An augmented reality experience at Science Museum Oklahoma proved a hit with visitors over the Christmas period.
Those who visited the Science Museum Oklahoma (SMO) were able to download an app onto their smartphone or tablet that enabled them to see animations around objects, enhancing the exhibits. The experience was the work of ReLiveIt, an Oklahoma City-based startup.
Dubbed the Museum of Augmented Reality, ReLiveIt’s pop-up museum was located on SMO’s second floor and ran from 18 December to 15 January. Nearly 3,000 people visited the attraction and used the app, with feedback from a survey being overwhelmingly positive.
ReLiveIt CEO Ben Campbell told the Journal Record: “What was most encouraging was having kids say this was the coolest thing they had ever seen.
“We had multiple people come back to try it, such as parents who wanted to use it without their kids, or grandparents who brought back a different set of grandchildren.”
Using the app, guests pointed their device at the text panel next to each of the exhibit’s artefacts, triggering a unique augmented reality experience for each item that included CGI objects and animals, time-lapse videos and green screen videos with narrators sharing the story behind each object.
Experiences included a giraffe walking down a hallway, a space shuttle launching and being able to look around Vincent Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles.
Michael Thomas, chief marketing officer for ReLiveIt, said: “Our app gives museum guests the opportunity to view art, objects and other displays in ways they’d never imagined.
“ReLiveIt helps users enhance their experience at every location — everything around us has an untold story. ReLiveIt’s application allows individuals to dive deeper into their surroundings while creating an impactful memory for years to come.”
Included among the 19 artefacts in the pop-up museum were four from SMO’s collection — a Boeing Robotic Air Vehicle 200 Series Engine, space food, a model of a Nasa space shuttle and a 1939 Second World War emergency parachute.
Other items included an OKC Energy jersey, a weather balloon, a Greek wine jug and prints of artwork including Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles and Edvard Munch’s Scream.
Image: c. Science Museum Oklahoma.
