Success in VCONIC TADHack with Apparition

Jared and David delivered an amazing hack for VCONIC TADHack, Apparition,  a framework for creating location-based experiences with a wide range of applications. As a user approaches a location, audio will play and text/pictures will appear on their device. The sound will increase as the user gets closer to the location.

The framework can be used to create scenarios of various applicability, from haunted houses, immersive mystery stories, or even guided tours in galleries or museums customized to your specific needs. This was a chance to catch up with them, to understand their recipe for success.

You can see all the hacks delivered for VCONIC TADHack, here. Our focus for this conversation is the sustained impact Jared and David have had on TADHack, since 2021 with their first hack, Museum Assistant, app-free SMS-based technology that allows a museum or gallery patron to send messages for additional information, help from staff, and the ability to send in a review on completion of their visit.

Understanding their Process

Before TADHack, during their planning phase, they asked what can we do that either: we really want, or what can we do that will be the most fun. Both of those questions create strong internal motivation. I think coupled with their diverse backgrounds provides a rich environment.

Their motivation for Apparition came from ARGs Alternate Reality Game, but with their unique take: what can be done from an educational perspective? And how the story can be assembled flexibly. vCON provided the asset that gave them the flexibility they sought.

ARG is an interactive, networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Players solve puzzles, analyze clues, and interact with characters across multiple media (websites, phone calls, social media) to advance a collective, unfolding story.

A vCON can store the location of where the audio, text, pictures, video play, with lots of other meta data like audio levels, subtitles for accessibility, etc. With vCON it can be use used for anything. For informational experiences going around a museum.

VCON a container for anything, and an LBS Renaissance?

Thomas loved Apparition, he thought it was incredibly creative idea that demonstrated how vCON can enable new experiences that play out in the physical world.

Thomas harkened back to the beginning of location based services, it was over 20 years ago. Their popularity was short lived, as the effort to create engaging LBS content was signifiant. A few start-ups kicked off compelling games, but the ease of creation, community content, and sophistication in experience limited LBS game availability.

With vCon, social media, and the vast online resources available change this dynamic in LBS content creation. Hence the time could be right for an LBS renaissance. Beyond the big brand games like Pokémon GO and some of Niantic’s titles, finally addressable to your local museum, school, or nature trails.

Jared and David sing the benefits of how adaptable are VCONs, “they can be used for anything”. Thomas makes the point that in the early days of writing the VCON specification, he and Dan both drew the same conclusion but were careful not to promote that for the confusion it could cause.

David raised the point, why haven’t we been using VCON the whole time? Its one of those obvious questions that a myriad of bespoke quick fixes, e.g. recording the audio of voice messages or text of a message delivered good-enough solutions that delayed the creation of a container for conversations.

Thomas makes a point that you can create new VCONs from older ones, that are reactions, additions, reflections on the experience. For the Reddit folks, think about how a post can spawn a community of comments and shared experiences, even new subreddits. A local trust creates a VCON around as event at historic site, then a local drama group creates a play based on that, which is then discussed by the local history group. Each builds / references the other.

Hack Evolution

I reference the evolution of Aparition from their 2025 hack, Epsilon Note Assistant. Which utilizes AI in combination with vCons in order to contextualize images and enter that contextual information into vCons. The information in the vCons could be used in plaintext formats, or the information could be extended and used to organize collections of images according to the commonalities and differences that the AI analyzes from the images. These organizational structures could included in the vCon, and that information could be extended to a wider variety of uses.

The problem Jared faced at the museum in North Carolina, was figuring out what to look at next. I’ve also visited the North Carolina museum of art, its a rich experience across 164 acres, and highly recommend it if you’re in the area. There was a guided tour, but Jared wanted something with granular control to his specific interests, he has a degree in fine arts. So depth matters. He wants a personalized recording of his experience at the museum, for example with notes that assume an MFA degree. This resonated for me, when I think about science museums, and how there’s never enough depth.

Thomas related this to a story about his son at the Prado in Madrid. How artists would include the children of the king who commissioned the work within the background of picture. And Thomas’s son thought that was cool, so used generative AI to remix the famous pictures with pictures of his friends. This touches upon an interesting emerging development in how we can augment our experiences at a specific location to be specific to us. Think of it as an AI-enhanced experience recording, enabled by VCON.

What do we really want, or what will be the most fun?

I then brought up the hack Jared and David created, TNID escrow. They had been trying to sell a digital good to potential buyers about a decade ago; there was no easy way to determine if a buyer was truly legitimate. TNID’s approach to authentication would take care of all identity concerns before I even began a transaction, so using TNID as the basis for an escrow service made a lot of sense. This hack shows off the potential for this concept and how it might be applied through TNID’s technology. Again relating the hack to real world problems.

I could not have a conversation with Jared and David without mentioning, The Shrine at the Temple of Computing. It was so much fun to get the insider info about this hack, again linking to their MFA background.

The IOT hack Phi Hack ϕ (Phi) introduced a versatile device that incorporates an accelerometer to monitor and detect when appliances and objects complete their tasks or require attention. Easily attachable to washing machines, trash cans, and other household items, this device, which employs Radisys, streamlines household management and ensures efficiency in daily routines.

Consultant Assistant, an assistant that helps categorize and recognize useful information in calls to customers. The assistant will automatically assist you by performing actions related to conversation info such as: Creating contacts from name mentioned. This also included a contribution from T-developer ‘because its cool’ prize money.

Telepaper that augments the distance learning and collaboration experience by allowing users to seamlessly write notes to each other in real time with tablet and stylus. Each user would have a tablet, and the notes would appear between tablets in real time. Since the tablets are separate devices, no screen sharing would be necessary, and the face-to-face aspect of communication would not be lost. Resources Used: Avaya Spaces, Subspace, Red Hat. Jared was wearing his Avaya Engage t-shirt from that event on the conference call.

Museum Assistant. App-free SMS-based technology that allows a museum or gallery patron to send messages for additional information, help from staff, and the ability to send in a review on completion of their visit.

Thank you Jared and David for making a difference at TADHack.