With Apple ready to unleash AR Kit on iPhone 8 users, and with Oculus Rift cutting the prices of its VR sets again, down to $399 the race is on to grab eyeballs with next generation technology. The tech companies can help in this endeavor, but it is up to companies around the world, from health and tourism, gaming and big business to find and build a market.
Museums aim for a modern edge
Life is tricky as a museum, there are only so many artifacts to go around. So, why not show off the ones you don’t have in augmented reality. That’s the route taken The Tank Museum in Dorset, England.
It is missing a Sturmtiger from its otherwise complete collection of German Tiger tanks. But now, via the power of augmented reality, and the support of World of Tanks, visitors can now see the bunker buster design using provided smartphones. While that misses several engagement tricks, by not getting people to download a particular app. It is just one example of how museums can fill out their displays with missing or rare pieces.
New museums are maximizing their use of AR and VR. While the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. might not be to everyone’s taste, virtual reality editions of biblical teachings and augmented reality built into many displays might attract visitors, and the museum is looking to apps to keep younger visitors interested. Just don’t ask where the dinosaurs are…
A little more modern, the Heroes and Legends exhibit at Kennedy Space Center has holographic and other interactive features exploring some of the most exciting space missions.
Entertainment, health and safety course
The media has always been hot to pick up on new technologies. The new Christopher Nolan movie Dunkirk has its own VR experience to show the hell of the British Army retreating into the sea. Watch it in the video embedded below.
But if you want to see a real benefit to all these technologies, check out this piece on how VR helmets can help sufferers of facial paralysis undergo treatment without having to look in a mirror.
These sorts of innovation will all help move VR and AR further into the public conscious and show other businesses how to use them. Let us know if you’ve seen a great use of some alternate reality.
YouTube: SAVE EVERY BREATH: THE DUNKIRK VR EXPERIENCE
https://youtu.be/caCRw9eCKeE.
Photo credit: Kennedy Space Center
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