The continued impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic has greatly shifted visitor experience trends, with many attractions launching virtual platforms to maintain substantial guest engagement.
The legendary Natural History Museum and mighty Science Museum are the latest visitor experiences to join forces to launch digital offerings. With the support of ground-breaking design studio Factory 42, the major British museums have designed two augmented reality (AR) apps which provide plenty of fun science-themed learning for children.
Multisensory journey of dinosaur life
Using cutting-edge technology, My Dino Mission AR is set to appeal to budding young palaeontologists, which immerses users onto a thrilling journey of helping a stranded dinosaur return to its original habitat of more than 100 million years ago.
Aimed at seven to 10 year olds, the platform’s tools also teach children to identify different types of dinosaurs, understand their dinosaurs’ interests and the food it needs to survive. And that’s not all, as children navigate around the app they’ll discover an interactive image feature – which gives users the chance to pose for photos with the angelic animated dinosaur friend in their own home.
Video showcases My Dinosaur Mission AR trailer
Immerse into the role of a real scientist
Appealing to an older age group, My Robot Mission AR has been designed to stimulate thought-processes of a professional scientist. 10 to 12 year olds will create their own robot to help innovatively tackle a multitude of future world problems.
Through their robots’ lens, users will embark on a turbulent journey across extreme simulated environments, including snowy mountains and dusty desserts, which will encompass a series of fun-filled challenges.
Trailer for My Robot Mission AR
Not only will the cutting-edge graphics and captivating activities appeal to children, but the apps are also narrated by nationally recognised science presenters Maddie Moate and Greg Foot, whom many children will recognise through BBC and YouTube science showcases.
The new apps have been funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), as the sector explores new avenues to offer engaging content digitally amid the COVID 19 pandemic.
Commenting on the innovative platforms, John Cassy, Founder and CEO of Factory 42 said: “With museums having to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic, we are proud to have responded by very rapidly developing a playful, creative and innovative way for children to engage with and learn about science from home.
Adding: “New immersive technologies like augmented reality provide an incredible opportunity to think differently about how to introduce young audiences to science and the natural world and we hope children will enjoy the experiences the apps offer.”
Elsewhere, CGI images unveil what to expect at the world’s first Game of Thrones studio tour.
