Browsing by Author "ACIRO, GLADYS"

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    AN AUGMENTED REALITY FRAMEWORK FOR MARKETING GREEN CHARCOAL: A CASE OF AMURU AND GULU CITY NORTHERN UGANDA.
    (Gulu University, 2026-08) ACIRO, GLADYS
    Despite 20 years of green charcoal initiatives in Northern Uganda, awareness and adoption remain low, traditional fuel use continues to drive deforestation, this study proposes an Augmented Reality-based marketing framework to boost green charcoal adoption, supporting sustainability and clean energy access, the study aimed to evaluate and test the AR-based marketing framework in promoting green charcoal awareness and adoption. The study explored the use of a Unity-based AR marketing framework to promote green charcoal adoption in Northern Uganda. High smartphone penetration and digital readiness among users supported AR implementation. The AR prototype effectively addressed key barriers such as limited awareness, product misconceptions, and poor marketing through immersive, multilingual simulations. It focuses on digital innovation to support sustainable energy use, particularly benefiting rural communities and aligning with sustainable development goals. This study employs a Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) to develop and evaluate an interactive AR-based marketing framework designed to promote awareness and adoption of green charcoal in Northern Uganda. The AR-based marketing framework, built using Unity 3D and AR Foundation, simulates the green charcoal production process through 3D models, and interactive educational content. The study mapped the existing technological resources for green charcoal production and marketing in Gulu City and Amuru District and found that production largely relies on locally fabricated equipment, while marketing is predominantly conducted through word-of-mouth with limited use of digital platforms. Despite these limitations, high smartphone ownership (91%) and willingness to adopt digital marketing tools (80%) demonstrated strong potential for introducing AR-based solution. Guided by stakeholder requirements, a Unity-based AR mobile application was designed to provide interactive product information, production demonstrations, vendor locations, environmental benefits, and ordering services. Prototype testing showed that the application was easy to use, informative, and effective in increasing users' understanding and interest in green charcoal, although internet connectivity and ordering functionality required further improvement. Overall, the AR-based framework demonstrated significant potential to enhance public awareness, improve consumer engagement, strengthen producer-consumer communication, and expand market access for green charcoal, thereby supporting the adoption of sustainable energy solutions in Northern Uganda.