoring system for the Amazon.
Our Core Mission & Impact
• LARA's mission: Actionable conservation through global community engagement.
• Actionable Impact: Empower direct change in conservation worldwide.
• Transparent Empowerment: Decentralized tools ensure clear, direct impact.
• Enduring Connection: Foster deep bond with Amazon; players shape its future.
Next Steps & Future Vision
LARA's journey continues with a clear roadmap for expansion and increased impact, with continued development supported by students from Academy of Art University (USA) and UFSC (Brazil)
• Phase 1: Core Development & Pilot Launch
• Phase 2: Global Expansion & Ecosystem Growth
• Phase 3: Advanced Features & Decentralized Governance
• Long-term Vision: Citizen-Led Conservation
