this mayor of Yvelines wishes you a happy new year in augmented reality

And why not? After a deepfake in 2024, it is in augmented reality that Fabien Aufrechter, mayor of Verneuil-sur-Seine (Yvelines), wishes a happy new year 2025 to his constituents. The episode published on January 8, on the Fan AR Zone application, is the first of five in the mini-series To be mayor is to love.

For five Wednesdays, l’avatar of the councilor will travel around the commune, addressing diverse and varied subjects of daily life.

The first meeting is given in front of City Hall. Only on site, all that remains is to open the Fan AR Zone application on a smartphone and embark on the experience.

On the screen, we discover Fabien Aufrechter, arms open, who is delighted with the idea. “You can see it as a test, or as a sort of prophecy about the new formats that will emerge in the coming years. »

“This mini-format is a first on an international scale. »

In front of the Town Hall, an exhibition photo in augmented reality looks back at the “biggest moments of 2024” in Verneuil. Images of the opening of the FabLab, the Benfica Lisbon Training Camp and many others. Then, Fabien Aufrechter invites the user to look up from his smartphoneto discover the completed construction site of the Jean-Jaurès nursery and elementary schools.

A visionary mayor?

Fabien Aufrechter is not his first attempt at original wishes. Already in 2024, it was a deepfake who had wished his constituents a Happy New Year, to warn of the dangers linked to this technology. A 2.0 mayor who is very active on social networks, particularly on TikTok, where he shows his daily life as an elected official. In December 2024, he had also participated in the concept Who is the imposter? from the youtuber Squeeziealways the tricolor scarf on the shoulder.

Free operation

The production of the mini-series in augmented reality is a free operation for the city, since it was financed by the French start-up Mirage Line Entertainment, a company specializing in video games produced on Roblox.

The collaboration with Fan AR zone is also not new. At the end of 2024, augmented reality had already been used to encourage residents to do sport.

After the first episode published on Wednesday January 8, the following ones will be revealed at the same time. one per weekeach time in a different place. For January 15, the appointment is made at the intersection of Grande rue and Rue du Chemin Vert.

All that remains is to wonder what surprise reserve Fabien Aufrechter for 2026?

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