Maumahara Papahou: A mobile augmented reality memory treasure box based on Māori mnemonic aids

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide “silent epidemic” causing a variety of memory issues for those affected. Although several software approaches aim to aid memory recollection, they are inadequate for many TBI survivors and none address aspects of cultural awareness in New Zealand. We explored design concepts of traditional Māori cultural artefacts and techniques and how they helped Māori people recall past information. This paper describes our research and development of Maumahara Papahou, a mobile app that uses augmented reality features to create a digital memory treasure box based on the concepts of Māori mnemonic aids.