Semarang City Government Builds Park Equipped With Virtual Cinemas

Trial of augmented reality (AR) glasses facility at Abdurrahman Saleh Park, Semarang, which will be conceptualized as "Smart Educationative Park"/ANTARA HO

SEMARANG - The Semarang City Government is building a city park equipped with virtual cinemas using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology to optimize the function of the park and attract the public.

"The park is already in Abdurrahman Saleh Park. We will develop it, later there will be a kind of mini virtual cinema," said the Daily Executor (Plh) Head of the Semarang City Housing and Settlement Area Office Murni Ediati as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 22.

According to him, the concept of a sophisticated technology park is indeed conceptualized as a Smart Educative Park by taking a pilot at Taman Abdurrahman Saleh which will later be implemented in all active parks in Semarang City.

He explained that the smart Educational Park in question is the concept of green open space (RTH) that optimizes the function of ecology, social, economic, recreation and education with facilities that are child-friendly, elderly and disabled.

"Active parks in Semarang City, most of which are only social and ecological spaces, will develop their educational functions by bringing digitalization and modernization," he said.

Virtual broadcasts, he said, can be watched by visitors, especially children, the elderly, and people with disabilities using special glasses that have been prepared with the theme of changing shows.

"For AR broadcasts, they are made once a month, for example, the theme of the aerospace, what else will they change later. Because wearing special glasses, officers will protect them 24 hours," he said.

Currently, he said, children's swing toys, VR educational toys, and AR vegetation information facilities have begun to be built in the park with the support of various stakeholders, including the private sector.

"The budget needed is around R2.5 billion. It is worked on together not only from the government, but also a lot of'stakeholders', for example with CSR (corporate social responsibility)," he said.

He said that several trials of Abdurrahman Saleh Park had the concept of Smart Educative Park by inviting children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and were targeted to be completed in 2024.

Abdurrahman Saleh Park covering an area of 1,600 square meters will have a child's "playground" facility, "jogging track", performance stage, toilet, "cafe booth", to VR room.

Meanwhile, Semarang Mayor Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu explained that her party continues to clean up and dress up, one of which is in the city park sector as a form of commitment towards becoming a Child-Friendly City.

The construction of the park is planned by cooperating with several stakeholders to build the city of Semarang into a metropolitan city with an environmental perspective with adequate recreation and education spaces.