The latest existing news from PEEL Heritage is that we’re about to launch the bespoke visitor app we’ve produced for The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland. Working closely with the Duchess of Northumberland and her team at The Garden our latest app presents another example of Augmented Reality being used to enhance the visitor experience, adding a digital frame of reference that’s engaging across a wide demographic.
The Alnwick Garden app will be available from the App Store and Google Play and is optimized to work across a range of smartphones and tablets. Not only can visitors use the app to pre-plan their day out to The Alnwick Garden with a display of all up and coming events, they can also enjoy beautiful images, video content and lots of information about The Garden and its many features.
If that wasn’t enough, the app has embedded Augmented Reality features which bring The Garden to life in a way that’s never been done before. Users are invited to seek out markers (or location indicators) dotted around the garden and, once found, will be able to use the app to access the hidden content at that location. This content includes inspiring and bespoke 2D animations, characters in 3D, 360 panoramas and game for users to enjoy.
Virtual Augmented Reality content includes:
- Seasonal 360 panoramas
- Historical re-enactment videos
- A range of colourful characters including; a panda in the Bamboo Labyrinth and a talking tree in the Cherry Orchard
- Tales from yesteryear from the 1st and 4th Dukes of Northumberland
- Games for all ages such as ‘Fight the killer plants’ and ‘Spot the Difference’
- An embedded camera which allows users to decorate their photos with special Alnwick Garden stickers and share to social media
- …and much, much more!
Augmented reality, or AR, is the overlay of digital data upon the live view of a physical real-world environment. In our visitor attraction apps, augmented reality is used to display ‘hidden’ content that the user is encouraged to discover. Interactive graphics, audio, video, 3D models, animations, 360 degree panoramas and games are overlaid onto the device’s real world camera view, digitally enhancing what the user can see and hear, beautifully complementing any physical interpretation panels or displays. In addition, as our apps do not rely on WI-FI or out-dated and intrusive QR codes & markers, they fit more seamlessly to the visitor experience and do not disturb the aesthetic of the space.
The Alnwick Garden prides itself on being not your ordinary garden and, as every PEEL Heritage app is entirely bespoke, we were able to ensure the app truly embraced the garden’s ‘day out full of the unexpected’ ethos. That’s what we pride ourselves in, listening to the client’s needs and ensuring their journey into digital interpretation perfectly fits their specific needs rather than simply offering an off-the-shelf solution.
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