Feb 6, 2018 | By Benedict
Major US historical sites like George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation house and James Monroe’s Highland estate are being modernized with augmented reality (AR) tours that utilize smart glasses. ARtGlass is partnering with Epson to provide the futuristic technology.
Epson's Moverio BT-200 smart glasses
ARtGlass, a company specializing in AR storytelling software for museums and cultural sites, is teaming up with Epson, a provider of the Moverio AR smart eyewear platform, to bring groundbreaking augmented reality tours to iconic cultural sites throughout the United States.
The two technology companies have already provided over 500,000 experiences at museums, palaces, and ruins throughout Europe, and now it’s America’s turn.
Highland, the William & Mary-owned historic home of President James Monroe, became the first US site to launch AR smart glasses tours last week, while Washington's Mount Vernon will follow this Spring.
George Washington's Mount Vernon
Visitors taking part in the ARtGlass tours at both locations can wander through augmented environments, both indoors and outdoors, interacting with 3D holograms, videos, pictures, and text that appear in front of their eyes.
Unlike virtual reality (VR) headsets, which effectively shut you off from the outside world, augmented reality smart glasses allow you to see digital components like text and holograms at the same time as the real-world objects and landscapes around you.
George Washington at Mount Rushmore
Mount Vernon is the most popular historic home in America, and Rob Shenk, Senior Vice President for Visitor Engagement at the site, thinks guests will be excited to try out the new AR tech.
“The ARtGlass platform will give our guests an exciting new way to experience our historic landscape and architecture at Mount Vernon,” Shenk said. “Washington loved the latest technology, and many of our guests do as well. No doubt, through ARtGlass, we will be able to tell the Mount Vernon story in a new and compelling way.”
Epson, the company behind the Moverio smart glasses, last year announced plans to expand into the industrial 3D printing market.
Posted in 3D Technology
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