How Augmented Reality Helps in Transforming Museums

Augmented Reality due to its engaging nature is now being preferred by Museums all over the world for captivating the audience. This is because while displaying the interesting and exciting facts using AR, the audience feel more connected and interested in knowing and learning those. This technology is particularly enticing for the new generation as it enables in an interactive participation. By scanning the locations and targets, the visitors get a better understanding of the complex processes, relations, visualizing the future, reconstructing the past interact with augmentations to share relevant knowledge and experience.

With AR, museums can provide detailed and rich access to artifacts and artwork. The features of AR, enable museums to make art works, architectural details, science concepts lively. Augmented Reality museum results in describing the objects in question by responding to a story behind an era, an influence, a style facilitating users in intensifying their curiosity.

How AR Can Be Used by Museums

AR has got diverse possibilities to be used in museums. The most common use of AR is to make explanations smooth and lucid. It means that the audience will experience availing information in an interactive way with AR technology. With AR, museums can display the digital versions of people connected with any discovery, creation, theory etc. next to their work. The 3D personas created with this technology will then provide the desired information in a narrative way.

The 3D touch can bring various scenes and objects to life. Prominent Augmented Reality companies can give you a better idea regarding how to use AR in museums to attract and engage the audience for getting better insights.

Mobile AR Survey With Respect to Museum Experience

Cuseum, an American start-up has recently conducted an on-site survey for measuring the public interest who wish to access different contents at museums. The main purpose of this study is to assess the influence that advanced forms of mobile technologies have on the experience of the visitors. It has been found that almost majority of the participants are of the opinion that mobile technologies like AR, has truly enhanced their experiences.

Some Noteworthy Results of This Survey are Mentioned Below

9 out of 10 respondents are of the view that AR has made accessing information convenient. 91 percent of the participants opine that Augmented Reality is indeed an interactive technology which makes learning exciting. 87 percent of the people feel that AR has enhanced their overall involvement. 85 percent feel that they should recommend their friends to experience museums with AR technology. Last but not the least, 87 percent feel that all museums should have this technology for attracting and making audience engaged in gaining knowledge interactively.

In other words, AR experience in museums can be stated as fun, easy, enhancing and immersive.

Ways To use AR By Museums

• AR to be used with wearables
• AR apps for tablets and smartphones
• AR apps out of the exhibition space
• AR apps inside the exhibition space
• Customized use with AR apps
• Free AR apps created by technology companies

In today’s digital age, people are already used to make their smartphones and other devices capable in clicking photos. Hence scanning an AR object using the devices can easily serve the purpose of augmented reality museum experience.

AR Uses in Different Museums

One of the prime challenges faced by the museums of today is related to attendance numbers and engagement. There are amazing powerful and cutting edge solutions available now like that of AR which helps in educating, engaging, and informing the audiences.

Given below are some of the globally recognized museums which have used this advanced technology in boosting the engagement level of the visitors.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History-Washington DC

In this museum the dinosaur themed AR experience in a personalized way has helped in bringing the extinct cultures to life in an immersive manner. Here the appropriate situations and ambience are re-created so that the people can be properly trained, educated and informed about their existence.

Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida

Here the AR experience is associated with the large screen mammoth theme to give life to the skeleton. With the AR experience the people can learn a lot about its natural history in an engaging way.

Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology, Stockholm

Here the AR technology enables the viewers to control the movement of the 3D characters with gestures. It has enhanced the engagement and experience of the visitors to a new level. Also the AR system captures various interactions that can be easily shared.

Putnam Museum, Davenport

Here the AR experience facilitates a museum and science center to make people connected with nature, history and ideas. The entire scenario has been created in collaboration with the National Geographic Society where the visitors can easily get close and personal with different types of animals from the Arctic to Africa.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Here the visitors can experience a breathtaking 3D environment. It helps the audience in placing them against photo realistic characters ranging from a NASA astronaut to wild animals and other natural contents.

Museum of Science and Industry, Tampa, Florida

The AR experience of this museum engages the audience in enabling them to interact with some iconic living wild animals across the globe.

W5 Interactive Discovery Center, Belfast, UK

Here the AR experience enables the visitors to meet and interact with an alien. Apart from interacting, the audience can also dance and take photos with the alien.

Tools and platforms for creating AR content

The different tools and platforms that are used commonly for creating engaging contents for AR are as follows:

Augment: This is an important resource of AR which is compatible with both iOS and Android. In this platform there are various options for creating 3D models. This technique is suitable for educational purposes in Universities and schools.

ZVR: This is a strong tool available with an extensive toolkit for creating educational materials. It helps the students to interact with AR objects using special glasses. Designers and engineers can also use this tool to serve their desired purpose.

Daqri Studio: This is an application used for making AR projects with examples of education apps such as Elements 4D and Anatomy 4D.

Blippar: This is another AR creation tool applicable for both Android and iOS. It is well suited to be used for multiple educational projects and is also partnered with various media outlets. It visualizes the objects and topics from the print material and convert those into 3D interactive models.

How Red Apple Plays a Vital Role

Red Apple Technologies with strong expertise in AR technology has served many museums to increase the attraction of the visitors along with engaging them with an interactive experience. It is one of the augmented reality companies which offers customized services to various museums so that the information can be imparted in an engaging way.

Conclusion: This post deals with different aspects of augmented reality museum across the globe. The influence of AR has been amazing in making museums more attractive. It has been observed that AR is suitable to enhance learning especially among students. Hence, this technology has found its prominence in museums as they involve educational interaction for the audience.