Visual interpretive system of Bulgarka Nature Park for touchscreen –
Photorealistic computer recreation of the environment, birds and their habits.

Visual interpretive system of Bulgarka Nature Park is developed and installed on a 47” touchscreen with build-in computer module. The application can be operated with the touchscreen without using a keyboard and mouse.
Purpose of the system:

To provide in an accessible, fun and interactive way information about the park, its natural landmarks and protected areas, as well as to familiarize its visitors with the existence, way of life, features and distribution of four rare and endangered forest bird species within the Balgarka Nature Park.
Content of the development:
The visual system is implemented as a separate software application. Runs in a full screen in resolution Full HD (1920 х 1080 px). The application contains menus and buttons that allow the user to navigate through more than 60 different pages (slides), including text information, photo galleries, games, videos. A large number of mapping products have been included, including a 2D map, 3D virtual flight and 3D interactive model on and around the park, providing visual and easy to understand geographical information about the park’s boundaries and protected areas, as well as many additional typical objects.

System users:
  • Employees of Bulgarka Nature Park Directorate;
  • Visitors of the park;
  • Organized groups

  • Watch a short video showing the interactive system for touchscreen of Bulgarka Nature Park

See the user interface and information for the basic modules in the system

Main menu

  • Start screen Main menu

  • Main menu and navigation

    The main menu of the system is in its first page and it’s used for basic navigation in the entire contents of the interactive system. It contains 5 buttons: “Park info”, “Protected areas”, “Protected species”, “Films” and “Games”. On each page a menu button is available to call up the main menu. To facilitate the navigation, some pages have buttons – arrows “Forward” and “Back”, which allows you to move to the next page, return to previous page or return to the submenu. There are also buttons to turn the sound on and off.

Protected areas

  • Protected areas Protected area Sokolski Monastery

  • “Protected areas” Section

    In the “Protected areas” section the user can visually get acquainted with the location of 3 natural landmarks and 5 protected areas on the territory of the “Balgarka” Nature Park. There is again a map of the park. By clicking on any of the given territories represented by “hot spots” on the map, detailed information about the respective terrain illustrated with a photograph is displayed on the screen. “3D model of the park” and “Virtual flight” buttons are available in this section.

3D model of Bulgarka Nature Park

  • Protected areas – interactive map Virtual view of the park

  • The 3D model of the park is an interactive application to the system, through which the user can view a realistic three-dimensional model of the park, clearly acquainted with precisely recreated relief, the geographical position of the objects in the three-dimensional space, as well as the location of the protected areas. The user can rotate the model at 360°. Navigation buttons are available – zoom in and out of the camera, move the camera horizontally and vertically, and return to the original view.

    The Virtual flight over the Bulgarka Nature Park is a high quality animation created on the basis of a realistic 3D model of the park, simulating a flight and a 360-degree panoramic tour over the territory of the park. The user can examine in detail the relief and the position of the objects, the more important ones are marked with animated billboards with the names of the respective object. Protected areas, natural landmarks, rivers, dams, peaks, settlements, railway stations are noted.

Protected species

  • Protected species Protected species – Leshtarka

  • “Protected species” Section

    The “Protected species” section is the main item in the interactive system. This section introduces in details the user with the existence, way of life, peculiarities and distribution of four rare and endangered forest bird species on the territory of the Bulgarka Nature Park: white-backed woodpecker, red-breasted flycatcher, semicollared flycatcher and hazel grouse.

    The user has the opportunity to choose any of the protected birds represented by realistic photographic models. For each bird there is a submenu containing 4 buttons: “General Information”, “Distribution”, Food and Sounds” and “Gallery”. Each page, except the submenu, contains an image of the particular bird, as well as a video that presents the bird in the real environment and its behavior.

Games and entertainment

  • Games-menu Puzzle Games

  • “Game” Section

    The section is specifically targeted for preschool and elementary school children who can get to know and learn about the four protected forest birds through fun interactive games.

    4 games are available:

    “Puzzle” – you can choose between 4 pictures (with each of the birds), originally mixed parts and must be assembled;

    “The voice of the bird”– the users have the opportunity to guess which bird’s voice is being released;

    “Bird food”– an interactive game that makes it easy to learn what each bird’s favorite food is;

    “Who am I?” – users should connect short description about bird with its image;